All the brouhaha in the Islamic world with respect to the Pope’s undoubtedly tactless statements recently has, once again raise the question of the relationship between Islam and violence.
Everyone knows that much violence is perpetrated in the name of Islam. In the name of Islam terrorists carry on their vile deeds and numerous nation states blithely ignore basic human rights. Does Islam really regard Palestinian suicide bombers are martyrs who go straight to paradise? Is Seyyid Qutb, the “father” of the modern concept of jihad in Paradise? What about the 9/11 bombers? And what about Mullah Omer, whose Taliban regime was darker than anything existing in the Middle Ages? Are those Saudi authorities who command women to be stoned to death for infidelity going to Paradise? And what about the religious police there who club women they think are inapropriatly dressed, force everyone to pray at set times, and break up Christian house groups seeking to worship the triune God? What about those who killed a nun in Somalia in response to the Pope’s words, or those who burned Orthodox churches? What about the kid who killed a priest praying at the altar of his church in Trabson, Turkey?
For Muslims to simplistically point out that the etymoloby of the word “Islam” (submission) is the word “salaam” (peace) just isn’t good enough. Nor is it good enough for the Muslim world to wipe their hands from the problem by stating that “those who carry out such acts aren’t real Muslims”.
The Pope’s words may have been tactless, but let the Muslim community not prove them true…
