Nothing excuses the killing of innocent people. The devastation and anguish that such violence causes is often beyond description. Ask the families who lost loved ones in 9/11 or 7/7 or the terrorist attacks in Madrid. Their agony is mirrored a world away by families who have seen relatives torn apart by air strikes in Afghanistan and Gaza or by suicide attacks in Iraq and Indonesia. The cultures and languages may be different but the emotional and psychological impact is very similar. Islam condemns the killing of all innocent people no matter if the killings were committed by an individual or a group or by a state. All of these crimes must be condemned.

To end any cycle of violence its root causes must be properly examined. Although Muslims die in greater numbers from terrorist acts than any other group, it is often their religion that is held up as the cause. But according to the University of Chicago’s Dr. Robert Pape, the world’s foremost expert on suicide terrorism, “The root cause of suicide terrorism is foreign occupation”^[1] and “over 95% of all suicide attacks are in response to foreign occupation.”^[2] Pape heads the Chicago Project on Security and Terrorism (CPOST) which maintains the world’s largest database on suicide terrorism dating back to 1981. He’s authored two books – Dying to Win and Cutting the Fuse – that back his claims with meticulous research and analysis. In Dying to Win he states the presence of “tens of thousands of American combat troops on the Arabian Peninsula from 1990 to 2001” made the probability of Al-Qaeda attacking America “from five to twenty times more likely.”^[3] Al-Qaeda and its proxies were willing to use any means necessary to get foreign troops out of Muslim countries after the first Iraq war. The ensuing sanctions against Iraq led to an estimated 1.5 million civilian deaths – half of them children.^[4]

CPOST’s research shows the largest Muslim nations that do not have a foreign army presence have produced suicide terrorists “on the order of 1 per 71 million people”; but in Persian Gulf countries, where American combat troops are stationed, the rate is “1 per million, or 70 times more often.”^[5]

Since the horrific attacks of 9/11, millions of innocent Muslims have suffered throughout the world.

• Civilian deaths from the current war in Iraq are estimated to be anywhere from more than 850,000^[6] to over 1.4 million^[7]
• The UN’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that about 10% of the population (over 3.3 million people) are either refugees outside of Iraq or displaced within the country^[8]
• Over 500,000 American Muslims^[9] have been under some sort of surveillance or have been interrogated by their own government since 9/11
• 37,000 people in Pakistan have died from air strikes and terrorism^[10]
• The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) estimates 12,793 civilians^[11] were killed from 2006 – 2011. A Boston University professor estimates the total number of civilian deaths since 2001 to be around 45,000.^[12]

Thousands of “special forces” are operating in countries like Yemen, Somalia, Chad, Niger etc. To add further injury, a sophisticated network of propagandists are making millions of dollars posing as “experts” and stoking fear and hatred against Muslims.^[13]

But has all this death, destruction and constant fear mongering made the West safer? Pape answers yes and no. Although there have been no more attacks on the American homeland, extremism is on the rise and there are more incidents of suicide terrorism against American and NATO military targets overseas. Simply put: “the more occupation, the more suicide terrorism.” CPOST’s analysis is that foreign occupation actually increases the risk of another 9/11.^[14]

What is the way forward? Are we locked in a permanent cycle of war, terrorism and death? Is the suicide rate of 6500 American soldiers a year^[15]an inevitable by-product in this global blood feud? Fortunately, public opinion in the U.S. seems to be slowly changing. A Zogby poll in 2010 “found that 27% of Americans now believe that the `most important factor’ motivating terrorists to attack the United States is that they `resent Western power and influence,’” while 33% still believe the terrorists want Islam to dominate the world.^[16] For the 33% it may be helpful to note that, according to CPOST, groups like Al-Qaeda, Hamas and Hezbollah are not working and conspiring with one another like a fascist monolith  – “what stands out is that each is driven by essentially nationalist goals to compel target democracies to withdraw military forces from their particular homeland.”^[17]

The solutions Pape offers may not endear him to either of America’s main political parties. To protect America’s oil interests, he argues for working with national armies and local militias to oppose terrorist groups and for keeping U.S. air and naval forces “over the horizon” in case they are needed. He also advocates for energy independence, tougher immigration controls and a 1,951 mile long “fence” along America’s border with Mexico.

