Although it is one of the most commonly heard terms in the world today, there is still no definition of terrorism that all can agree on. One of the main reasons for this is that people who are regarded as terrorists by some, are regarded by others as those engaged in a just struggle. Whatever the aim may be, it is never possible to regard any group that resorts to violence and targets innocent people as just. Individuals or societies may desire different things, and these aspirations may be entirely valid. Yet, violence is not the way to bring them about. Force should only be used in self-defense. For that reason, any act of violence aimed at innocent people may be regarded as an act of terrorism.

The fundamental strategy of terrorism is the spreading of fear, and by it to gain influence. Instead of working for their aspirations through more peaceable and reasonable means, terrorist groups turn to violence, which they regard is far more effective. According to them, the more ruthless and destructive an act of terrorism is, the more terrifying it is, in other words the nearer it will have come to achieving its aim.

One of the most dreadful aspects of terrorism is the fact that it is devoid of all moral values and recognizes no rules. People who turn to terrorism lack all love, affection, compassion and tolerance, and are solely governed by feelings of hatred, anger and revenge. Unconsciously, such people's intention is to relieve their anger and take revenge, without considering the result of their actions. The idea of the damage that their actions might result in causes not the slightest stirrings of their conscience. Because, conscience of the kind of person who regards terrorism as any kind of solution is obstructed, as, therefore, are his reason, foresight and understanding.

According to the morality of the Qur'an, however, there is no room for anger. God has revealed that so long as people act in the light of individual emotions, such as anger, there will be corruption and chaos in the world. He has therefore commanded us for all time to behave with a tolerant, peaceful and brotherly spirit. When people abide by that morality, however, the system of the Antichrist, based as it is in violence, will completely collapse, terror and anarchy will disappear, and the climate of chaos that currently prevails in the world will come to an end. This is how God recommends that morality in one verse;

Make allowances for people, command what is right, and turn away from the ignorant.      (Surat al-A’raf, 199)

The morality of religion forbids all kinds of terrorist acts, and yet, a number of terrorist groups still claim that they are acting in its name. Yet, when one has a close look at the world-views of those who carry out massacres or employ violence as a method, it is quite clear that such people are deviant. They have no idea of truth of religion, and are unable to live by or comprehend its morality. Anyone who genuinely believes in the existence of God, who truly fears Him and abides by the book revealed by Him would never be able to take any kind of action that might harm innocent and defenseless people. Those who carry out acts of terrorism and violence in the name of Islam, therefore, cannot possibly be called religious groups.

The true message of a religion or other system of ideas may sometimes be twisted by its so-called supporters, or interpreted incorrectly. That applies to Judaism as well as Christianity. The Crusaders, for instance, were European Christians who set out from Europe at the end of the 11th century with the aim of liberating the Holy Land. They may have set out with an alleged religious agenda, but they spread fear and barbarity wherever they went.

The savagery of these barbarians who misinterpreted Christianity, which is a religion of love and certainly has no room for violence, clearly had nothing to do with genuine religion at all.

Most of those who resort to terror in the name of religion are fanatical groups linked to pagan beliefs or newly developed mystical teachings, not the divine religions at all. These groups, and especially those in America and Japan, carry out terrible acts of violence against their own members as well as other people. These include the groups that burned themselves to death on a farm, or committed mass suicide in their beds, or the people who harmed others by releasing poison gas in the Japanese underground system. Other groups that have come to notice, due to their acts of terrorism, include fanatical racists such as the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazi groups. Over the last 20 years in particular, there has been a visible increase in racist and fascist ideas among young people, and that has led to an increase in the number of acts of violence. The attacks perpetrated against Turks in Germany a few years ago, the abuse and assaults aimed at people of Asian and African origin in other European countries, and the acts of violence against Blacks and Arabs that still take place in the United States even today, can all be included among the range of methods employed by such groups.

It must not be forgotten that, at the basis of all deviant movements lies the fact that people have turned their backs on the morality of religion, and have been raised without true knowledge of the religion The common religious morality of Islam, Christianity and Judaism is diametrically opposed to the system of the Antichrist, built as it is on violence and savagery. At the root of religion lies love, affection and compassion. God has commanded us to treat one another with justice, tolerance, understanding, compassion and respect. Furthermore, people are charged with effecting that kind of behavior no matter what the religion, language, race or gender of the person they are dealing with. For that reason, it is impossible for there to be violence in a society where the morality of religion prevails. The morality of religion is the only system that can lead people to peace and security. God reveals in one verse:

You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in the footsteps of the Devil. He is an outright enemy to you.                 (Surat al-Baqara, 208)

This article contains some information about terrorist organizations. The information here is of the utmost importance from the point of view of demonstrating the complexity of the system of the Antichrist, one which is currently so prevalent in the world.

