The ‘evil’ communist regime is no longer a threat and stands as the sole superpower with no matching rival. Gone are the days when the communists were the villain at Hollywood and in James Bond movies, as this role has now been given to the Muslims. After all, someone had to fill the vacuum in the entertainment industry.
A quick analysis of the media and entertainment industry would illustrate that it is rare for Islam to be mentioned without being accompanied by “terrorism”, “extremism”, “radicalism”, etc.
As an example, a couple of months ago, BBC aired a drama called “Spooks” in which:
A Muslim child carries out a suicide bombing in a school
Islamic schools teach children to hate the west and train them to become suicide Bombers
Quotes such as “I will go straight to paradise if I kill just one Infidel” are used by a young boy of 16 who had explosives on his person while standing in a playground in Birmingham
The first Muslim Spy that infiltrates the Mosque is caught and beaten to death
A Westernised Algerian, fair skin, light styled beard, offers his services to spy for MI5
All the “bad guys” have beards and wear turbans
Asylum seekers are shown as fanatics abusing the system
The drama made it apparent that all Muslims are terrorists, except the ones that immerse themselves into the West and its ways. Not at any point is it felt that the “hero” is a good Muslim, his moral fibre comes from the west not Islam.
Needless to say there are no Muslim actors in the cast. All this programme does is demonise and dehumanise Muslims and Islam. It is based in a real city with a real Muslim community é Birmingham, UK.
This is the first step on a very dangerous path, identify the enemy, demean, dehumanise and kill. As a matter of fact, this was one of the strategies used by Hitler in his brutal massacre of the Jews.
The media is relentlessly working towards creating this fear in the hearts of the general public. The word “Jihad” causes panic and the thought of bearded men with Quran in one hand and a Kalashnikov in another probably occupies the mind.
The tragic events of 11th September have been fully utilised by the media in accomplishing their goals in further demonising Islam by accusing it of being the cause of this atrocity rather than to acknowledge the fact that it was owing to the foreign policies, double standards and unwanted intervention of the US with the affairs of other countries.
Those who can leave blind prejudice aside may be interested in knowing what Islam really has to say on these matters and hence I would like to quote some verses of the Quran.
“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”
[Quran 5:32]
“éand do not act corruptly, making mischief on the earth”
[Quran 2:60]
“Do not take any human being’s life which God has declared to be sacred other than in (the pursuit of) justice: this has He enjoined upon you so that you might use your reason.”
[Quran 6:151]
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve, and if you distort (the truth) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well-acquainted with all that you do.”
[Quran 4:135]
“Nor take life – which Allah has made sacred – except for just cause. And if anyone is slain wrongfully, we have given his heir authority (to demand qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life for he is helped (by the Law).”
[Quran 17:33]
“O Mankind, We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you”
[Quran 49:13]
“And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Verily, in that are indeed signs for those who know”.
[Quran 30:22]
“And those who, when an oppressive wrong is inflicted on them, (are not cowed but) help and defend themselves.”
[Quran 42:39]
“The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto: but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah for Allah loves not those who do wrong.”
[Quran 42:40]
“But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them, against such there is no cause of blame.”
[Quran 42:41]
“The blame is only against those who oppress men and wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice: for such there will be a penalty grievous”
[Quran 42:42]
“And fight in God’s cause against those who wage war against you, but do not commit aggression é for verily God does not love aggressors.”
[Quran 2:190]
There are simply too many verses in the Quran relating to this matter and it would be difficult to list them all here.
Often many of the verses from the Quran are deliberately taken out of context and then quoted, such as:
“And slay them wherever you may come upon them”
[Quran 2:191]
Why do the bigots not quote the whole verse?
“And slay them wherever you may come upon them, and drive them away from wherever they drove you away é for oppression is even worse than killing.”
[Quran 2:191]
The above verse was revealed regarding a counter-attack on the Pagans of Mecca who had driven Muslims out of the city after severe torture.
Another verse which is taken severely out of context and is quoted as:
“kill the polytheists wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and prepare for them each and every ambush”
[Quran 9:5]
Again the bigots quote this verse out of context. If the chapter is read from the first verse it becomes clear that it was revealed in a context of war when the Pagans of Mecca had violated their peace treaty with the Muslims and had attacked and killed many Muslim preachers despite the 10 year peace treaty.
Islam has very comprehensive laws even when it comes to combat. Prior to any military expedition, Prophet Muhammad would summon his followers and advise them “do not kill women, infants, old persons, monks, those who surrender, nor to burn or destroy houses and crops or uproot trees.”
Right, so Islam does not teach terrorism then. So who are the terrorists? The terrorists are those who impose inhumane sanctions on countries for their economic gains and in this process kill thousands of innocent civilians. The terrorists are those who drop hundreds of tonnes of carpet bombs on innocent civilians. The terrorists are those who support illegal occupation. The terrorists are those who violate the international treaties while they preach others to abide by them. The terrorists are those who are keen on disarming some countries while fully arming others.
The Author is a Software Engineering student and the President of IACN (www.iacn.org.uk), a non-profit organization. He contributed above article to Media Monitors Network (MMN) from the United Kingdom.