Whatever the demerits of his recommendations, Pape’s data on three decades worth of suicide terrorism by people of various faiths and nationalities is impossible to dismiss. Occupation harms both the occupied and the occupier. In Cutting the Fuse he notes, “Since Israel withdrew its army from Lebanon in May 2000, there has not been a single Lebanese suicide attack.” ^[18]The conclusion is inescapable. A just and lasting peace is the key to safety and security.

The news profession is full of quaint aphorisms like “if it bleeds, it leads.” A pithy way of saying that if there’s blood on the ground, the story will have prominence. Muslims may wish to coin an adage of their own when it comes to reporting the news: “Islam = extremism.” To be fair, some stories about Islam and Muslims are not extreme at all but far too many stories present the faith and its followers through a bloodied lens.

There are currently around 1000 honour killings per year in India alone … Crimes against women motivated to maintain or restore ‘honour’ can be found in a variety of cultures and historical periods; a law that allowed for ‘honour’ killing was part of the Italian penal code right up until 1980. (Source: http://honour-killings.com/faq/#fourteen)

The issue of honor killing is not limited to Muslims and is totally rejected by Islam . In fact, Muslims have publicly condemned this heinous practice in various countries around the world. Public campaigns have been mounted in Jordan (2001), Turkey (2005) and Canada (2012).  Islamic scholars, Muslim leaders and organizations in Canada issued a call to eradicate domestic violence asking members of all communities to raise awareness around this issue and calling upon the Muslim community to ensure that it is “equipped with the necessary resources and training so that they can offer mediation, conflict resolution, and domestic violence counselling in a manner that reflects professional standards, contemporary research, and religious scholarship.”

Still, news coverage of Muslims involved in so-called honor killings seems intent on presenting the issue as “Islamic.” Would any of us take a news organization seriously if a story about a man killing his girlfriend for flirting with someone was presented as a “western” problem? Does the west somehow have a monopoly on homicidal boyfriends? To make matters worse, what if media trotted out anti-western “experts” who tell us that the remedy for this situation is to force all the westerners to live by eastern standards or else send them home?

Even more disturbing is the lack of focus on the motive behind the murders. Was there family dysfunction at play? Was mental illness or substance abuse involved? Can mainstream social services work with newer communities to raise awareness and resources to prevent these crimes from happening again? It seems that this information is of no real value to most news organizations. Dramatic music and shrill commentary on the evil deeds of “the other” seem to be enough.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has witnessed some of the most horrific and deplorable atrocities against women in recent times. A study in the American Journal of Public Health stated that over 400,000 women and girls were raped in a single year (2006 – 2007). About 85% of the population is Christian. Could you imagine the headlines if they were Muslim?

“And the believing men and the believing women are protectors and supporters of one another …” (Quran 9:17)

“In God’s eyes, the most honored of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Quran 49:13)

The sweeping changes in the status of women brought about by the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the 7th century continued even after the Prophet’s death.

Women’s endorsement and allegiance was sought by the community during the  nomination of the successors to the Prophet. They played very prominent roles in advising Muslim rulers on issues such as military leave for solidiers or even admonishing them if a particular policy contravened the spirit of the Quran. Men and women from near and far flocked to learn the sciences of the faith – Quranic commentary, Prophetic traditions, jurisprudence, grammar and morphology, history and so forth – from renowned women scholars. Complex and difficult legal dilemmas were often brought to the Prophet’s wife Aisha for resolution.

The early Muslim community recognized and honored a wide spectrum of women’s roles and responsibilities. A mother was considered the first school for her children. The Prophet taught that an honest and trustworthy business person would occupy the highest ranks of paradise. An essential characteristic of faith was to provide sincere and informed advice to leaders in the community. No role was considered insignificant or unworthy of God’s appreciation and acceptance.

This progressive state, however, would not remain the same. Various political and social trends were responsible.

1. Political leadership among Muslims devolved from a representative system based on public consultation to a dynastic monarchy. The military began to play a more assertive and aggressive role in society to ensure compliance. “Old school” patriarchy began to erode the political gains made by ordinary Muslim women.
2. As Islam expanded throughout the known world, various cultures began to intermingle pre-Islamic customs with the faith. With the passage of time, these customs were considered “Islamic.” The ancient Persian practise of “purdah” or total segregation between men and women is an example.
3. Certain verses of the Quran or statements of the Prophet were selectively emphasized or taken out of context by people within these cultures as proof of men’s superiority.
4. Legal provisions and dispensations for women in the sharia were either ignored or discarded. For example, the right of a woman to initiate a divorce in the same manner as her husband.

