FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S DESK TERRORISM IS PROHIBITED IN ISLAM

FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF’S DESK TERRORISM IS PROHIBITED IN ISLAM Prof Farida Khanam is an author, editor, translator, public speaker and former professor of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Among her books are ‘A Simple Guide to Islam’ and ‘A Study of World’s Major Religions’. She has translated into English many books authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently the chairperson of CPS International, she is a regular contributor of articles to various publications. Prof Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran and has also translated his Urdu commentary on the Quran into English. She can be reached at spiritofislamperiodical@gmail.com T he attack near the famous tourist spot in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which killed twenty six sightseers, is a stark reminder of the devastating impact of violence and extremism. Beyond this profound loss of life, it ignited panic among residents and deterred potential visitors. No motive—real or imagined—can ever justify targeting innocent civilians. The terrorist attack is not just a crime. It is a moral catastrophe that mocks the very essence of humanity. Twentysix innocent lives, unarmed and unsuspecting, were extinguished in an act so barbaric that it is difficult to find words to articulate the horror. To invoke religion as a justification for such violence is to desecrate the sanctity of faith itself. This was not an expression of belief. It was a betrayal of it. Perpetrators, cloaked in cowardice, have wounded the conscience of an entire nation. Terrorism is the taking up of arms by non-governmental organisations (NGOs). It is, without doubt, a forbidden act. Whichever way you look at it, it is undoubtedly prohibited in Islam and deemed a crime from any humane perspective. To try and justify this form of terrorism is only to compound rebellion upon the original offence. It is a crime that simultaneously