Seminar : Clash of Civilisations or Clash of Interests
Hotel Marriott, Islamabad, Pakistan
Intipati syarahan Tun;
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The title Islam and terrorism seems to suggest that there is a link between the two. Frankly i do not think so. It is unfortunate that the international media have succeeded in creating the impression that Islam has to do with terrorism.
During the period of islamic expansion half the known world came virtually under muslim rule. But even western historians admit that other religions: christianity and judaism flourished under the muslims. In spain the jews and the christians not only practiced their own religions undisturbed but jews actually participated in the governments of the muslim rulers. Jewish science and literature flourished in spain and north africa, and christian europeans renewed their acquaintance with the works of the greek thinkers, philosophers and scientists through the arabic translations of the old texts which had been lost to the christian world.
We also know that after the reconquest by ferdinand and isabella a majority of the jews left spain to live in the muslim states in north africa and the turkish-ruled parts of eastern europe.
Clearly the muslims find nothing in their religion of islam to stop them from living in peace with people of other religions. The quran is quite clear about this. There should be no force in islam. Muslims were told that to the non-muslims their religion and to the muslims their religion. Even the prophet was reminded that his task was to spread the message. Allah s.w.t would determine whether his listeners accept the religion or not.
I do not believe in terrorism. I do not believe in killing innocent people. But can everyone seeing the bullying and brutal acts of the israeli terrorists feel philosophical and calm. Can everyone just say that it is not his affair, that he can do nothing? Some will feel that way but some feel more strongly than others. And invariable some would act. No one relished the idea of deliberately piloting and crashing a plane against a building and being torn to pieces by the explosion or being burnt to cinders. But the anger of these people who day in and day out watched israeli atrocities cannot but result in some expression, in some retaliatory action, by someone.
The Sept 11 2001 attack was perhaps an act of unmitigated terrorism. 3,000 people died in the world trade center in New York. It was horrible to see people hurtling through the air to be smashed on the ground in order to escape being burnt alive. It was terrible to watch live the collapse of the twin towers. Such great edifices turned to dust. The anger of the americans and their president can well be understood. But without even considering the circumstances, without thinking of the causes which led to this terrible tragedy, the first thing that the american leader thought of was to declare war, to revive the crusade, to war against islam.
No, it is not their religion; it is not being Christians or Jews. These trained terrorists kill because they have the guns and the bombs, and to kill requires only a squeeze of the trigger or pressure on the button. And the muslims who kill, who blew themselves up, who crash their planes into building are not obeying the injunctions of islam. Islam has no place for terrorism. Nothing in the quran says that muslims must terrorize their enemies.
So let us not blame Islam for what we call terrorism carried out by people who happen to believe in Islam. We are not going to say that the terrorism of regulars against the muslims are induced by Christianity or Judaism. It is just the arrogance of the strong. It is the way of the bully.
Christianity,Judaism and Islam have been hijacked by people with vested interests from time to time. There have been numerous misinterpretations of these religions by interested parties so as to justify the evil that they wish to do. We should not conclude that religion is guilty when these things happen.
The present spate of terrorism is not because of islam. It is about the seizures of land belonging to people of the muslim faith. There are muslim sympathizers for their unfortunate co-religionists. But do not presume that everyone who is a muslim is a suspect.
Call the perpetrators and those planning to terrorize, regulars and irregulars alike, terrorists. But do not link islam to terrorism and do not treat all muslims as potential terrorists.
Seminar dianjurkan oleh
Intipati syarahan Tun;
-----------------------
The title Islam and terrorism seems to suggest that there is a link between the two. Frankly i do not think so. It is unfortunate that the international media have succeeded in creating the impression that Islam has to do with terrorism.
------
During the period of islamic expansion half the known world came virtually under muslim rule. But even western historians admit that other religions: christianity and judaism flourished under the muslims. In spain the jews and the christians not only practiced their own religions undisturbed but jews actually participated in the governments of the muslim rulers. Jewish science and literature flourished in spain and north africa, and christian europeans renewed their acquaintance with the works of the greek thinkers, philosophers and scientists through the arabic translations of the old texts which had been lost to the christian world.
We also know that after the reconquest by ferdinand and isabella a majority of the jews left spain to live in the muslim states in north africa and the turkish-ruled parts of eastern europe.
Clearly the muslims find nothing in their religion of islam to stop them from living in peace with people of other religions. The quran is quite clear about this. There should be no force in islam. Muslims were told that to the non-muslims their religion and to the muslims their religion. Even the prophet was reminded that his task was to spread the message. Allah s.w.t would determine whether his listeners accept the religion or not.
-----
It is this ill-advised decision by the european powers which precipitated the acts that we call terrorism in palestine and elsewhere today. It is not about differences in religions. The Jews and the Muslims had lived in peace before. The quarrel is about territory, about land, about the seizure of the land of the arabs who happened to be mainly muslims to give to the jews. Islam, the religion, had no part in it unless it is that the Jews hated Muslim and Christian Arabs and would not allow them to live in Israel.-----
I do not believe in terrorism. I do not believe in killing innocent people. But can everyone seeing the bullying and brutal acts of the israeli terrorists feel philosophical and calm. Can everyone just say that it is not his affair, that he can do nothing? Some will feel that way but some feel more strongly than others. And invariable some would act. No one relished the idea of deliberately piloting and crashing a plane against a building and being torn to pieces by the explosion or being burnt to cinders. But the anger of these people who day in and day out watched israeli atrocities cannot but result in some expression, in some retaliatory action, by someone.
-----
The Sept 11 2001 attack was perhaps an act of unmitigated terrorism. 3,000 people died in the world trade center in New York. It was horrible to see people hurtling through the air to be smashed on the ground in order to escape being burnt alive. It was terrible to watch live the collapse of the twin towers. Such great edifices turned to dust. The anger of the americans and their president can well be understood. But without even considering the circumstances, without thinking of the causes which led to this terrible tragedy, the first thing that the american leader thought of was to declare war, to revive the crusade, to war against islam.
-----
No, it is not their religion; it is not being Christians or Jews. These trained terrorists kill because they have the guns and the bombs, and to kill requires only a squeeze of the trigger or pressure on the button. And the muslims who kill, who blew themselves up, who crash their planes into building are not obeying the injunctions of islam. Islam has no place for terrorism. Nothing in the quran says that muslims must terrorize their enemies.
-----
So let us not blame Islam for what we call terrorism carried out by people who happen to believe in Islam. We are not going to say that the terrorism of regulars against the muslims are induced by Christianity or Judaism. It is just the arrogance of the strong. It is the way of the bully.
Christianity,Judaism and Islam have been hijacked by people with vested interests from time to time. There have been numerous misinterpretations of these religions by interested parties so as to justify the evil that they wish to do. We should not conclude that religion is guilty when these things happen.
The present spate of terrorism is not because of islam. It is about the seizures of land belonging to people of the muslim faith. There are muslim sympathizers for their unfortunate co-religionists. But do not presume that everyone who is a muslim is a suspect.
Call the perpetrators and those planning to terrorize, regulars and irregulars alike, terrorists. But do not link islam to terrorism and do not treat all muslims as potential terrorists.
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posted by awang at 8:56 pm
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