Islam Has No Terrorism

Islam Has No TerrorismAhmad Eldridge CleaverContents

Acknowledgment..............................2Foreword...................3I. What Bloodshed Islam Forbids6Suicide Is Forbidden In IslamA Case Study: A Suicide Bomber's Last Moments

To Kill a Woman or a Child Is Forbidden In Islam

Hijacking Airplanes and Kidnapping Are Crimes to Be PunishedDestruction of Property Is Forbidden In Islam

Rebellion Against a Muslim Ruler Is Forbidden

II. Corrupt Un-Islamic Ideology of Extremist Groups 24 Misled Muslims Influenced By Marxist Revolutionary Strategy Why Extremist Groups Attract Followers III. Jihad.......33IV. Terrorism in the Name of the War on Terror...............39Conclusion44Footnotes .45Glossary of Islamic Terms......46Foreword

There is a misconception about Islam that has sadly become very common and widespread. It has nearly reached the level of being the "word of the day" in this post 9 11 world that we live in. This common misconception is that the religion of Islam encourages or even worse, is based on violence and warfare. This baseless misunderstanding of the teachings of Islam has become very deliberate and intentional. The term terrorism is today thrown upon anyone the authorities in the West do not agree with especially a Muslim. And here I propose an important question; has an effective definition of terrorism been given to the world? One western scholar has stated; "Terrorism involves the use of violence by an organization other than a national government to intimidate or frighten a target audience."1 In a way, this definition gives legitimacy to the use of violence to intimidate or frighten a target audience if it is done by a government of a country. Therefore, if a state tries to frighten, a targeted audience, by brutalizing them, then perhaps we should then add a term to the phrase. Thus, we can accurately describe some violence reported today as "State Terrorism."This widely held misconception about Islam has even given birth to new flag words like "Islamic Terrorism." A word never known before contemporary politics yielded it like a sword. However, the revelation of the Quran occurred 1,400 years ago. This so called Islamic terrorism is new in comparison. In all honesty, the production of these words; overflowing with Anti-Islamic propaganda, meaning and color is motivated by political agendas. These agendas belong to the countries whose armies are on battlefields fighting Muslim nations and people.These agendas belong to my own country, America the country I am from, my father, grandfather, grandmother were all from. So why you may ask, is my pen tackling this subject? Because indeed, the message and the teachings of Islam are truthful, clear and as bright as the full moon's light. So any confusion about what Islam is built upon, can easily and readily be elaborated upon. As the book of divine revelation of Islam, the Quran is all intact, word for word. The same exact Quran that was revealed scripture 1,400 years ago sent via the Archangel Gabriel, to the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) who recited it to all who would hear it is the same exact Quran that Muslims read today. Islam's teachings regarding warfare are to be found within the scripture and religious sources. The fact that the media and some governments have begun to associate terrorism with Islam only demonstrates their ignorance; a nearly complete ignorance of the authentic teachings of Islam.The religious sources of the way of life of Islam are two. First is the final divine revelation, the final scripture, the Quran, and secondly, the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). The Sunnah means the way of the Final Messenger (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). The manner and way that he, in his daily life implemented demonstrated and was a living example of the message of the Quran. This Sunnah has been documented by strictly recording each person in the chain of narrators to insure its preservation. The narrators all come from the companions/disciples of the Prophet (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). The Sunnah is the second source of the religion of Islam. Hadith (sayings) are the documents that record the Sunnah; the words, deeds and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). These are the two sources of Islam, the Quran and the Sunnah. So within these two sources of Islam is found what is praiseworthy, obligatory, permissible, and what is highly disapproved of as well as what is forbidden, all are defined in perfect clarity. So here my guest, I will lay it out before you, point by point by point; what are Islam's teachings about warfare. Know that within these two sources of Islam, the Quran and the Sunnah, there is to be found wisdom and a teaching on every subject that the human being will ever need to be complete. Now, the subject of terrorism, the word itself, terrorism has deeply confused the public opinion of the masses. A large portion of the society are just grazing and feeding aimlessly upon the western media and news reports. Many Non-Muslim people in the East and in the West have been misled and misinformed about both Islam and about terrorism. Within the pages of the Quran and the Sunnah are very clear teachings that show without any doubt, Islam forbids terrorism and Islam has no terrorism.

I. What Bloodshed Islam Forbids

To Kill One Innocent Soul is a Major Sin

God Almighty has said in the Quran,

"Because of that We ordained for the Children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation of murder, or (and) to spread mischief in the land - it would be as if he killed all mankind, and if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind. And indeed, there came to them Our Messengers with clear proofs, evidences, and signs, even then after that many of them continued to exceed the limits in the land!." 2 Chapter Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread with Food) 5:32" The meaning of this verse of the Quran relates to the weight of the deed of taking a person's life on the scales of the Day of Judgment. The weighing of a person's actions on the Day of Resurrection in Islam is prophesied and revealed in great detail. Islam teaches that in the eyes of God, to kill one soul, one human being unjustly is a sin as heavy as if the killer had killed all of humanity. Islamically, the authority to take life is only to be used by legitimate authorities upholding the law. The Muslim authority is responsible to decide when there is due cause for capital punishment for clearly proven crimes that Islamic law punishes with death. There are strict conditions set to verify the guilt of the killer and to protect people's legal rights.This verse comes immediately after the story of Cain and Able. God shows us in the lives of the Prophets (may God's peace and blessings be upon them all) and their own families that murder is one of the Major Sins. God hates the sin of taking life without cause. Indeed, everyone has the right to live is one of the most basic principals in Islam. This right is carefully protected in the Islamic law, called the Shariah. The punishment for intentional and pre-meditated murder is capital punishment; a life for a life, an eye for an eye. The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) gave only three reasons and three sins for which capital punishment could be applied in the Islamic law/Shariah. In an authentically documented saying/hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said:"The blood of a Muslim that bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped in truth) except God and that I am the Messenger of God is not permissible to spill, except in three cases:

1) recompense for killing someone else

2) stoning the adulterer3) the one who leaves his religion, abandoning the jamaa'ah (unified Muslim community)."3

So the portrait that is popularly painted nowadays that Islam is a religion of violence and killing is a portrait far from the truth. To kill one soul unjustly is as the same in Islam as if all of the people on earth were killed. To say that extremist groups who promote and do terrorist actions are basing their violence on the teachings of Islam is false. These extremists groups follow a mixed up mish mash of philosophies. The word Islamic terrorist is an oxymoron. Because in fact, Islam and terrorism are exact opposites. The terrorists whether Hindus like the Tamil Tigers, Jewish like Kach, Christians like the Klu Klux Klan or with Muslim members like Al-Qaeda commit murder upon the common people indiscriminately.

Regardless of the fact that it is often unknown whether the people are guilty of a war crime or just innocent bystanders, they are attacked. A terrorist attack intends to terrorize and strike utter fear in the society of the targeted group. Until they begin to say, "Where's the next bomb? Who will get killed next time?"As far as Islam, the message is clear. Not even one person is to be killed unjustly. To take a life with no just cause is one of the great sins. It weighs as heavy on the scales of Judgment as the severity for actually killing all of mankind. Suicide is Forbidden in Islam

God Almighty said in the Quran:

"O you who believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual consent. And do not kill yourselves. Surely, God is Most Merciful to you." 4 Chapter An-Nisa (The Women) 4:29