The Ku Klux Klan was established in the 1870s, and became very powerful in America in the wake of the First World War. By the 1920s, it had some 3-4 million members. [2]

Like those of all other racist ideologies, the ideological roots of the teachings of the Klan, which start from the premise that "We will slaughter our enemies when the war to protect the white race begins," is the view that the white race is at the top of the evolutionary scale, while other races are to be located further down, for which reason they merit all kinds of inhuman treatment. A great number of people in America still hold to this view. It is fair to say that these groups, organized under different names, such as the National Alliance, the World Church of the Creator and Arian Nation, actually operate under the umbrella of the Ku Klux Klan.

The most important common factor between the views of these organizations is that they have no qualms about using violence to achieve their aims, but rather often regard violence and aggression as necessary.

The WCOTC is one of those active racist organizations in America that is growing stronger by the day. This deviant organization denies the existence of God, the day of judgment, heaven and hell, and also has a large number of followers outside the United States. The idea of the superiority of the white race constitutes the basis of the organization's ideology. On its web site, Ben Klassen, the founder of this racist group, has this to say about their ideology:

[The] objective [of our religion] would be: The Survival, Expansion and Advancement of the White Race. It [our religion] is based on love--love for the White Race…. We, therefore, reject …angels and devils and gods…. Our Golden Rule briefly can be summarized as follows: That which is good for the White Race is the highest virtue; that which is bad for the White Race is the ultimate sin… Nature tells us to take care of our own kind and only our own kind. We do not regard any of the mud races to be our own kind… The niggers, undoubtedly, are at the very bottom of the ladder, not far above monkeys and chimpanzees… We have no intention of helping the mud races prosper, multiply, and crowd us off the limited space of this planet. [3]

This perverse idea, as we have seen, is treated as a religion by its followers, its members subscribing to it wholly. However, it is totally unfounded, of course, to call this perversity a religion. We would be more correct in calling it a brand of Social Darwinism, the fundamental teaching of which is the future struggle against other races.

The National Alliance:

One of the fascist organizations enjoying increasing support from young people in America is the National Alliance. One of the principle objectives of this organization attaches great importance to the rearing up of young people with racist ideas. That, it is believed, will enable future generations to emerge in the awareness of racial superiority. Like all other racist groups, the National Alliance aims to defend the superiority of the white race under all circumstances. Dr. Pierce, the founder of the organization, summed up this objective during an interview he gave in 1997:

Ultimately, we must separate ourselves from the Blacks and other non-Whites and keep ourselves separate, no matter what it takes to accomplish this… Eventually we must hunt them down and get rid of them. [4]

While racist groups that represent racism and xenophobia come together under the umbrella of the Ku Klux Klan in America, the neo-Nazis perform the same role in Europe. European racism began with the skinheads in Great Britain, and turned into a neo-Nazi movement in the 1990s. The main characteristics of these groups which define themselves as neo-Nazis are the way that, just like the Ku Klux Klan, they maintain the superiority of the white race and attack foreigners and those living in poorer areas.

Neo-Nazi movements have grown increasingly powerful over the last 10 years, and their sphere of influence has widened considerably. Their members now number around 70,000. The neo-Nazis have set themselves various targets in different countries. According to one study, Turks in Germany, Gypsies in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, Asians in Great Britain, North Africans in France and Northeasterners in Brazil, are among their slated victims. The neo-Nazis' distinguishing characteristics are violence, hatred, intimidation, the use of threat and destruction.

According to official German figures, in 1997 alone there were 10,037 incidents linked to racism and xenophobia. The figure for 2000 was more than 10,000. In Britain, there were 10,982 racism-linked incidents between April and September alone. More than half of these crimes consisted of threats, menaces and intimidation. The rest were made up of murders, assaults, vandalism of homes and businesses, etc.

Those who are caught up in the system of the Antichrist believe it is entirely justified to discriminate between people on the grounds of race, language and gender, and to exercise brutality against them. What is more, that discrimination between communities can turn into the type of hysteria that leads to war and destruction. People are attacked solely because of their language, religion or race, and needlessly suffer all sorts of abuse. One of the reasons for this, as is made clear in the Qur'an, is that the Devil portrays "fanatical rage" as right and honorable. Most of the groups who at the present are encouraging terrorism, or who carry such acts, are caught up by this temptation, and base their attacks on racist statements. It is clear from the following verse exactly to what extent such racist provocation violates the principles of Islam:

Those who disbelieve filled their hearts with fanatical rage—the fanatical rage of the Time of Ignorance—and God sent down serenity to His Messenger and to the believers, and obliged them to respect the formula of heedfulness which they had most right to and were most entitled to. God has knowledge of all things.                                            (Surat al-Fath, 26)

The different peoples of the world have been created in order for human beings to come to know each other, to have good relations with each other, not to be enemies of one another. In the Qur'an, God has revealed that the ideology of the "master race," which foments the climate of terror desired by the Antichrist, is utterly false. Only better morality proffers societies, cultures or individuals with superiority. It is of absolutely no importance what race people belong to, what language they speak, or what color their skins are. Trying to ascribe superiority on the basis of such values, and harboring feelings of hatred towards other societies, are products of the ideology of the Antichrist. This is how God has revealed that the differences between races are a means by which friendship and cultural exchange can be brought about, and that superiority depends solely on piety, in other words, on faith and morality: