Interfaith Dialogue in Islam

These women, accepted as models in the society of believers, are good examples for the women of today. There are many such incidents which show that Islam accords equal freedom to a woman and a man. The Prophet of Islam said: Men and women are two equal halves of a single unit. (Sunan Abi Dawud, hadith no. 236) This is the best expression of gender equality. As an Islamic scholar, how would you defend Islam and the Quran from the ill reputation they have garnered from terrorists who base their actions in Islam? O ne does not need to defend Islam. We need to spread the right teachings of Islam to create an understanding of the peaceful message of Islam. Terrorism has no linkage to Islam. It is an undeniable fact that due to wrong interpretations of Islam, some sections of our society are today engaged in hate and violence. As a consequence, on the one hand, the authorities are trying to crush the terror menace through legal action, and on the other hand, reformers are trying to curb it by engaging in condemnation. However, both of these methods are, apparently, proving to be ineffective. Then what is the solution? The present problem of terrorism is based on an ideology and that cannot be countered or killed through legal action or by mere condemnation. We have to develop a counter-ideology to overcome it. Violence begins from the mind. It must, therefore, be uprooted from the mind itself. This goes directly to the root cause of terrorism. Therefore, in order to eliminate this root cause, we need to initiate our efforts by beginning from the right starting point. And, that is, the reengineering of minds of individuals by taking them away from the culture of violence and bringing them closer to the culture of peace. How can we understand and convey the true essence of Islam? T he essence of Islam is tawhid. That is, to believe in One all-powerful God who in the future shall hold us accountable for our actions here on earth. This belief makes one self-conscious about one’s actions. It instils in a person the virtues of honesty, modesty, just and fair dealing. The best way to convey the true essence of Islam is to become an embodiment of these traits and let your character speak louder than your words.