PERCEPTIONS ABOUT ISLAM — What Needs To Be Done

Some people claim that the problem of radicalism in the name of Islam is mainly economic and political, and that only by addressing these issues can such militancy be solved. However, the reason for radicalism in the name of Islam is neither political nor economic. Rather, it is due to a wrong concept of Islam, which is the product of the political interpretation of Islam. It is this political interpretation that has sanctioned the use of arms in the name of establishing an Islamic system. The effective solution to counter militancy is for all Muslim leaders to disown this practice outright. Islam exhorts its followers to adopt the peaceful method as against the violent method. In this connection, all the Muslim religious scholars (ulema) must issue a verdict (fatwa), based on a consensus, stating that terrorism is unlawful in Islam. Muslim intellectuals also have an important role to play in this regard. They must disown all forms of terrorism, and openly write and speak against these activities. At present, this is not happening on the scale it should among Muslims. Perhaps the reason is fear in their minds. They are living in Muslim society, so they have developed fear that they may be persecuted by people of their community if they criticize them. In this regard, however, Muslims must follow the advice given in this Quranic verse: O Believers, turn you all together towards God. (THE QURAN 24: 31) Thus, all Muslims should collectively condemn the terrorism being engaged in the name of Islam. The Muslim media, too, has its role to play in the struggle against terrorism in the name of Islam. Currently, the Muslim media is, however, highlighting the conspiracies and atrocities of others. Such news provokes Muslims further. And so, the Muslim media must immediately and entirely cease the publication of this kind of news and reporting. They must, instead, speak about the positive contributions of others. For example, many Muslims condemn the United States of America for its bombardment in Iraq, but hardly any Muslims ever acknowledge the fact that it is the U.S. that has ushered in the modern age of communication. Muslims extensively draw benefits from modern