Despite these changes we consistently see brilliant examples of achievement by Muslim women throughout Islamic history and across the Muslim world. Women from Africa to India to the Persian Gulf distinguished themselves as major Islamic scholars, controllers of gargantuan public endowments and even as ruling queens of their countries. Their legacies would at times acquire global stature. A female Muslim scholar by the name of Fatima Al-Fihri was responsible for creating the world’s first university in 859 CE. The Qarawiyyin (also spelled Karouine) University still exists in the city of Fez.

During the Industrial Age, most of the Muslim world was overrun by European colonial powers. Muslim women suffered not only death and economic deprivation, they were often victims of systematic rape and sexual abuse. The colonial powers created a societal “elite” that acted as grassroots watchmen of empire. These homegrown loyalists were often scathing in their rejection of their own people’s faith, values and customs. Many of them formed the political power bases of their countries after the colonial masters left. Corruption, poverty, illiteracy and a lack of safety and security became the hallmark of numerous countries across the Muslim world.

Enormous economic and educational challenges continue to confront the global Muslim community. These issues are often left unstated by those who criticize the treatment of Muslim women. If they are mentioned, Islam is typically made the scapegoat. The fallout from colonial rule and totalitarian rulers in the post colonial era has been conflicts, wars and deprivation for millions. Fifty-six Muslim majority countries make up a quarter of the world’s population but account for less than five percent of its economy. Muslims comprise the world’s largest refugee population. Without access to education, health care and social services, people trapped in narrowly defined notions of faith and culture face monumental odds against changing their circumstances. To blame Islam for decades and even centuries of repression and misrule is both ignorant and short sighted.

And yet a shift toward Islamic ideals is discernible throughout the Muslim world. Muslim women have been at the forefront of popular freedom movements across the Middle East. A Muslim woman from Yemen – Tawakkul Karman – was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. Women Islamic scholars have once again begun to make important contributions to legal and spiritual discourses. Women are also making greater inroads in various fields of education and employment. The west has a potentially critical role to play in this progress. Not as condescending “west knows best” task masters but as concerned citizens of the global village that help foster dialogue, debate and development in a spirit of mutual compassion and respect.

Meeting Muslims, face-to-face, and hearing about Islam from its original sources leaves a much different impression of Islam than what is generally portrayed in movies or shown in mainstream media. In this globalized world where we are likely to meet a variety of individuals from disparate backgrounds, it is important that we not rely on misrepresentation and stereotypes. It is necessary to be educated about the people around us.

Islam is based on five important foundations that act as pillars of the faith.

• Monotheism (or “tawheed”): All actions of a Muslim should be based on sincere submission to the One God, the Creator and Sustainer of life who initiated creation and has no physical needs or earthly desires. This concept can be found in many religions and even the word, Allah, is used for Jehovah (God) by Christian Arabs in the Bible.
• Prayer (or “salaah”): The most important expression of faith for a Muslim is prayer. This takes place at least five times per day. Muslims also pray in weekly congregation each Friday. The call to prayer can be heard daily from local mosques but personal prayer can be performed at home, school, on the job in any clean place.
• Charity (or “zakaat”): Giving to the poor and needy is considered to be one of the most important duties in the life of a Muslim. Special emphasis is also given to orphans, travelers, debtors, the weak, and those who have recently embraced Islam.
• Fasting (or “sawm”): Fasting to gain the consciousness of God and freeing ourselves from our unhealthy appetites and desires. One month per year (called “Ramadan” in the Islamic lunar calendar) is dedicated to abstinence from eating, drinking and marital relations during the daylight hours. Children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, travelers and the sick are exempted from fasting.
• Pilgrimage (or “hajj”): Pilgrimage to Makkah takes place in the 12^th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is required of every mature, capable Muslim once in a lifetime if health and finances permit. Great respect is shown to those who have completed this duty for they have witnessed the whole of humanity in united expression of love and worship of the Divine.

Muslims are exhorted to live life based on sincerity, love, mercy, honesty and forgiveness. These teachings put them on the path of all of the prophets and righteous people from the beginning of time.

Upon researching the history of Jesus and the lives of his disciples, Muslims scholars have found that entire communities of early Christians shared nearly identical beliefs concerning Jesus. The followers of this creed spread the concept of Monotheism to the east and south of Palestine. They were popularly known as “Nazarenes.” They maintained the Law of Moses, confirmed the Oneness of God and the prophethood of Jesus. For this, they were persecuted by the Roman Empire.