Here are words of a verse in the Quran, the revelation, the divinely revealed scripture that every believing Muslim will call the Book of God. The words are clear as daylight, making committing suicide forbidden. To kill your soul, that God created is a sinful deed that is prohibited for every Muslim and for every person for all time. The soul that God said "Be" and then it was. It is a trust given from God and to intentionally bring death to that soul is to break that trust. No one has the right to kill a soul. God created it and bestowed upon it the gift of life.If for any reason there was a need for more clarity than the above Quranic verse on the subject of suicide, then the words of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) are enlightening. This authentically documented saying of the Prophet is found in one of the most highly revered and respected books of his Hadith (sayings) called Sahih Muslim (Authentic narrations of the Prophet's sayings documented by a scholar called Imam Muslim) His words completely clarify, define and leave no room for doubt regarding what is Islam's position about committing suicide. "It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (a companion of the Prophet) that the Messenger of God (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who killed himself with a steel (weapon) would be the eternal denizen of the Fire of Hell and he would have that weapon in his hand and would be thrusting that in his stomach for ever and ever, he who drank poison and killed himself would sip that in the Fire of Hell where he is doomed for ever and ever; and he who killed himself by falling from (the top of) a mountain would constantly fall in the Fire of Hell and would live there for ever and ever."5Now, could it have ever been made any clearer? To commit suicide is a forbidden act in the religion and the way of life of Islam. It is in fact a Major sin and the perpetrator is promised the grievous torment of punishment in the hell fire. Now many people would ask, "What about all the incidents of suicide bombers?" They have killed themselves with the intention of killing others around them as well. Suicide bombers are criminally misled by their leaders. The leaders of extremist groups ignore and minimize the teachings of Islam regarding suicide and taking civilian life. At the same time, they repeatedly emphasize the oppression, defeat and damaged honor that face some of the Muslim societies and nations. The oppression and injustice suffered by the Muslim societies as a whole in countries where extremist groups are operating is real and to a frightening degree. What the Muslim people have faced in Palestine, India, Pakistan, Chechnya, Kashmir, the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq can all be depicted and documented.The error of the leadership of groups using extreme violence is deciding to use suicide bombing as a strategy. It is a specific weapon used by an out gunned, out numbered resistance group facing a huge military force armed to the teeth some even with weapons of mass destruction. So it is the underdog resistance armies versus modern armies with long histories of being ruthless. Extremist groups are adversaries to the armies of the State of Israel, India, Russia, the Philippines, the US Army, Marines and Air force and the Multinational forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. The strategy of these violent groups have assessed that suicide bombers are a way to even the stakes of battle, regardless of if it is forbidden in the religion of Islam or not. Sadly they have mistakenly come to the conclusion that one suicide bomber can wipe out five to ten to twenty to thirty to even more of the civilian and military population of their targeted enemies. The suicide bomber as he views those around him has no idea who will die from his attack and his death. There may even be some soldiers there. However, most often theses un-Islamic attacks are uncontrollable as to whom they will kill. There is no way to know who will be terrified, who injured, maimed or murdered. The only thing that is 100% sure is the misled bomber will certainly kill himself, will commit suicide. How often have we heard reports where dozens of people have been injured but only the bomber himself was actually killed? This strategy in a since is a numeric one. A suicide bomber is attempting to inflict greater losses upon the population that the opposing militarily stronger force belongs to. Thus they are bombing for numbers and not to keep their feet firm upon the religion of Islam. Nor to keep their resistance movement following the Quran and adhering to the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him).

Islam, the way of Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him), is far far away from promoting an attack where a Muslim warrior does not even know whom he would be attacking; whether men, women, children, the elderly, infants, the sick, civilians or opposing infantrymen. Such extremist groups try to justify this strategy by saying they have no other weapon against huge armies. Yet, they are able to get hold of explosives and weapons. They are turning away from the wisdom and teachings of Islam and trying to replace them with guerrilla warfare tactics first created by the Hindu Tamil Tigers who worship idols. The Tamil Tigers have a longer history of suicide bombing than any extremist Muslim group on the face of God's green Earth. No, Muslim extremist groups did not create or begin suicide bombing.

The armies in the Islamic history were living and fighting in a way that was so much closer to the pure teachings of Islam than how the extremist groups fighting in some Muslim societies are today. Amongst them in their midst were the scholars of Islam who also took up the sword when defense of Muslim society was needed. Such as the prolific author and scholar Ibn Tammiyah, known as Sheikh of Islam (a term meaning the most revered scholar for his knowledge and piety in his day and time). He fought with the Muslim army defending Damascus against Genghis Khan and the Tartars. There were no such indiscriminate terrorist attacks such as a suicide attack bomber when amongst the leadership is found a scholar and teacher internationally renowned like Ibn Tammiyah was and still is today. His works are precise and profound explanations of the meaning of the Quran and the Sunnah. The books he wrote are still carefully studied today in universities, mosques and even by the most knowledgeable of contemporary scholars.Unfortunately, today there is a life threatening lack of proper Islamic knowledge and scholarship amongst extremist groups. Although, these organizations see suicide bombings as a tactic that will help to bring them victory, the reality is the exact opposite. They have promoted and taught some of the Muslims to be deviant and astray; and those who were seeking to resist the oppressors and aggressors against their societies. Then they were led to battle in a way illegal and forbidden in Islam.Therefore, we see more and more bloodshed and no victory at all from suicide bombings. Rather, just people dying who do not know why they are being killed, and people killing and not even knowing who they are killing. This state of bloodshed and utter confusion was prophesied about 1,400 years ago by the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). It is like we can hear his words today explaining what we see occurring and unfolding right before our eyes in our contemporary world."Abu Huraira (a companion of the Prophet) reported God's Messenger (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) as saying: "By Him in Whose Hand is my life, a time would come when the murderer would not know why he has committed the murder, and the victim would not know why he has been killed."6Suicide bombing has unfortunately become part of the strategy used by a minority of extremist groups in Muslim countries. This coincides with the widespread ignorance of the Shariah/Islamic law and the meanings of many of the teachings of Islam. Islam is a complete way of life, holistic including principals of worship, morality, ideals for family life, social principals, Islamic banking and economic principals, just rule and governance guidelines including the boundaries of legal and illegal acts of war. To commit suicide and much worse to use it as a tactic of assault against unarmed civilians, by standers and innocent passersby or passengers is completely forbidden and illegal in the Shariah (Islamic law system).Many of the Muslims sincerely want success and victory in this life and in the next. There is only one way for them, for me, for us and that is to live by the guidance, light and truth revealed in the Quran. To understand this guidance fully, we must turn to the Sunnah and how the Quran's message was implemented by Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). To get the purest idea of how the Quran is to be implemented in Muslim daily life, one must learn how Islam was understood by the companions of Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him); his disciples. Here we will find a way to victory and to success in war and in peace.

A Case Study: Last Moments of A Suicide Bomber.

Let us go on a journey with a young lad. He is a twenty year-old Palestinian from Jenin, named Saffah. And all of his life he has seen the Israeli tanks and M-16 assault rifle totting soldiers patrolling the streets of Jenin. As they please they will kick down the doors of the home of a Palestinian family and force everyone onto the floor and tie their hands behind their backs. Then the soldiers would start ransacking the home in a reckless search for weapons and explosives. They never entered a home in Jenin except with their finger on the trigger.

Now Saffah, though young has come up hard. He has always been harassed, searched, forced to abide by curfews. He has given condolences at countless funerals of neighbors, friends and relatives. To Saffah he only sees Israeli soldiers as a violent, aggressive, oppressive force in Palestinian lives, homes and ghettos.

During the Palestinian Intifada with the nearly daily protests, stone throwing and exchanges of gunfire he lived in a constant danger zone. If he had been an active member of the Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation or if he was not; the danger in his life is nearly just the same. No one can count the number of Palestinians who were not part of any resistance movement but were shot dead by Israeli soldiers. Or the number of innocent bystanders who have died from wounds suffered by rockets shot from helicopter gunships targeting specific cars, apartments, offices or homes.

This is all part of Saffah's background and it pours through his mind and his memory as he boards a crowded bus in the city center of Tel Aviv. His life and the funerals of all his friends and family members just began to shuffle through his mind, like a never ending flash movie. He tries and tries to think about something else and to focus on what he is doing. But he can't. Face after face after face just kept running through his mind some of them are people who had been killed years ago. The faces always end with his little brother Luqman.

Luqman was shot by Israeli soldiers as he was walking home from his friend's house late one night. Saffah remembered the last time he saw Luqman like it was yesterday. How they laughed together while watching an Egyptian actor in a sitcom. He was arguing with his wife about buying her a new dress for a wedding.Saffah also remembered six months back when shots were fired at the funeral procession in Jenin that carried Luqman's shrouded lifeless body to be buried. There were so many people there family, friends, neighbors and resistance fighters. All were enraged at the pointless death of yet another young Palestinian at the hands of trigger happy Israelis soldiers. They treated Palestinians as if their lives were meaningless, worthless and to be discarded for any small reason at any time. Saffah made a promise as he buried his brother and saw the dirt shoveled unto Luqman's body. He would avenge the murder of his younger brother.When he expressed this to the men in the resistance movement in Jenin he was encouraged. They told him, "If you are serious and dedicated you will become a martyr."

