During the pandemic, extremist organisations have spread their ideologies online on a much larger scale than before. There was a massive increase in the use of Telegram by extremist groups after April 2020 and radicals are always on the lookout for new messaging platforms. Isis has been experimenting with a number of platforms to disseminate its violent ideology, as reported by Etidal - an international counter-extremism hub.
So I went on a journey speaking to former extremists to find out how they were radicalised and what factors led to their reformation. There were three lessons I learnt. 1. Having a strong moral upbringing protects from radicalisation later on. 2. Traveling shows you how different cultures and faiths peacefully coexist 3. Spending time with those different to you humanises them These experiences are found in all three of the following people I spoke with. Drew As long as a child’s upbringing is based on solid moral foundations and a respectful and tolerant worldview, they’re less likely to complete the radicalisation process and be involved in violence, even if exposed to extremist content later in life. I spoke to Drew who had a liberal upbringing and was taught to be accepting of others. But being autistic and exposed to online gaming communities during the Gamergate controversy, which was a culture war around female representation in games, he started harbouring hateful views towards feminists, immigrants and Muslims. Each Muslim terror attack ingrained those views further. But after the Nice attacks in France when there was an increase of Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment, he realised this was not the way he had been brought up. After seeing anti-Semitic posters in university, the gravity of his worldview hit home and he abandoned the anger he had towards other groups. Drew also went traveling to Europe after the Nice attacks and visited the city, where he saw people of different faiths mourning together. Yossi Distance and generalisations about those we have anger towards contributes to radicalisation. Yossi is a Jew originally from New York whose dad survived the holocaust. He hated Germans and the rest of the world after hearing his father’s stories. But his parents also taught him respect and living life with dignity. As a teenager he joined the Jewish Defence League and even prepared terrorist attacks. But he could never take the leap to violence. He could be friends with terrorists but couldn’t become one of them. Deaths caused by the JDL shocked him and when the group got more extreme he re-examined his beliefs and travelled to Europe. Here he described “small acts of kindness” and curiosity about Jews by Europeans as moments which led to his deradicalisation. He started to remember that while his father warned him about the world, he also taught him to be a good person. Yossi moved to Jerusalem and spent time praying with Muslims and Christians eventually developing a “deep love for Islam”. Now he’s involved in peace efforts between Israelis and Palestinians. Alex When we learn about other faiths and cultures based on isolated incidents in the media, it’s easy to develop animosity towards them. Alex grew up in Texas thinking that all Muslims lived in the Middle East and were extremists. Though he never believed it, these thoughts were difficult to challenge as he’d never spent time with Muslims. “My lack of education and exposure to Muslims muddled my perception of them,” he said. His mother taught him to respect everyone; she was the daughter of an army colonel and spent time in Libya, Greece, Japan and other countries. Alex moved to Singapore as part of a student exchange programme and lived with a Muslim family during Ramadan, observing their “kindness, devotion and commitment to their children”. He said: “Living with different cultures really humanises people and too often in the US, ethnic and racial groups live in the same city but separate areas so you could go your whole life not having to meet a Muslim.” He credits the change of his views to his mother and spending time with the Muslim family. He noticed that in Singapore schools have cultural education days and its Ethnic Integration Policy prevents the formation of ethnic enclaves placing quotas on how many residents of one racial group can live in a building. I decided to speak to people like Drew, Yossi and Alex to understand why people turn to extremism, how they turn back from it and what we can do to prevent radicalisation. It was part of a UN project called EDIN - Empowering Dialogue & Interfaith Networks - to equip young faith leaders and young media makers to tackle hate speech online. My conversations have reinforced the need to remove the barriers to open conversations, meet people different from you, and give children strong moral frameworks with which to see the world. Covid has meant extremists have turned to online media even more to spread their hateful views. But there are a host of young media makers and faith leaders like me providing the counter-narrative.