In contrast, another group of Jesus’s followers adopted the teachings of Paul who had never met Jesus in person yet claimed he saw a vision of Christ while traveling on the road to Damascus. According to Paul, the teachings of Jesus were not exclusive to Jews and it was not necessary to strictly adhere to the Law of Moses. His followers became known as “Christians” and his doctrine lead to the belief in the divinity of Christ and the Crucifixion.

By 312 A.D., when the power of Rome was centered in Constantinople, the Emperor Constantine set out to unify Christianity and the ancient Pagan traditions of the Mediterranean region. He changed the Sabbath to Sunday and adopted the cross, formerly an ancient pagan symbol, as the official symbol of Christendom.

The teachings of Jesus as preserved by the Nazarenes had spread far and wide and were represented by teachers like Arius, an African priest.  He refused to accept the innovations of Paul and declared openly that Jesus was a prophet and a human being.  These views were unacceptable to the official Roman church that had convened a special Council of Bishops at Nicea in 325 A.D. where the doctrine of the trinity was chosen as the ‘true doctrine of Orthodox Christianity.’ This Council canonized four gospels while rejecting hundreds of others and labeled those Christians who opposed their views as heretics. Arius was poisoned and died in Constantinople, subsequently thousands of his followers were persecuted and killed.

Despite widespread persecution, these Unitarian Christians  survived and settled among the populations of Syria, Palestine, Egypt and North Africa. Their uncompromising belief in one God and the humanity of Jesus paved the way for them to accept the message of Islam. The faith of these new Muslims was so strong that their lands remain among the most important centers of the Muslim world to this today.

The Quran’s Influence on Everyday Life

The Quran is the heart and soul of Islam. For believers it is an unending source of timeless wisdom. The Quran brings serenity to the distraught, strength to the weary, purpose to those who wander aimlessly and an unshakeable certainty in a Single Supreme Being who is absolutely Unique and always Near. The reader’s mind is opened up to the wonders of the universe … from a majestic constellation of stars to the tiniest organism on earth, the Quran paints awe-inspiring images that consistently summon our attention to the power and majesty of the Creative Force that fashioned the cosmos.

Do they not then contemplate on the Quran? If it had come from some other source than God, they would have found a great deal of contradiction in it. (4:82)

The Quran is regarded by Muslims as the very Speech of God. Each word is believed to be revealed by the Creator to Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace). Many people who read the Quran often feel that they are in the presence of the Divine. To paraphrase a contemporary author, after reading the Quran for a time you get the feeling that the Book is reading you – asking you essential questions about what you truly believe, what your purpose is in life and whether you will sincerely follow the path God has laid out for you.

The Quran is a book of guidance that was revealed by God as a mercy to humankind. It advocates a life that is based on God consciousness, piety, moderation and compassion. The Quran does not ignore the worldly lives of human beings nor does it neglect our spiritual dimension. It recognizes worldly blessings such as family, wealth, and achievement as part of God’s mercy and grace and it also stresses that the greatest success is to receive God’s good pleasure and acceptance in the Hereafter.

But you prefer the life of this world. While the Hereafter is better and more enduring. (87:16-17)

Indeed those who say: Our Lord is God, and afterward are upright, the angels descend upon them, saying: Fear not nor grieve, but receive glad tidings of paradise which you are promised. We are your protecting friends in the life of the world and in the Hereafter. There you will have (all) that your souls desire, and there you will have (all) for which you pray. A gift of welcome from (God) the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (41:30-32)

The Quran is a living book that continues to guide people from virtually every race in worldly and spiritual matters. The impact of the Quran extends to all aspects of a believer’s life – from religious tenets, to worship, social etiquette, business transactions, charity, personal relationships, dietary needs and more. Muslims express their love and reverence for the Sacred Text in various forms: through its melodic recitation; in splendid works of calligraphy and in decorative art found in Islamic architecture, metalwork, pottery, stone, glass, wood, and textiles. Memorizing as much of the Quran as possible is considered a great act of virtue and there are literally millions of people living today who have committed the entire Book to memory. One of the best known English translators of the Quran, Marmaduke Pickthall, was also an esteemed English novelist;  in the foreword to his translation Pickthall describes the Quran as “that inimitable symphony, the very sounds of which move men to tears of joy and ecstasy.”

Recommended Reading

• The Story of the Qur’an: Its History and Place in Muslim Life
• Koran for Dummies
• Approaching The Quran
• Request A Quran