As Saffah found a seat and sat down on the crowded bus. He could hear some Jewish kids playing and arguing over candy. He was sitting silently feeling enraged at the senseless violence he saw in Palestine day after day. The burials of innocent people who were just at the scene when fighting started. Saffah felt no hope for politics, or for the "Road Map to Independence", or for even a Palestinian State. He knew it was truly their right. But the tears of his mother and his family over the fate of Luqman, was what he really did know and understand. Saffah recalls how he could hear his mother sometimes crying late at night, "Luqman left for no cause, for no crime, for no reason!"

As Saffah glanced around him he saw a bus full of mostly Jewish passengers and some Arabs going to work. He even noticed a few people glaring at him with what seemed to be open distrust and suspicion. He was right in the middle of the capitol of Israel and he could feel in his heart what his uncle Amar often said, "Jews only know that we are to them worthless." They had stolen his grandfather's farmland and then stolen the life of his little brother Luqman. So as he eyed the passengers on the bus, Saffah said to himself, "As they did to Luqman, I will do to many more of them."

Then Saffah reached his hand into his jacket pocket. He slowly wrapped his fingers around a trigger for an explosive device. The explosives were dynamite tightly wrapped around his chest. It was cold and uncomfortably wrapped tightly with tape that pinched against his skin. As he sat on the bus he remembered his life, his family and all the pain and treachery thrown upon them for as long as he can remember in all of his twenty years of life.

An Israeli woman sitting across the isle from him started to stare at him. She seemed to be getting more and more irritated and suspicious. She stood up quickly and shouted in Hebrew, "Boy! What are you doing in your jacket?! Some men quickly moved towards Saffah and tried to grab hold of him. Saffah was prepared and he had been trained as to what to do and what to expect. He never took his hand off the trigger. He looked the woman in the eye and said, "For Palestine! For Our Land!" His hand in a tight fist, and Saffah pulled the trigger..Now what will become of the soul of Saffah? Truly, this is a question any Muslim must be very careful in trying to answer. In the end, this is a question of the knowledge of the unseen. Indeed, none can perceive and know all of the things of the unseen. For instance, like what happens to the soul after death except Almighty God.

We do have in Islam the guidance and wisdom of some aspects of the knowledge of the unseen by way of the book of Divine revelation, the Quran. In addition to the Quran, layers of the knowledge of the unseen can be unveiled from the authentically documented words of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). As I have showed a few pages earlier, an eternal punishment is how the Messenger of God (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) described the fate for the person who has committed suicide. I will share another Hadith (saying) of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) once again to strike home my point.

"We witnessed the battle of Khaibar. God's Apostle said about one of those who were with him and who claimed to be a Muslim. "This man is from the dwellers of the Hell-Fire." When the battle started, that fellow fought so violently and bravely that he received plenty of wounds. Some of the people were about to doubt the Prophet's statement, but the man, feeling the pain of his wounds, put his hand into his quiver and took out of it, some arrows with which he slaughtered himself (i.e. committed suicide). Then some men amongst the Muslims came hurriedly and said, "O God's Apostle! God has made your statement true so-and-so has committed suicide. "The Prophet said, "O so-and-so! Get up and make an announcement that none but a believer will enter Paradise and that God may support the religion with an unchaste, evil wicked man.."7

Now on the Day of Judgment, then the deeds of every Muslim soul will be weighed out on the scales. There it will be God Almighty alone who will weigh and judge the deeds, the faith of the soul and balance them against the sins of the soul. Here the Major sin of committing suicide as well as the intended premeditated murder of civilians, non-combatants will all be put on the scales of the Day of Weighing the Deeds, the Day of Accounts. For the one sin itself of suicide a specific punishment was explained in great detail by the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). Now for someone to commit suicide with the intention of indiscriminately killing those around him is even much worse. As the suicide bomber does not even known who it is who will be killed. However, it is impossible to say specifically with total certainty what will be the eternal fate of Saffah as an individual. This can not be known by any human being. It is only within the knowledge of God Almighty or what has been revealed to the Prophets of God (may God's peace and blessings be upon them all). There are deeds, sins in general that can be described in regards to the punishment God promises for them in the Quran or via the words of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him).

God has revealed in the verses of the Quran His Most Beautiful Names and the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) also attributed to God theses same names. The Prophet taught all of God's Most Beautiful Names as was revealed to him and they are ninety nine names for the Creator, called the Ninety Nine Most Beautiful Names. These names all have derived from them specific qualities or characteristics that belong to God alone in a perfect way. And only God Almighty knows for sure and can tell without a doubt what will be the eternal fate of Saffah. Look at thirteen of the names of God, to help to put light upon why none but God knows the eternal fate of any soul. For God alone has divinity. He has no partners and truly God alone is:

The All-Knowing Judge

Al-Fattah

The All-Knowing

Al-Alim

The All-Hearing

As-Sami

The All-Seer

Al-BasirThe All Aware

Al-Khabir

The All-Sufficient in taking accounts

Al-HasibThe All Watcher over you

Al-RaqibThe Witness

Al-ShahidThe Truth

Al-Haqq

The Most Near

Al-BatinThe All-Recognizer of good deeds

A-ShakirThe All-Knower

Al-Allam

He who surrounds all things

Al-Muhit

To kill people using such a strategy as a suicide bombing is criminal and criminally indiscriminate. To trigger that bomb strapped to the bomber's body or a car is in the way of Islam, a dire threat to the very faith of the bomber. God forbids and God's Messenger (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) has promised a torment for a person who commits suicide. For a Muslim, the sin of suicide has even another aspect that extremists groups ignore. Because the Muslim who commits suicide has done another Major sin that God has forbidden in the Quran. He intended specifically to kill at the very least one Believer, himself. God has revealed this other side of the illegality of murder which is intimately associated with the horrible nature of suicide. God said in the Quran:And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell to abide therein, and the Wrath and the Curse of God are upon him, and a great punishment is prepared for him. 8 Chapter An-Nisa (The Women) 4:93

This documented saying of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) is where he prophesied of the future where violence will bring a time of relentless murder and bloodshed; as we can see in the post-US invasion of Iraq for example. "Narrated by Abdullah and Abu Musa that, the Prophet said (may God's peace and blessings be upon him), "Near the establishment of the Hour there will be days during which Religious ignorance will spread, knowledge will be taken away (vanish) and there will be much Al-Harj, and Al-Harj means killing."9

One of the most learned and a world renowned scholar in Islam's history was Nasir Deen Al-Albaanee who died in 1999. (May God have mercy upon his soul.) He was a library of the wisdom of the Prophet Muhammad's documented sayings. (May God's peace and blessings be upon him.) Al-Albani compiled and announced a specific legal ruling that explains that suicide bombings are illegal in Islam and clearly against the Shariah/Islamic law. In this legal ruling called a fatwa in the Arabic language, he stated:

"Now we come to suicide attacks this is what we know from the Japanese and their likes when a man would attack an American warship with his plane and he would blow up along with his plane but he would have struck the army that was in the American warship.

We say: Suicide attacks now, in the present time, all of them are not legislated (in the Shariah), and all of them are unlawful, and they may be from those types (of suicide) on account of which its perpetrator will remain in the Fire forever. As for suicide attacks being a (form of) nearness by which a person comes closer to God, then today a person fights in the path of his land, in the path of his nation. These suicide attacks are absolutely not Islamic.

For example, individuals climb up mountains, and go to an army of the Jews killing a number of them and then being killed themselves. What is the benefit in these matters? These individual undertakings have no desirable end result that is for the benefit of the Islamic call, absolutely.

For this reason we say to the Muslim youth, guard your lives with the condition that you study your Islamic religion, and that you come to know it with a correct acquaintance, and that you act upon it within the limits of your knowledge, and the best guidance of Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him).10

To Kill A Woman Or A Child Is Forbidden In Islam

It has been Narrated by Abdullah (a companion of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him):"During some of the Ghazawat (wars) of the Prophet a woman was found killed. Allah's Apostle disapproved the killing of women and children."11Again, no confusion and no doubt about it; if

Muslim in warfare takes the life of a woman or a child he has then sinned against one of the teachings, rules and regulations of the Muslim faith. Let us look at the question carefully; is it even a question that a sound mind and heart would ask? By the natural, instinctive, God given nature of the human being, w all know it is wrong and a horrible act.Islam forbids the killing of women and children just as Christianity and Judaism must or should. Why do we find this similarity, among others between these three religions? Open the Quran and you will find the answer and the reason. Understand and take note that in the whole entire text of the Quran, never ever is Islam described as a new religion or as a new faith. Throughout the pages of the Quran, Islam is seen as and described as throughout the pages of the Quran as the True Religion of All the Prophets. From Adam to Noah to Abraham to Ishmael to Jacob to David to Solomon to Jesus and then to the final and last Prophet Muhammad the son of Abdullah born in Mecca (may God's peace and blessings be upon them all).