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Extremist thought is allowed to linger too long in this country and freedom of speech is no excuse5/30/2017 It was a welcome move by LBC to finally remove Katie Hopkins from her provocative show. However, it took an especially grotesque tweet to do so which shows how overly tolerant or simply blind we’ve become to the abuse of free speech taking place. For far too long we’ve allowed extremists, Muslim and non-Muslim the airtime to spout their hate-filled and divisive rhetoric. Anjum Choudary similarly was was placed on platform upon platform, news channel upon news channel before being sentenced to imprisonment for supporting terrorism. Why does it take a heinous attack and a vile tweet calling for mass extermination of Muslims, to make us realise what the issue is here? The Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “publicity is the oxygen sustaining most terrorist or extremist groups”. And he was right because without publicity the recruiting mechanism of extremists would fail. And yet we play right into their hands by giving extremists ample airtime. He also recommended arming police (something we’re now seeing on the streets), monitoring Mosque sermons and for the media to limit extremist exposure. The Caliph’s own sermons are broadcast live throughout the world and published often the same day on various media platforms. Fortunately, Britain has a good record of curbing extremism, be it political or otherwise. In the 1930s the National Government was successful in repressing political extremism through legislation and likewise limited the IRA’s influence in the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. Similarly the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 outlined measures to prevent radicalisation and cease terrorist activities. In recent years the government has banned certain hate speakers from entering the UK - a thoroughly commendable step. Some however seem to think removing hate-filled rhetoric is an attack on free speech. It isn’t, it’s an attack on toxic messages which lead to terror. We did it in the past with the IRA and we do it today by banning those who would create disorder. Hate speech, provocation and taking advantage of the climate of extremism are not justified under free speech. Otherwise we wouldn’t have laws, regulations and rules banning racism, anti-semitism and hate. Those defending Hopkins’ right to air her poisonous views like to cherry-pick our laws just as the extremists cherry-pick religious verses. Article 10 of the Human Rights Act while upholding freedom of expression does not permit the misuse of it. It allows restrictions to protect morals, public safety and prevent disorder. Extremists don’t win when we censor material which is likely to pervert our young. They win when their ideology is publicly aired and shared by all the media outlets. Our tabloid newspapers are quick to jump on the divisive bandwagon too. It’s about time we have greater restrictions on such who flagrantly flout principles of journalistic integrity let alone of human decency. We saw this when Kelvin McKenzie was rightly sacked for his crude comments against Everton footballer, Ross Barkley. McKenzie has a history of impropriety and it shouldn’t have taken this long to remove him. The media is bound by reporting restrictions anyway when it comes to court proceedings or police investigations. Why should it be any different when it’s about public safety, decency and limiting extremist output? Freedoms come with responsibility and restrictions because there exist among us those who use those freedoms to further their own perverse and selfish agendas. Muslim or non-Muslim, extremists are among us. But so are the infinitely decent and right-minded people who value diversity, respect and responsible free speech. And as long as these people exist, there’s hope yet that the radicals will never gain ground. Also published in The Muslim Times. The leader of the oldest and largest organised Muslim community in Britain said hundreds of thousands are joining his community because of its peaceful teachings. The comments, made at the annual Peace Symposium of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community this year, came after renewed fears of radicalisation in the aftermath of the London attack. The Caliph of the community, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad said: “You will never find any case of radicalisation in our community. “Hundreds of thousands are joining the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community because of our teachings of love, peace and harmony. Just last year, 535,000 joined us.” He explained the reasons why members of his community are never radicalised. He said the teachings and fundamentals of the religion are made clear with guidance directly through the Caliph in any points of dissension. He explained, for example, Islamic terminology like Jihad is often misunderstood and misrepresented. He said: “The true Jihad is the one where you strive for self-reformation”. This is in contrast to many other Muslim organisations who still have to provide such a distinct interpretation of commonly misunderstood Islamic concepts. The Ahmadiyya community has been clear on this interpretation since its founder started the organisation in 1889. It has published thousands of books and leaflets clarifying such misconceptions. He further explained that according to him, integration did not mean abandoning the principles of one’s faith. Rather, he said it meant one should love one’s nation and work for its betterment. The community’s organised structure and extensive work with its youth is another factor preventing radicalisation. The auxiliary branch of the organisation - the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association engages its members in various activities like tree-planting, homeless feeding, workshops, sports days and spring retreats. However, many Muslims do not consider the group to be true representatives of Islam. A contentious theological point has caused rifts between mainstream Muslims and Ahmadis often resulting in persecution and ostracization of the latter. Mainstream Muslims say Prophet Muhammad was the final Prophet and none can come after him. However, Ahmadi Muslims say Prophet Muhammad was the final ‘law-bearing’ Prophet but Prophets subordinate to him can still appear. They say their founder Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the awaited Messiah and a subordinate Prophet to Muhammad. This has led Ahmadis to be labeled as heretics and non-Muslims and even resulted in persecution in the UK and abroad. Algeria has begun a recent crackdown on the community, arresting its national president in February as human rights groups call on the government to uphold religious freedom. The government says arrests were for individual crimes and not targeted at the community. Likewise, last year an Ahmadi shopkeeper was murdered in Glasgow by a man from Bradford who was radicalised by hate-speech against the group. The community was forced to migrate from Pakistan to London in 1984 after the dictator General Zia outlawed it and cracked down on its followers. Since then, they have been headquartered in Wandsworth, London. They are spread in over 200 countries with tens of millions of members. When the 2005 London bombings took place, I was on my way to the school bus as I heard what had just happened. I couldn’t believe it was true until I got home and saw all the pictures on the news. This time the pictures, notifications and reports flooded in from everywhere and so did the heroic brave stories of those who tried to help the victims and the police who put themselves in between the danger and the public - ready to sacrifice their lives. This time I didn’t care if it was a Muslim or not because it didn’t matter and never does since all terrorists share the same ideology - that of hate. I cared how we’d react. Jo Cox’s murder is always in the back of my mind because I still don’t believe our nation as a whole woke up that day to the toxic effects of divisive speech, suspicion and hate. This time, while I was shaken, shocked, and terribly aghast at the vile nature of the attack, my heart felt a sense of pride at our nation’s response to such reprehensible deeds. Columnist Simon Jenkins made a sagacious point, one which the Muslim leader, Caliph Mirza Masroor Ahmad of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community has also made in the past. The Caliph said: “Publicity is the oxygen sustaining most terrorist or extremist groups." Mr. Jenkins said: “The terrorists’ aim is not just to kill a few but to terrify a multitude. For politicians and media to overreact would play into their hands.” That is, publicity is the oxygen which extremists thrive on and rather than overreact and publicise terror acts, giving them notoriety, we should focus on the great work of the public and emergency services. Many were inspired by the brave attempts of Bournemouth MP, Tobias Ellwood who desperately tried to save PC Keith Palmer by administering CPR. Politicians showed solidarity and resolve as they were locked in the Commons Chambers tweeting how they had heard gunshots and had little idea of what happened. The Prime Minister likewise rightly condemned the ‘sick and depraved’ attack. They didn’t cower or express fear but remained calm and composed as you’d hope your leaders would in such times as these. It gives hope our country is still run by talented, professional and sincere individuals. Perhaps even more inspiring were the emergency services who we just never appreciate enough. Doctors and nurses literally ran from nearby St. Thomas’s Hospital to the scene at Westminster bridge where passers-by were helping the injured. This is how our nation comes together and good overcomes evil. The police were mobilised within minutes and videos emerged of policeman at Westminster evacuating the area, trying to save the public, shouting for them to get under cover. Extra patrols were deployed across the country overnight to protect citizens and armed officers stood guard everywhere. Likewise our intelligence and security services’ work made this the exception, not the rule. Fifty attacks have been averted by counter-terrorism police since 7/7 but this was one they didn’t see coming. Investigators will continue to make raids and arrests and capture anyone else linked to the attacker and their quiet work behind the scenes keeps us safe in the long run. Brendon Cox has become the voice of reason since his wife’s murder in trying to build bridges and continue his wife’s work in that regard. He expressed heartening thoughts saying the ‘sense of public support’ and ‘thousand of acts of kindness’ helped him in the aftermath. Messages of hope have been drawn on the floor at Trafalgar Square and last night a vigil took place where members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community stood alongside all others with large banners saying ‘love for all, hatred for none’, wearing t-shirts with the words ‘I am a Muslim’ so everyone knows how Islam stands for loyalty and unity. They reiterated the point that the Qur’an teaches whosoever kills an innocent person, it’s as if they’ve killed all mankind, and whosoever saves a life, it’s as if they’ve saved all mankind. With the efforts of the public and emergency services, humanity was saved more times than it was killed when the crazed man drove across Westminster bridge. Masood was criminal turned terrorist. He can never be a reason to divide us or a reason to think his actions were inspired by any religious motive. He had previous convictions and was involved with petty crime at a young age - like others who turn out as killers.
Brendon Cox was again the one to respond with the wisest of words: “We have to remember that the person who did this is no more representative of British Muslims than the person who killed Jo is representative of people that are from Yorkshire." Normal services resumed the day after and Parliament was in session as usual. Even though this tube sign which went viral turned out to be fake, it perfectly summed up the British response: ‘All terrorists are politely reminded that THIS IS LONDON and whatever you do to us, we will drink tea and jolly well carry on.’ Even if one tube message was fake, at least this one was real: ‘The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of them all.’ Never have more pertinent words been written. After this attack, the greatness of our nation reveals itself even more. Now more than ever, it’s vital to not only appreciate the great things about this wonderful nation, but also to respond with that much more love, trust and unity towards every single person who lives alongside us in modern Britain. It was the most high profile murder in decades on British soil which equally shook and horrified the nation if not the world. It wasn’t just any MP, it was a young, talented, principled, adored and respected representative of the people. Far more than you could say about many other politicians today.