A Muslim view of these three religions is quite distinct and different from the view held by most Christians or Jews. Islam is to Muslims, as it is described in the Quran, the completed, finished, final and perfected form of the One True Religion of God; which is the same faith and belief system sent to mankind by all of the Prophets.

So, just as Christianity and Judaism forbid the killing of women and children in war------ so does Islam say it is wrong. The word Islam is the name of the religion and the way of life of 1 Billion people. What does the word mean? Do you even know? Islam means linguistically---total sincere submission to the will of God Almighty. Islam by definition is a description of the relationship between the worshipper, a Muslim and between God.

Thus if you then return to the Prophets Adam, Noah and Abraham, and then the Prophets of the Children of Israel that came after them including Jesus, the son of Mary (may God's peace and blessings be upon them all). Now I will ask a question in regards to the exact meaning of the word Islam. Would you agree that Moses (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) sincerely submitted to the will of God Almighty? Yes or No? I would have to say yes he certainly did. Therefore by the definition of the word Islam, Moses (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) was a Muslim. As Muslim means the person who sincerely submits to the will of God. And Jesus (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messiah, the Christ in the eyes of Christians and in the eyes of Muslims. This is in the revelation of the Quran, however, Muslim faith is to direct all worship, prayer, praises, supplication, sacrifices, and repentance to God Almighty alone and no other is ever worshipped. Jesus was born of Mary, a virgin by the will of God Almighty who said Be and Jesus was (may God's peace and blessings be upon him).

Would you say Jesus sincerely submitted to the will of Almighty God? Yes or No? Again I would say yes he certainly did. Thus, Jesus also was a Muslim by definition. Abraham (may God's peace and blessings be upon him), a Prophet of God, before the divine revelation of the Torah and before the divine revelation of the Gospels. The same question is put to you. Do you believe Abraham sincerely submitted to the will of God Almighty? Yes or No? I would say again yes he did. Then Abraham by definition was a Muslim. Here we must say that Abraham was a Prophet of God, before the revelation of the Torah and before the Gospels. So Abraham was not a Jew or a Christian. Nonetheless, by his obedience and submission to the Creator he was by definition a Muslim.

In the Muslim faith from the time of Prophet Abraham all the way to the time of the Final Prophet Muhammad the killing of women and children in war has always been forbidden. Any extremist group whether solely political and secular in nature or quasi religious and political in nature, if its members say they are upon the faith of Islam, then our religion prohibits us from any warfare tactics that target the death and killing of women or children. Any groups that promote suicide bombings, hijacking or kidnapping civilians and terrorist attacks targeting civilian bystanders, passersby and passengers is doing a criminal act that is forbidden by the religion of Islam. These tactics are Illegal in the Islamic Law/Shariah. Acts of war that are Un-Islamic resulting in the wicked and sinful bloodshed of women and children.An attack that victimizes women and children goes against the very grain of the innate God-given nature of the human being. This nature has a specific name in the Arabic language and is called "Fitrah". Islam is often described as the way of the Fitrah. In no way can Islam permit much less promote what goes against the very nature of all people in all faiths. (I seek refuge in God Almighty from the deception of the accursed devil who helps some men to deceive themselves.) Hijacking Airplanes / Kidnapping Are Crimes To Be Punished

God the Most Glorified and Exalted has said in the Quran:

"...and kill not anyone whom God has forbidden, except for a just cause. This He has commanded you that you may understand."12 Chapter Al-An' am (The Cattle) 6:151 " ...Help you one another in virtue and righteousness ; but do not help one another in sin and transgression. And fear God. Verily, God is Severe in punishment. ...O you who believe! Stand out firmly for God and be just witnesses and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety, and fear God. Verily, God is Well Acquainted with what you do."13 Chapter Al-Ma'idah (The Table Spread with Food) 5: 2 and 8The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) helped to put the actions that result in the taking of life into proper perspective when he said:

"Jabir the son of Abdullah reported that God's Messenger (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said: Be on your guard against committing oppression, for oppression is a darkness on the Day of Resurrection, and be on your guard against petty mindedness for petty mindedness destroyed those who were before you, as it incited them to shed blood and make lawful what was unlawful for them."14To hijack an airplane and to take hostage civilian passengers in order to threaten a government with the outright murder of its citizens is in now way sanctioned in Islam. In the Quranic verses above notice that God instructions are not to allow ones feelings for a people to be a cause to treat them with injustice. The principles of Islam are from the words of the Quran and the Sunnah and in these two sources is woven a most upright legislation that is complete and of the greatest benefit. It is called the Shariah, the Islamic Law. In the Shariah hijacking and kidnapping people are not justifiable or sanctioned. They are heinous crimes of oppression and tyranny. This is a way of casting mankind backwards into the age of barbarism and savagery. To erase security and leave innocent civilian people and travelers to be thrown into violence and tribulation as a reaction to the violence caused by a targeted nation's armed forces. Islam's principals state clearly that such violent terrorist acts are major crimes and it is the responsibility of every nation to arm itself to defend against them. The punishment in the Shariah for such crimes is capital punishment. Every nation and airport must have a sufficient number of highly trained military specialists to provide security against hijackers, kidnappers and hostage takers. Any such action against the common public is a most dangerous threat and seen in Islam as a great injustice. Islam is to bring stability and peace to the individual, the family, the community and the Muslim nations. No Muslim should try to justify crimes by our religion Islam means sincere submission to the will of God. This submission and this way of life is truly what brings peace to a person's heart . Destruction of Property Is Forbidden In Islam

The safety and the protection of people's lives and property is a fundamental principle of the faith of Islam. It's belief system, law system, moral system, teachings regarding family life, principals of governance, as well as the life in this world and the life in the afterlife all support peace and freedom from aggression and danger. The protection of property can be seen in the Shariah's punishment for a thief.

There are strict conditions that have to be proven with certainty before the punishment revealed in the Quran for a thief can be applied. For instance, there must be a witness to the theft or a confession. The thief also can not be mentally disturbed, in famine conditions or starving, nor can one be penalized with the Shariah punishment for stealing from an employer who has refused to pay a worker's wages. In addition, the stolen property must have been secured before the theft and not left out in the open or in the public's eye. The Islamic Shariah's punishment for stealing is a deterrent against pre-meditated, criminal, professional thieves, like a cat burglar, a pick pocket or a thief who cracks safes. For one of these thieves, that steal from people's homes, safes, offices or from your pocket the Quran's Divinely revealed law is a threat made to guide a thief to the right path. Another condition is whatever has been stolen has to be worth at least approximately $150.00. If these conditions are proven in an Islamic Shariah court then the punishment is to remove the thief's hand. This legislation is rooted directly in the Quran. God, the Most High said,

"Cut off (from the wrist joint) the (right) hand of the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from God. And God is All-Powerful, All-Wise."15 Chapter Al-Ma'idah Chapter (The Table Spread with Food) 5:38Therefore, the sanctity of a person's property is carefully and strictly protected in Islam. Consequently, to destroy a car, an office, a building, an apartment complex or an airplane with a bomb, is illegal in Islam. To steal the property belonging to other people is a sin and forbidden. It is punishable with a painful punishment of the removal of the hand. Then imagine how Islam's teachings would perceive the intentional utter destruction of property belonging to other people. A terrorist attack like a bombing is a Major sin, the Shariah/Islamic law sanctions capital punishment as sentence upon the one guilty of such an act. By a terrorist action I am not describing a situation where two opposing groups of armed soldiers fire upon each other and buildings are damaged. But rather the tactics of bombing buses, trains, homes, buildings used by some extremist groups. This type of un-Islamic strategy, to bomb residential housing complexes, airplanes, subways is totally prohibited in Islam from many sides.

UN-ISLAMIC BOMBING STRATEGIES ARE FORBIDDEN IN ISLAM

1> From the side of the indiscriminate murder of innocent civilians2> From the side of the killing of women and children

3> From the side of the destruction of people's property

There is no way to justify such un-Islamic strategies of violence no matter how it is approached. In Islam, these violent acts of terrorism are wrong, criminal and unjust. Terrorist violence totally contradicts the high ideals of piety and righteousness in Islam.

Rebellion Against A Muslim Ruler Is Forbidden

The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said,

"It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of God said: One who defected from obedience (to the Emir i.e. Muslim ruler of a nation) and separated from the main body of the Muslims-if he died in that state-would die the death of one belonging to the Pre-Islamic days of Ignorance (i. e. would not die as a Muslim). One who fights under the banner of a people who are blind (to the cause for which they are fighting. i. e. do not know whether their cause is just or otherwise), who gets flared up with family pride, calls, (people) to fight for their. family honor, and supports his kith and kin (i. e. fights not for the cause of God but for the sake of this family or tribe) -if he is killed (in this fight), he dies as one belonging to the Pre-Islamic days of Ignorance. Whosoever attacks my Muslim nation(people) (indiscriminately) killing the righteous and the wicked of them, sparing not (even) those staunch in faith and fulfilling not his promise made with those who have been given a pledge of security-he has nothing to do with me and I have nothing to do with him. "16

The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) taught the first community of Muslims very specifically regarding if a Muslim is to rebel against a Muslim ruler or a Muslim government. The Islamic Shariah law is all-inclusive and within its teachings all aspects of human life are included. The violent extremist groups found in Muslim nations are in fact a very small minority of the world's 1 Billion Muslims. These groups promote concepts that are originally from the strategies and tactics of Non-Muslim revolutionary movements. They attempt to encourage and lead Muslims to the overthrow their Muslim national leaders. Their expressed purpose and intention is the establishment of an Islamic State, according to their interpretations. However, their interpretations are inherently in contradiction to the Sunnah of Islam, to the Shariah as can be clearly seen by the opening quote of this chapter. To take up arms against a Muslim ruler is a Major sin in itself. So using a great sin as a strategy to establish a new government to implement the "truest form" of the Shariah is a total contradiction; the epitome of an oxymoron. It can be compared to a person who wanted to start a Quran memorization school. So he starts to sell drugs in order to save money to open the school. However, is there not here a glaring contradiction? While to open a Quran school is a praiseworthy act, selling illegal and intoxicating drugs is a Major sin. In the Islamic Shariah one of its guiding principals is that the end does not justify the means, at all.

The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him), taught the Muslims of their duty to a Muslim ruler. And at the same he prophesied of unjust and harsh Muslim rulers that were to come and govern Muslim nations in the future. His teachings were very specific and exact detailing the Muslim's obligations and duty to the Muslim ruler."It his been narrated through a different chain of transmitters, on the authority of Hudhaifa b. al-Yaman who said: "Messenger of God, no doubt, we had an evil time (i. e. Pre-Islamic days of ignorance) and God brought us a good time (i. e. Islamic period) through which we are now living Will there be a bad time after this good time?" He (the Prophet) said: "Yes." I said: "Will there be a good time after this bad time?" He said: "Yes." I said: "Will there be a bad time after good time?" He said: "Yes." I said: "How?" Whereupon he said: "There will be leaders who will not be led by my guidance and who will not adopt my ways? There will be among them men who will have the hearts of devils in the bodies of human beings." I said: "What should I do. Oh Messenger of God, if I happen to live in that time?" He replied: "You will listen to the Emir and carry out his orders; even if your back is flogged and your wealth is snatched, you should listen and obey."17

While some extremist groups describe and portray themselves as fighting to establish an Islamic State, the very fighting that they conduct in Muslim majority nations ruled by Muslim rulers and governments is in itself Un-Islamic. A war that is fought in a way that is against the principals in Islam to establish an Islamic State. It is a glaring contradiction for violent extremist groups that use terrorist attacks; for this terror is to spread corruption upon the land. And Islam forbids what is corrupt. As long as a Muslim ruler does not prohibit Muslims from establishing the daily obligatory prayer, 5 times a day then to revolt against him is forbidden.

In the end of 1998 Osamah Bin Laden praised the terrorist bombings in the cities of Riyadh and Khobar in Saudi Arabia. Many people were killed and injured in these attacks, both Muslims and Non-Muslims. Western media reaction was to falsely accuse and describe the "inaction" of Saudi authorities and Muslim religious scholars. Meanwhile, the late Mufti of Saudi Arabia (religious scholar with the highest authority and position), Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, spoke at length rejecting bin Laden's un-Islamic leadership, words, and terrorist attacks. Violent extremist groups use aggression and wild indiscriminate violence against a Muslim nation, its rulers, government and are a major threat to security. Let us take a look at some excerpts from the religious rulings and statements of Abdul Aziz Bin Baz, who was one of the most highly respected scholars of Islam. He said, concerning the terrorist attack in Riyadh:

"And there is no doubt that this act can only be undertaken by one who does not believe in God or the last day. You will not find anyone who believes in God, or the last day, with correct and sound faith, performing this criminal, vile act due to which great harm and corruption has occurred. Only vile souls which are filled with enmity, jealousy, evil, corruption and absence of faith in God and His Messenger can perform the likes of these acts. We ask God for pardon and safety.""And there is no doubt that this is from the greatest of crimes and from the greatest types of corruption in the earth. And those who perform the likes of this are more deserving of being killed and being restrained on account of what they have committed of great sin. We ask God that He makes them lose their efforts and shackles them and their likes and that He saves us from their evil and the evil of those like them, and that He utterly destroys their plots, indeed He is Lofty and Majestic, and Generous and KindSo my advice to Al- Mas'aree, Al-Faqeeh and Bin Ladin and all those who traverse their way is to leave alone this disastrous path, and to fear God and to beware of His revenge and His anger, and to return to guidance and to repent to God from whatever has precede from them. And God the Glorified has promised His repentant servants that He will accept their repentance and be good to them."18 II. Corrupt Un-Islamic Ideology of Extremist GroupsMisled Muslims Influenced By Marxist Revolutionary Strategy

God has said in the Noble Quran:

"And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of God (i.e. this Quran), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember God's Favor on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus God makes His signs clear to you, that you may be guided."19 Chapter Aali Imran (The Family of Imran) 3:103The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said in an authentically narrated saying:"There are three things towards which the heart of a Muslim never shows hatred or rancor: Making one's action sincerely for God; giving obedience to the rulers; and sticking to the united body of the Muslims. Since their supplication encompasses those who are behind them (i.e. those whom they rule over)."20

Violent extremist groups ignore principals of Islam revealed in the Quran and implemented and explained in the daily life of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). There are three negative consequences that result from the violent terrorist actions of extremist groups. 1) Kill lives that the Shariah says must be protected.

2) Terrorist acts cause corruption by spreading fear amongst people who would have been in safety and security.

3) Destruction of property, wealth, and belongings which were secured and protected.

The leadership of the extremist groups in Muslim majority nations are strongly influenced by the revolutionary thought and strategies of Marxist ideology. In the eyes of an extremist, their goals include the poor exploited Muslims overthrowing the rich ruling families and rulers by force. They encourage and are willing, by any means necessary to liberate the Muslim common people from their extremely wealthy rulers. The rules and guiding principals of the Islamic Shariah regarding warfare become less than secondary to their goals. Thus they minimize, if not totally disregard basing their acts of warfare upon the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). They only make very general references to martyrdom and to jihad while never detailing or requiring adherence to the conditions in the Shariah for a martyr or for jihad.Sayyid Qutb, who was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, took the position that militancy against the governments and rulers in Muslim countries that he evaluated as being Non-Muslim was a sacred duty. The Muslim Brotherhood afterwards distanced itself from Qutb. They have used peaceful political change to promote the goal of a more Islamic government. The ideas of Sayyid Qutb are one of the major influences upon the philosophy of extremist groups in Muslim nations.

They keep the spotlight carefully upon what they describe as the excesses of rulers and government officials. The personal wealth and expenditures given to ruling families is highlighted and spoken of again and again. In this way they seek to gain the support of Muslims who are poor and struggling economically. Then when government policy decides to make business partnerships or treaties with America and Western nations, the rulers are harshly described as shamefully bowing to Christian nations. They are criticized as acquiescing to agreements where the wealth of the Muslim nations is just "handed over" to the West. In this way their philosophy is woven together. Therefore they pass judgment on the rulers and the governments made up of their Muslim countrymen.