Her funeral held today, overshadowed by the Nice attack in France, the terror of which is exactly what she stood against, was while a private affair, followed by thousands of those who appreciate what she stood for. But not a month has passed since the gruesome and unjust way she was taken and it’s evident nothing has really changed. Immediately after her murder, shock and disbelief was expressed, Parliamentary tributes were made, EU referendum campaigning was put on hold, her family issued a defiant and dignified response and even Canadian MPs held a minute’s silence in respect. It really felt like one of the worst cases of murder in British history - the murder of a passionate stateswomen in her prime. You’d have thought things would change, the country would unite and politicians would follow her example. How saddeningly wrong you would have been. Just days later, as if nothing had happened, the country albeit marginally, voted to leave the EU. No sooner had we left than racist xenophobes felt they suddenly had the license to expel ever ‘foreigner’ out the country. Jo Cox was murdered because she strove with all aspects of society to unite everyone and build a better Britain. In her maiden Parliamentary speech she expressed how her constituency had been ‘deeply enhanced’ by immigrants, whether they be Pakistani Muslims or Irish Catholics. Yet no sooner had we left the EU than the divides in Britain which she sought to curb began to widen. After the dreadful attacks in Nice deemed to be terrorism (one still wonders why her murder wasn't labelled as such), the swathes of anti-Muslim sentiment not least from Katie Hopkins, the ill-informed and rudely brash personality, pervaded the online sphere. This was even before any facts of the perpetrator had been confirmed. If those like her, continue to blame Islam then they’re of the same mindset which killed Jo Cox. Muslims are just as much victims of such attacks as anyone else. The Nice attacker was a French Tunisian and a petty criminal. Being involved in crime is as un-Islamic as it gets. Jo Cox’s husband right from the outset called for all to ‘fight against the hatred that killed her’, because hate has no religion, nationality, ethnicity or colour. Whether black hatred in America, Polish hate-crime post-brexit or anti-Muslim sentiment whenever a terror attack happens, it’s not for one section of society to condemn it. It’s the duty of every peaceful and progressive citizen to do so, not just by words but by actions, like Jo Cox did all through her life not only as an MP but as an impressive, avid charity and humanitarian worker. More than ever today, after her funeral, amidst all the anguish, hate, division and confusion, we must remember what she died for. We must condemn every act of violence and hatred because that’s what led to her death. And if it wasn’t a wake up call then, it has to be now. Hate-speech is toxic and leads to violence. Our biggest threats aren’t across our borders thousands of miles away, they are right here in our homeland, amongst our own people. If we’re really to honour her memory and prevent anything like that ever happening again, then in her own words we must remember, ‘We are far more united than the things that divide us.’ Airports are notoriously known for their high levels of security checks and precautions. It makes an attack at an airport all the more shocking, frightening and inscrutable. If a place so heavily guarded can be attacked, are we safe anywhere? What people forget though is that security at airports is primarily meant to safeguard planes and their passengers onboard, not airport terminals necessarily. Don’t be surprised then if we see more security at airport entrances forthcoming. No matter how much precaution we take or security measures we make, if we don’t look while we cross the road or poison ourselves with an unhealthy diet or drive recklessly, we’re bound to be hurt. Let alone giving our enemy the means to attack us. The point being, we can be as careful at our airports, train stations and public buildings as we like but until we stop handing our enemies the means to attack us, until we stop letting our own youth be contaminated with exaggerated images in the media and calls to join the pseudo caliphate online, until we look to the core reasons for the problems and stop blaming the religion of 1.6 billion peaceful adherents, the situation will only continue to be exasperated. That’s not to say we shouldn’t take precautions or heighten security. Of course we should, it’s the only logical, albeit short term but necessary response to an attack. All viable steps need to be taken to protect the innocent and disrupt plans of extremists. But if we really wish to stop these attacks from happening, all across the globe, in Turkey, Belgium, Paris or Nigeria, and God knows where else, a long term plan and accurate, considered action is essential. Daesh would love to claim responsibility for every terror attack, the opportunists will strike fear by attributing such terrorist attacks to themselves heightening anxiety of their enemies and increasing legitimacy amongst their supporters. Ironically they’re the illegitimate issue of Western intervention and hardline rebel extremists. They’re so far removed from Islam that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (on whom be peace) disassociated himself from Daesh and the like 1400 years ago. He prophesized such heinous people calling themselves Muslims will be born and warned the Muslims not to estrange themselves from him by killing others. But that won’t stop power-hungry Daesh in using Islam to gain power, wealth and influence. Studies have shown not religion but anger at foreign occupation and revenge as the real motivations for suicide attacks. The media has its part to play in all this as well. It’s always striking, the double standards of the news. Paris and Brussels are attacked and we have grandiose displays of solidarity and outpours of sympathy, rightly so I may add. But where is that same unity and goodwill when Ankara or Beirut are bombed? In the global village we live in, such apathy and duality is unacceptable. No doubt we feel more grief and shock when those near us geographically or culturally are hurt. Every undue loss of life through terrorism, wherever in the world it happens, casts a dark shadow over humanity and makes one reel in horror at the depths of human depravity. So if we must condemn one attack, we must condemn all attacks and show solidarity with all countries since it’s the only way to defeat the germ that is ISIS. And why all this anti-Islamic rhetoric only when a European country is attacked? Don’t people realise that Muslims and Muslim countries are also victims of Daesh who purposely misconstrue teachings of Islam? There are steps we can take to stop such attacks though. It’s quite easy for us to place sanctions on Iran and Russia in a heartbeat but when it comes to shutting off the supply lines and funding of Daesh, our MPs lazily rather vote to bomb cities and towns as if macho men looking to come to the rescue. Perhaps applying pressure on the 40 countries in business with Daesh to cease trade would help. Putin knows who they are but apparently we don’t like talking to him much. We can attack countries on the pretext of liberation, we can support murderers and exporters of terror with the excuse of keeping diplomatic relations (I’m talking about Saudi Arabia) and we can pay billions to countries to keep refugees out of our own backyard. When it all comes back to bite us on our doorstep though, suddenly we’re left wondering, analysing as to what just happened and why. A few days ago one prominent Muslim leader in London addressed dignitaries including Dominic Grieve, Zac Goldsmith and Justine Greening who were in attendance. The annual Peace Symposium was hosted by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK and their Caliph, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad made a call for all leaders to exercise justice in world affairs since it’s the only way to maintain peace. Justice is being abandoned for worldly, materialistic desires, even by those pretending otherwise or using religion (which is the antithesis of materialism, vanity and avarice) as a cover for their illegitimate conquests. On the one hand, when oil is at stake, all sense of humanity, decency and justice goes out the window in blind thirst for black gold.
On the other hand, all teachings of religion regarding honesty, truth, equality and fairness are ignored when it comes to land, power and influence. Instead Daesh cherry pick violent verses outside of their context to further their own motives disregarding all verses of peace, justice and goodness which constitutes the majority of the Muslim holy book. It was further stated by the aforementioned Muslim leader that the media shouldn’t give excessive coverage to extremists or sensationalise stories. The fact is that news companies have a vital responsibility in reporting the news in a fair, balanced and truthful way. Despite this important obligation, most prefer to gain viewing figures and sales over contributing to maintaining a peaceful society free from hype and sensationalism. The case and point is right before our eyes. While many criticise Muslims for not doing enough, Muslims speaking out against these atrocities are as if non-existentto the media. No wonder many think Muslims are silent and don’t condemn these terrorists. There are perhaps millions of Muslims ready to speak out against Daesh and in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association for example, thousands gather every year to pledge loyalty and allegiance to this very country. When a handful go to join Daesh though, suddenly we have the news story of the year. It won’t be fair to say the media is completely biased though. Many do interview peaceful Muslims and present both sides of the story. However, unless we stop giving terrorists free publicity and stop overly prolonging coverage of their heinous crimes while overlooking all the good Muslims out there, it’s not likely these attacks will stop any time soon. How extremists are more motivated by greed, power and worldly desires as opposed to true faith and Islamic values