This is how they open the door to waging war openly inside a Muslim majority society. They make eloquent declarations declaring that the government leaders who do not implement a legal system in strict adherence to the Shariah laws have made apostasy; that they have become Disbelievers, Non-Muslims. Thus they begin a revolutionary movement against the rulers and governments in Muslim countries after they have publicly denounced them as Non-Muslim rulers.To justify the means that they use to seek to change the government by force of arms they grossly misinterpret the teachings of Islam. The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) and his companions never described a sinful action as totally and completely taking a person outside of Islam except the abandonment of the obligatory daily prayer made five times a day. The Prophet Muhammad said (may God's peace and blessings be upon him):"Between man and polytheism (Disbelief) is the abandonment of Salat (obligatory prayer five times a day)" 21Therefore to call the members of a government or a ruling family in a Muslim nation apostates or disbelievers because of disagreements with their politics is illegitimate based upon the clear words of the Prophet of Islam (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). And what of the strategy of extremist groups who use terrorist attacks indiscriminately in Muslim nations? The Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) described making war upon other Muslims as an act of disbelief. The Prophet Muhammad said during his final pilgrimage to the Holy Mosque in Mecca (may God's peace and blessings be upon him):"Do not revert to disbelief after me by striking the necks of one another (killing each other)."22

Another major component of the philosophy of extremist groups is to present themselves as fighters for the cause of the oppressed Muslims embattled against Non-Muslim aggressors.

The vicious and unjust onslaught against Palestinians by the Israeli Army, against the Chechnyans by the Russian Army, in Iraq and Afghanistan by American and Multi-national forces are all waved overhead as reasons to justify terrorist attacks. The attacks inflicted upon Muslim civilians are used by extremists to justify terrorist attacks from New York to across the globe with explosions in a night club in Bali. However, the real and deadly brutality of the Israeli Defense Forces, the Russian Army and the American military are detailed and described by the leadership of the extremist groups. These vivid descriptions are sadly; often very accurate and truthful. They become the pillars of the arguments used to justify and encourage committing terrorist attacks. The over use of military force that injure and kill civilians is very consistent and often repeated in these countries. Therefore, army attacks against civilians are used to explain to Muslims why extremist groups respond by indiscriminate attacks. The legitimacy or the illegitimacy of the strategy of extremist groups according to the teachings of Islam in the Quran and the Sunnah is no longer an important issue at hand to them. When these groups attack, many of the victims are unarmed civilians, soft targets. If they only attacked the hard targets, the military forces that attack Muslim civilians then no one would be justified in calling them terrorists.In their messages, speeches and videos they describe the American military presence all over the globe. In this way they seek to attract Muslims who are not radical but don't agree with American foreign policy. They seek to attract them to agree with their statements and then to join their ranks. Here they play upon the feelings of nationalism amongst Muslims. The extremist groups see themselves as the only realistic form of resistance. Their discourses are never ending highlights of the bloodshed of innocents at the hands of Non-Muslim military forces in Muslim nations and regions. By connecting this violence to American influence or allies the extremist groups strike a nerve in many Muslims. The number of Muslims who do not agree with the American foreign policy is countless, especially the violent strategy of the War on Terror and its First Strike tactics. Therefore radical groups put energy into trying to attract, radicalize and mold people into followers. Then they add another carrot on a stick. They state that all of these terrorist attacks that they plan and promote and all of the bloodshed that will result are in the end only to establish the Shariah/ Islamic law. Their claims of responsibility state that all of the murder, hijacking, suicide bombing and kidnapping is to establish the just and upright rule under the law of Islam. Furthermore, they will criticize aspects of the contemporary laws, political alliances and interest based banking systems that are not in adherence to Islamic teachings. They claim that after they depose their county's leadership then they will establish a pure Shariah/ Islamic law.

This is a direct contradiction and opposite of how the message of the Quran teaches and guides a Muslim to work towards change for a more pious, upright and Islamic society. Look at the example of what God said in the Quran as guidance that was revealed to Moses and Aaron. God gave them instructions telling them how to speak to Pharaoh with wisdom. Pharaoh was a wicked and unjust ruler. In the Noble Quran the story of how he killed the male children of the Jews has been revealed again as it was revealed previously in the Torah. In the Quran God said to Moses:"Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, verily, he has transgressed. And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear God." 23 Chapter Ta-Ha 20:44

Is there anything here that could be interpreted as encouragement to do a terrorist assault upon this unjust ruler?And not only in this verse of the Quran but in many God reveals how to work to change society for the better. The Quran gives clear details of how to be an active worker trying to improve ones own self, ones marriage, ones family, ones neighborhood, country and even the world. The Quran is an instruction manual that tells how to be an activist, a Muslim activist. The characteristics of a Muslim activist who works to change society are explained with clear examples in the Quran. The principals of how to work for change as a Muslim are very far and distant from the actions of a terrorist cell. This means that a radical extremist group is following a program that comes from other than the Quran. They implement their own philosophy and act out their own strategies. Their tactics are influenced by Marxist revolutionary ideology and militancy as much as they are influenced by their misinterpretations of the teachings of Islam. Their goals are: To overthrow the government in a Muslim country which extremists see as an un-Islamic government. To resist and put an end to Non-Muslim military presence, control and attacks; Israeli, American, Russian or Filipino, etc.

To establish the Shariah/Islamic law according to their understanding.

These goals are the most important and are over-emphasized far above anything else by violent groups. They resist the Islamic principals from the Quran and the Sunnah of how a Muslim should work towards helping society become more Islamic.God does not encourage suicide attacks, killing people indiscriminately, kidnapping or hijacking. Nowhere are these sinful deeds encouraged, not in the Quran nor in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). Instead the way of a Muslim activist is described in perfect clarity in the following three verses of the Quran. God Almighty said in the Quran:

"Invite to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided." 23 Chapter An-Nahl (The Bee) 16:125"And argue not with the People of the Book (Scripture = Jews and Christians), unless it be in a way that is better (with good words and in good manner), except with such of them as do wrong, and say to them: "We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you; our God and your God is One, and to Him we have submitted (as Muslims)."24 Chapter Al-'Ankabut (The Spider) 29:46"And by the Mercy of God, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over their faults, and ask God's Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in God, certainly, God loves those who put their trust in Him."25 Chapter Aali Imran (The Family of Imran) 3:159When in the Quran God said, People of the Book, it means the people to whom divinely revealed scripture was sent to before the revelation of the Noble Quran, i.e. the Jews and the Christians. The Book, in the Quran always refers to divinely revealed scripture. All of the scriptures, as they were in their original form, when they were first revealed by God are called the Book. That means before they were altered, added to and parts of the texts were lost. In the Quran, the Book is used to refer to the Torah, the Psalms of David, the Gospels and finally the Quran; all that God revealed via the prophets to mankind. The only scripture that has been saved from this fate of being changed is the final revelation of the Quran. Why Extremist Groups Attract Followers

What is it that some Muslims have found attractive about the extremist groups that call to and follow incorrect misinterpretations of the message and teachings of Islam? What attracts some to the agenda of these extremist groups is that they are; Promoting resistance and fighting against the armed forces that kill and

humiliate many innocent Muslim civilians in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan,

Chechnya, Kashmir or the Philippines.

Promising more equal distribution of a Muslim nation's resources amongst the poor.

Criticizing the wastefulness of some Muslim rulers, ruling families and government executives.

Promoting resistance to American and Western military presence, campaigns, influence and especially the "War on Terror". Promoting a stricter establishment of the Islamic law/Shariah (according to their own interpretations).