Muslims claim their religion teaches peace, harmony, love and goodness while the actions of some so-called adherents to the faith prove contrary. How can it be that on the one hand, the religion teaches good while Muslims commit evil? Some suggest the reason being the inherent evil of the religion itself. So is the religion itself evil or are the adherents today evil? Or both? Well. we can safely conclude that the majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims are not evil. Nor are they violent. Rather, they are the peaceful adherents of the religion of Islam. They constitute the large majority of the Muslim population the world over. This is a self-evident truth. There’s no denying extremist elements exist yet that’s no surprise since you’ll find good and evil in all spheres of life regardless of faith, race, nationality, political stance, career or any other distinguishing criteria. A cursory look at the fundamental holy book, the Qur’an would also lend support to the belief that Islam is actually a peaceful religion. After all, it exhorts to peace, justice, charity and unity. Harvard went so far as to declare one verse of the Muslim holy book as one of the best expressions of justice ever. True, there are violent verses but that's already explained by my counterparts here and here. Why then are some Muslims today totally disregarding these peaceful teachings and acting like primitive, violent people? Well let’s have a look. For one, Muslims have forsaken the fundamental teachings of the Prophet and have given themselves over to superficiality and worldliness which pervades their religious practices. Their actions betray their self-righteous speech. It’s the same with the Church - religion becomes a business. When people forget the true teachings or distort them, misunderstand the true purport or yet are misguided and tempted by worldly motives they inevitably become superficial and religious by name only. This is a phenomenon which we see all too often in religious history. Outward observance without regard for the spirit of the teaching leads to bigotry, prejudice and hard-heartedness. Religion is meant to invoke feelings of spirituality, love and open-heartedness. The form is meant to induce the spirit, the spirit being the main goal. However the spirit can’t survive without the shell, but when religion becomes a formal, hollow exercise, we see only superficiality, intolerance and judgemental mindsets - leading to violence against opposing beliefs. It isn’t anything new. Man is negligent, vain and driven by selfish desires - which true religion seeks to curb. Over time and generations the core values and principles once instilled by elders fade away being replaced with an ideology consisting only of prejudice, intolerance and superficiality. Reminders are of paramount importance therefore. In a world filled with materialism, egotism, jealousy and manic pursuit of power, the higher values of life are often overlooked with worldliness becoming intermingled with religious values. Groups like ISIS are undoubtedly more motivated by geopolitical motives than actual Islamic values. You can’t blame the car for a drunk driver crashing though. If Islam’s teachings are being misused and driven by leaders drunk with power and worldliness, then the drivers (and those who fuel the drunkenness of the drivers) are to blame, not the car. If you want to understand what’s happened to Muslims, just look at Christian history. Jesus (peace be on him) would never have approved of the Crusades, Spanish Inquisition or witch hunts up to the 18th century. Similarly, Muhammad (pbuh) warned his followers not to become disbelievers by shedding blood. Anyhow, the religion of Islam or its Prophet Muhammad cannot be held accountable for the actions of Latter Day followers the leaders of which he himself labelled as ‘the worst creatures under the heavens’. He warned his followers, that in the Latter Days, they would go to their leaders searching for guidance but instead find ‘apes and swine’ sitting there - he of course was referring to the degraded moral and deplorable spiritual condition of many Latter Day Muslim clerics. It goes without saying, if the leaders themselves are corrupt, their adherents will follow suit. Muhammad (on whom be peace) foretold of a time when Islam will be beset with superficiality and so-called scholars with their own vested motives will misguide the masses. Just as we can never place blame upon Jesus (on whom be peace) for the actions of his followers who came later, we can’t blame Muhammad for the actions of Muslims today. Nor can we hold the Qur’anic teachings or Islam as a religion responsible since Islam itself condemns the hypocritical and selfish, violent actions of some Muslims today. Likewise, Moses (peace be on him) can’t be blamed for the Jewish violence today nor can Buddha (on whom be peace) be held accountable for the genocide of Rohingya Muslims. Further, what we may see as violent behaviour by Muslims today is only a matter of perspective. Undue emphasis is given to terror acts by Muslims whereas if we look at the world today generally, terrorism, inhumanity and infringement of human rights happens by non-Muslims just as much as it does by Muslims, if not more so. China, a Communist (Communism, which is inherently anti-religious) nation has one of the worst human rights record in the world. Saudi Arabia has a similarly deplorable one as well which is why it’s quite ironic that Western countries so nonchalantly back and support such regimes (and have a history of doing so) while themselves posing as the most advanced and morally superior countries looking to police the world. The Prophet of Islam taught that whoever assists in a good deed will have a share of its reward and whoever helps facilitate evil, will share the burden thereof. Suffice to say then, the West has played a large role in fueling extremist ideology especially by being friendly with the Saudis who export their deadly, violent puritanical version of Islam which was partly responsible for the Paris attacks. Talk about fueling the drunk driver. The West (primarily Christian nations) have attacked, colonised and plundered entire nations, countries and people based on deception and resource hungry motives. They fund extremist rebels, prop up dictatorial regimes and extort whoever