These are the points that the astray and dangerous extremist groups harp on and use to attract Muslims to join them, They revisit and regurgitate these same points again and again. Whether their strategy and tactics or philosophy is legitimate or illegitimate according to the Quran and the Sunnah is not addressed in their speeches or internet declarations. They instead revolve around the real and serious criminal brutality against Muslim civilians by the armed forces of Non-Muslim nations. Then these crimes are used as a means of justification for the heinous violent crimes used to terrorize innocent civilians from the targeted nations. Prophet Muhammad said (may God's peace and blessings be upon him):

"The biggest of the greater sins are (1) to join others as partners in worship with God, (2) to murder a human being, (3) to be undutiful to one's parents (4) and to make a false statement," or said, "to give a false witness."26

In the Islamic law/Shariah, the ends do not justify the means. So because a group wants to over throw the government or establish the Shariah law (as they understand it), this does not justify committing a major sin by taking the sanctity of human life.The Prophet said (may God's peace and blessings be upon him): said, "Whoever carries arms against us, is not from us."27

God's final Apostle (may God's peace and blessings be upon him): said, "A faithful believer remains at liberty regarding his religion unless he kills somebody unlawfully."28These extremist groups do not base their actions on the teachings of Islam. Terrorist actions are forbidden by Islam.The Prophet (may God's peace and blessings be upon him): said, "Whoever killed a Mu'ahid (a person who has been granted a pledge/treaty of protection by the Muslims) shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise though its fragrance can be smelt at a distance of forty years (of traveling)."29Abiding by a treaty, a covenant, or a contract is an obligation and if a person breaks it, Islam promises him or her punishment in the afterlife. Therefore for a Muslim to become a legal resident in a Non-Muslim country such as America, then to join an extremist group and attack Americans is breaking a legal agreement like a covenant. Likewise, a Non-Muslim who has been given residency in a Muslim country such as Saudi Arabia and is attacked there by an extremist group then, the attackers fall under the curse made by the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) in the above mentioned saying. The attacker in both cases has been promised by the Final Messenger of God that he will never smell paradise/heaven. And the scent of paradise has been described as being sensed from a long great distance away. A Muslim is only as good as his word.

Another un-Islamic characteristic of the manner and the way of the extremist groups is how they speak of the scholars of Islam. These are the men and women who have continued to teach Muslims the way of Islam, since the day the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) died until today. The true and pure message of the teachings of Islam has not changed. It has been inherited and passed on from scholar to student; who then leaned, increased in knowledge and grew to become a scholar. As violent indiscriminant attacks upon civilians, the destruction of property, peace and security are all forbidden acts in Islam, many of the rightly guided scholars have consistently criticized harshly the actions of violent extremists. As a result, wise and respected Islamic scholars have been mercilessly ridiculed by the mouth pieces of groups involved in terrorist actions. Their baseless verbal assaults are attempts to discredit the preservers of Islam's message and place themselves in a position to dictate what Muslims should fight for. These groups falsely describe internationally renowned scholars of Islamic studies as not understanding "Fight Al Waqiah" (Islamic Jurisprudence in relation to contemporary events).

These criticisms are directly motivated with a most serious and dire negative intention. They are seeking to turn young Muslim men away from learning Islam from the scholars, so instead, to attract the youth to join such groups. To replace religious knowledge based in the Quran and the Sunnah with the corrupt un-Islamic ideology of extremism. This extremism mistakenly describes the most learned scholars of this age as not holding the importance of Islam as the highest priority. That the scholars respected all over the world dont understand contemporary issues and the struggles being waged in Muslim areas. They throw these defamations at teachers who have given their entire lives to study and teach Islam to Muslims. Again they are trying to replace a religious way of life with a relentless merciless war and rebel way of life. And the best scholars of Islam and the true teachings of Islam are one of the obstacles in the way of the extremist groups. Thus, they unleash upon them a plethora of insults and verbal attacks. They sometimes call them the scholars of the government, or that they just don't understand the true Islam and jihad. The fact of the matter is that anyone who promotes suicide bombing, indiscriminant assaults upon civilians, hijacking someone else's property by force of arms, kidnapping civilians, or changing a Muslim government by bloodshed and fighting is the one who does not know or understand what is true Islam or Jihad.

As a clear example, take a look at the 1996 interview of Osamah Bin Ladin with the Nidaul-Islam magazine. "At the same time that some of the leaders are engaging in the major Kufr (disbelief), which takes them out of the fold of Islam in broad daylight and in front of all the people, you would find a Fatwa (Shariah/Islamic Legal Ruling) from their religious organization. In particular, the role of the religious organization in the country of the two sacred mosques is of the most ominous of roles, this is overlooking whether it fulfilled this role intentionally or unintentionally, the harm which eventuated from their efforts is no different from the role of the most ardent enemies of the nation....During the preceding two decades, the regime enlarged the role of Bin Baz (Grand Mufti) because of what it knows of his weakness and flexibility and the ease of influencing him with the various means which the interior ministry practices through providing him with false information. So, a generation of youth were raised believing that the most pious and knowledgeable of people is Bin Baz as a result of the media promotion through a well studied policy which had been progressed over twenty years."29AThis is an example of how extremists attempt to place themselves in the position of Islam's scholars. Then to direct which way the Muslims should take in dealing with contemporary problems. By using such baseless disrespectful criticisms the true teachings of Islam are hijacked through verbally attacking the most knowledgeable and respected of Islam's scholars. These scholars teach that the actions of extremists and terrorism are contradictory to the message of Islam revealed in the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). Consequently, the extremists target and try to refute these rightly guided scholars who reject violent extremism. Islam's scholars base their rejections firmly and clearly upon the verses of the Quran and the words and teachings of the Final Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him). To the Muslim society these words from scholars are very meaningful and thus part of the corrupted ideology of extremist groups is to belittle and attack the legitimacy of those who preserve and teach Islam's religious message. J Jihad

God Almighty revealed in the Quran:

"Those who believed (in the Oneness of God) and emigrated and strove hard and fought in God's Cause with their wealth and their lives are far higher in degree with God. They are the successful." 30 Chapter At-Tawbah (The Repentance) 9:20God said in the Quran:

"Let those believers) who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter fight in the Cause of God, and whoso fights in the Cause of God, and is killed or gets victory, We shall bestow on him a great reward. And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of God, and for those weak, ill-treated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help."31 Chapter An-Nisa (The Women) 4: 74-75

Jihad, the word has become now, one that is heard on American news programs weekly if not daily. A word so often heard, but so little understood. It comes from the Arabic root word, ja ha da, which means to strive with great effort. Jihad is incorrectly translated into English as meaning "Holy War." However, linguistically it does not carry that meaning in any way. The word is misinterpreted and incorrectly translated in the western media and by western orientalist scholars and writers.

The word jihad in Islam has a wide and profound meaning. It means to strive with great effort against something that is wrong, evil, corrupt or unjust. Under the far-reaching meaning of the word jihad, there are different levels or different types of jihad. The first, primary and most important kind of jihad is jihad an-nafs. (to strive with great effort against the self)Jihad an-nafs means to exert great effort against the leanings and desires of a person's own self; to strive to shun negative and corrupt desires. For example, to strive to do a good deed that is difficult is jihad. To be a hard working student seeking religious knowledge is jihad.

Let me show you an example from my own life that can help to bring what jihad means closer to home perhaps. In 2006 I gave a talk in the Lower East Side of Manhattan at a residential drug rehabilitation center for homeless men. Years ago, I use to work for the company that runs the center as a drug rehab counselor. I spoke to the men there about how I came to embrace Islam and explained some of the principals of this way of life. And during the talk I discussed how I was fortunate to have learned the truth about Islam thus freeing my mind from the common misconceptions about the Islam. So as I touched upon what and how I learned all of this in my personal life, I also spoke regarding the ever so common misinterpretations widely spread in America about jihad.Then, at the end of the talk, a man raised his hand. I called on him and he stood up, looked me straight in the eye. He had a very serious demeanor and looked like he was on a mission. He said, "Brother, from what I understood you say about jihad. I am like in jihad right now. Striving not to pick up and get high. That's like my jihad!"

His words filled my heart with joy and happiness; that by God's Mercy, I did reach one soul with what is the true meaning of one of the principals in Islam. All praises to God Almighty for that blessing.

Another level or type of jihad is against people who have chosen to become adversaries and enemies of Islam. To fight and defend against Non-Muslims who have attacked and wage war against a Muslim nation is one level of jihad. This type of jihad also has different aspects and levels within it.

1) Jihad by the heart; to abhor evil deeds against Islam's principals and injustice against innocent people; to take it to God in prayer and to hate it in one's heart.

2) Jihad by the tongue; to speak against oppressors and to refute their arguments establishing evidence against their corrupt ideas.

3) Jihad by finance; economically supporting programs that do jihad by the tongue or that defend Muslims against the attacks of enemies.

4) Jihad by the sword; to defend Muslim lands, people, property and defending a Muslim nation's borders.5) Jihad by the sword to protect Islam's message; to stop the murder or torture of peaceful religious people when they have only been explaining Islam's message to people.

Jihad by the heart, tongue, by finance and by the sword can be used against an oppressor. However, jihad is not a free-for all where any group or organization can declare jihad as they wish. The teachings of Islam have strict conditions that must be adhered to because not every fight or war is jihad. The primary and fundamental condition is that jihad must be declared by the leader, the head of a Muslim nation. There are strict guidelines in waging war and what is to be fought for and upon whom can fighting be waged. It is not Islamically permissible for any leader of a party, a group or an organization to declare jihad in and of itself. An incorrectly made declaration of jihad by over zealous individuals will have and has had tremendous life and death consequences upon thousands of Muslims. It affects all of the Muslims. Those who carry upon their soldiers the great responsibility of rule, leadership and governance are also the ones who have the authority to declare jihad.Another condition is for the Muslims to take great care that they are not going to be fighting against armies with Muslim soldiers in them. This is to avoid the prohibition against Muslims killing Muslims.

The principals in Islam of jihad have been intentionally misrepresented in the West for centuries. The intention behind this is to draw an incorrect picture of Muslims as warlike and of Islam as violent. The truth of the matter is quite the opposite. If one travels a bit around the earth and sees Muslim societies for oneself, it becomes much easier to separate the truth about Islam from the common misconceptions in America. Most of the people in countries like Morocco, Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Oman, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Albania, Indonesia, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Tanzania, Djibouti, Guinea, Mauritania and Burkina Faso are the most peaceful neighbors one will ever find. Yet each of these nations by far, is a country with a Muslim majority.The West began to depict Muslims and the concept of jihad as a love of war when they were at war with Muslims during the days of the Crusades. That lie has lived on since then and has been given new life in recent years. War or fighting, in and of itself, in Islam is not holy. Furthermore, jihad does not mean holy war, as it is usually incorrectly translated to mean. The word jihad has a very specific meaning that can only be mistranslated due to ignorance or because of the intention to mislead people. Jihad means to strive with great effort against evil. The evil strived against with jihad can be in an individual Muslim's heart. For instance, to work hard to resist ones desires to do a sin, that is jihad. To work hard to try to eliminate evil deeds in ones own family, with ones wife, kids and parents is jihad. To be watchful and seek to stop crime and danger in ones neighborhood is jihad. To make a great effort to fight against evil and crime in ones city, state or homeland is jihad. Guarding a Muslim nation's borders is also under the multi-level concept in Islam of jihad. All of these are different aspects of the broad concept that is jihad.

Let us take a close look at how the wide reaching concept of jihad was taught by the Prophet Muhammad (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his companions:"A man said to the Prophet, "Shall I participate in jihad?" The Prophet said, "Are your parents living?" The man said, "Yes." The Prophet said, "Do jihad for their benefit" (by giving service to them).32Another aspect of Islamic teachings that is related to jihad has been abused, misused, incorrectly taught and falsely promoted is martyrdom. By martyrdom, I mean that the person doing jihad who dies is promised in the Quran and the Sunnah to be blessed to enter paradise and with great rewards. This is a true part of the Islamic teachings concerning jihad. However, extremist groups misuse martyrdom by exploiting zealous Muslims using a deviant understanding of martyrdom. First of all, martyrdom is part of the knowledge of the unseen. No Muslim can ever correctly state that any person who has been killed is a martyr. Unless the statement is followed up with the words "If God is willing" ("insha Allah" in the Arabic language).For a fighter to be accepted as a martyr by God has conditions in the teachings of Islam. First, is that the person's intention has to be sincere and pure. In jihad the correct pure intention is to strive with great effort, to fight to make the word of God, the Quran, Islam the highest word and authority over all. This is the intention that must be in the heart for the man to die fighting and then become a martyr. If he is for instance, a secular not religious Muslim who fights for a political ideology, or a person in utter desperation, or seeking revenge for the murder of his beloved friends and family, or motivated purely by anger, then he is far far away from the intention in the heart of a true Muslim martyr. The Prophet Muhammad, (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) was asked by a bedouin:"A man may fight for the sake of booty, and another may fight so that he may be mentioned by the people, and a third may fight to show his position (i.e. bravery); which of these regarded as fighting in God's Cause?" The Prophet said, "He who fights so that God's Word (i.e. Islam) should be superior, fights for God's Cause."33

Furthermore, if a Muslim is fighting using tactics of attack that Islam totally forbids and prohibits then how could he possibly become a martyr? A martyr is beloved by God while to attack and wage war in a way the Final Prophet of God (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) and the verses in the Quran teaches is wrong and forbidden. My dear guest, as I have tried my best to illustrate to you what is permissible and what is illegal in the Shariah/Islamic law regarding warfare. And as you have seen, suicide is forbidden in Islam according to the Quran and the Sunnah. Then, is a suicide bomber a true martyr in Islam? Hijacking airplanes, endangering innocent civilians is illegal in the Islamic law. So when the hijacker is killed, is he a martyr? Kidnapping civilians and holding non-combatants by force, is unsanctioned in the Shariah. So if a kidnapper is shot dead, is he a martyr? I leave these questions for you to ponder and know and understand that the intention of the fighter as well as his actions designate and determine his fate. That which angers God is that which He has forbidden.

The words of the Prophet Muhammad, (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) illuminate how a Muslim's intention, jihad and martyrdom are all interconnected and built one upon the other."It has been narrated on the authority of Umar bin al-Khattab that the Messenger of God (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The value of) an action depends on the intention behind it. A man will be rewarded only for what he intended. the emigration of one who emigrates for the sake of God and His Messenger (may God's peace and blessings be upon him) is for the sake of God and His Messenger (may God's peace and blessings be upon him); and the emigration of one who emigrates for gaining a worldly advantage or for marrying a woman is for what he has emigrated." 34 IV. Terrorism in the Name of the War on Terror

Terrorism in the Name of the War On Terror

Terrorism, this utter brutality to intimidate and frighten a targeted group is not a newcomer to the history of mankind. Certainly, America could never say that her history has no experience with terrorism. Truly, America was not introduced to terrorism by Al-Qaeda and contemporary events. In fact, there is no American innocence to the reality of terrorism. Quite the contrary, America has her own intimate history of home-grown terrorism that is as American as apple-pie. And the terrorism on American soil was often justified by misinterpretations of the Bible and Christianity.

So in America, I have often seen evidence of false and twisted interpretations of scripture amongst the Christians long before I was guided to embrace Islam. Sadly, such nefarious interpretations of religious texts are a part of American history. And extremist Christian Biblical interpretations are still alive in present day America. Quite possibly, they may have even reached as far up as the highest ranks of the US government.

Let us go for just a brief revision of what false, twisted and sinister interpretations of the Bible's teachings have brought upon America.....So let us take a look back....

Now here we are in days gone by and we sit listening in the dead of night. Then, we hear the braying of the horses as they are spurred on into the chase. Their panting shoots their breath into the night air like clouds of smoke. What chase is this you may ask?

This is the chase and the hunt for a Black man by the Knights of the Klu Klux Klan. On horseback or on foot for over a hundred years they have preyed, hunted and terrorized innocent, poor, indigent and unarmed Black men and women, who were free (or as free as they were allowed to be, but they were no longer slaves). The Klansmen chased them, tortured them, hung them, mutilated their murdered corpses, and never left them alive. These American terrorists waved an American confederate flag and hid their faces behind white hoods. They proudly always left their mark taking responsibility for their crimes. And what is the mark of this contemporary American terrorist organization? Their mark is the smoking symbol of a burning cross; all the while justifying their deeds with quotes from the Bible. Take a look at some of the official KKK websites and you will see countless twisted interpretations of the verses of the Bible.

They said that they were ghosts of the confederate soldiers bringing a message of hope and deliverance to White Christian America! The KKK wants to keep America white and pure. So they said....and still they say the same thing. So then, what are they? Should we call them Christian Terrorists? Or perhaps many a Christian may find it terribly offensive to associate terrorism with the religion of Christianity. The Klan used to drag the murdered corpse of their victims through the African-American neighborhoods; to terrorize them. This was done very intentionally, "to keep them in their place." And then the body would be left in front of a specific building in the African-American neighborhood. Where you may ask? The Klan systematically would leave the dead corpse as if it was on display in front of the Colored school. So the young African American school kids would see it. It was to teach them a lesson. It was a form of terrorism.

In the same way, now we can see that Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups have sunk to the same depths. They say they want to keep the lands of the Muslims, Muslim and pure. Al-Qaeda, they are in fact like the Klu Klux Klan of the Muslims.

So do not look at Islam and think