agrees not with them. Let’s not forget Iraq (an international war crime and responsible for ISIS as admitted by Tony Blair), Libya, Syria, the Gulf War, Afghanistan and others. No good whatsoever has come of these wars. Western wars since 1990 have killed an estimated 4 million Muslims, mostly innocent under the false guise of freedom, democracy and liberation. And yet Islam is scapegoated as the cause of the rise of terrorism. Israel continues to commit atrocities against the Palestinians and North Korea is by all accounts an oppressive regime. Not to mention Russia, another Communist nation which has in recent months invaded another country and cracks down frequently on dissidents. So to believe that the Muslim world alone is responsible for terrorism and displays brutality is a wholly undue approach to analysing the problems of the world today. A 2008 MI5 report declared that extremists are not really very religious and lack a real understanding of core religious values, something supported by recent evidence. The Paris attackers were found to be wholly neglectful of Islam’s teachings. Having never attended the Mosque, one attacker was involved in petty crime and drugs - completely irreligious if you ask any decent practicing Muslim with an iota of religious values. Other reports cite poverty and Islamophobia along with lack of aspiration as reasons for extremism. The MI5 report went so far as to say that a well-established religious identity actually protects against violent radicalisation. As for ISIS, basically created by Western intervention, it was established that they don’t even possess a copy of the Muslim holy book and lack true religious insight anyway. Their ideology was also comprehensively dismantled by the worldwide leader of the most united, organised and grounded Muslim community today which has for the last 126 years been leading the peaceful revival of the true teachings of Islam, along with efforts to unite all under one banner of ‘love for all, hatred for none’. They present viable solutions to humanity’s problems today, if only people would pay attention. Alas, man cares not for a wise, considered word. Only when our mis-actions rebound on ourselves, like the refugee crisis, Paris attacks or something worse God-forbid, will we perhaps understand and pay attention to the words of a rational, good-willed and impartial community which has long warned of the dire consequences of our deeds. Until then, we can only pray, hope and wait. I was delighted when the BBC Inside Out programme came to meet me and a bunch of young British Muslims at the London Mosque (London’s oldest Mosque) to get our views on Islamophobia. Here are some of my experiences and thoughts on the issue. It was broadcast on Monday 7th September at 7.30pm. The full programme can be viewed here. I'm on an almost daily battle with Islamophobes whether online or in my mind trying to figure out why these people have so much hatred against Islam. Today, Islam has been demonised, scapegoated and unjustly equated with terrorism as the media typically over-sensationalizes the actions of some extremists. It’s convenient for both Islamophobes and the media alike - Islamophobes find another excuse to justify their prejudice and hatred against Islam while the media loves any story which makes a shocking headline. As a freelance writer and British Muslim, I have to try and refute those who seek to spread hatred of Islam and mislead people about what Islam really teaches. People who haven't done their own research or know little about Islam get misled and misinformed by Islamophobes, the media and some so-called extremist Muslims. Much of what I’ve experienced is online and by the media, after all the media is a powerful tool. However, despite there being a significant Islamophobic problem, much of it is due to complete ignorance about what Muslims truly believe and the majority of people I meet are very open-minded, understanding and tolerant. I organise peace leafleting campaigns for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the south of Surrey and we always get smiles, compliments and appreciation from householders when we explain that we’re here to give the message of love, peace, loyalty and freedom - the same values Islam stands for. Only around 5% or so actually refuse the leaflet politely saying they’re not interested. Comments like ‘you should do this more’, ‘we completely agree’ and ‘I have no misconceptions or issues with Islam’ are not uncommon. So while we do see much negativity in the media and online against Islam and Muslims, my overall experience as a British Muslim has been a very positive one. The British public overall are very understanding, open-minded and educated. This is an era when we can easily access information about anything, and as long as people do their research and keep a fair, unbiased perspective, they’ll see Muslims are nothing to be scared of. People asked questions in school and college about purdah, marriage etc. It was a pleasant experience since my classmates were taking an interest in my faith and I was given the opportunity to explain my beliefs. If people were more curious, had goodwill and realised that regardless of all our differences, we are all still one (despite some seeking to divide us), Islamophobia wouldn’t exist and we’d all get along very nicely. Having said all that though, Muslims have caused issues at home and abroad, there’s no doubt about it. But so have many others, not forgetting all the wars our nation and the West are responsible for. A more forthright person might suggest Islamophobia is due to our politicians making questionable foreign policy and starting needless wars in the Middle East. If we’re at war with Muslim nations, is it any wonder why natives would be suspicious of Muslims. Islamophobia has existed since the very inception of Islam when the Holy Prophet was labelled a ‘madman’, ‘magician’ and ‘dangerous’. A lady carrying some bags was on her way back to her town fearful of being victim of the ‘magic’ of the Prophet Muhammad. As it happens, he walked by her and offered to help her with her bags. She told him she’s very afraid since there is a man named Muhammad who is tricking people, corrupting the youth and misleading them. The Prophet remained quiet and helped her take her bags home. When she arrived home, she was so surprised at the entirely altruistic and kind nature of the man she desired to know his name. He replied I am the same Muhammad you were so afraid of. Needless to say, she accepted him and believed in Islam. Many were convinced of his truth simply by his sublime character and supreme moral qualities. Moral of the story being that we shouldn’t just follow rumours and propaganda since ‘hearing is not like seeing’. We must investigate and search for the truth for ourselves and then we’ll arrive at the right conclusion. Misconceptions and Islamophobia will be removed if people come and see for themselves what Muslims are like. Come to our Mosques, meet us, question us and speak with us. People who see the true Islam completely change their perspective - Jason Leger, Nick Ferrari and Tommy Robinson to name a few. Jason Ledger who protested against Islam wearing an offensive shirt stating ‘F*** Islam’ in Phoenix, Arizona, USA had a change of heart when he was invited inside a Mosque. Afterwards he declared: 'Out of respect for the Islamic people, knowing what I know now, because I have talked to them and spoke to them, no I would not do that again, just because I don't want to offend or hurt those people. When I took a second to actually sit down and listen to them, and actually enter their mosque, and go in and watch some of their prayers, it is a beautiful thing, and they answered some of the questions that I had.’ If everyone actually came to a Mosque, met Muslims and spoke to them, they’d realise 99% of us are normal, law-abiding, peaceful, contributive citizens. Nick Ferrari also changed his stance somewhat when he visited the largest Mosque in Western Europe - the Baitul Futuh Mosque after which he realised that Islam is peace, serenity and love. Islamophobes are largely to blame for fuelling the fire of Muslim extremists. By firebrand hate-filled rhetoric they create Islamophobes and deliberately provoke ignorant Muslims into committing atrocities in the name of Islam justifying it under the guise of free speech. Why don't they use their free speech to speak good words and work with true, peaceful Muslims in condemning such acts and declaring that violence is against the teachings of Islam? That way simple-minded Muslims wouldn’t be duped by radical hate preachers nor would Islamophobia spread.
Islamophobes, some who have made it their life's work to attack Islam and Muslims would have us all believe that the Qur'an teaches nothing but violence whereas the vast majority is about peace, love, good works and truth. The teachings of violence are in a very limited context under specific circumstances, such as war or when you are attacked - self-defence is permitted. The Jewish and Christian scriptures contain far more violent teachings. We don’t see them attacking those scriptures or communist ideology or capitalist imperialistic nations who subjugate weaker nations around the world. Such bigotry, prejudice and intolerance of some Islamophobes will always be exposed for all to see. As for others who are fearful of Islam, it’s quite safe to say that it’s mostly down to ignorance since we witness as staunch opponents of Islam when they realise what Islam truly teaches and what Muslims really believe - immediately apologise and change their views. People have nothing to be fearful from Islam. The fundamental teachings of Islam are and always have been of love, peace, loyalty and unity. Extremists have and always will use anything, twisting and misconstruing verses to suit their own agenda. It's nothing new. What were the crusades about? ISIS and Muslims extremists say the same thing - justifying their political ambitions using Islam whereas Islam is primarily concerned with a person's inner reformation and relationship with God - our Creator. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community across the world strives by way of their peaceful ‘jihad’ to stem the tide of Islamophobia and extremism with peace campaigns, leafleting, charity walks, blood drives and many other initiatives. So kudos to the BBC for getting our side of the story and for doing more in general to have a balanced perspective. It's about time. ‘But those in whose hearts is perversity pursue such thereof as are susceptible of different interpretations, seeking discord and seeking wrong interpretation of it’ (Holy Qur'an 3:8) ‘and they deceive none but themselves; only they perceive it not.’ (Holy Qur'an 2:10) Fear, terror, threat and intimidation. Man will go to extreme lengths to exert his superiority.
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AuthorAtif Rashid writes about faith, extremism & mental health. Categories
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