Every year, we witness what some call the "Ramadan Bonbathon". Extremist Islamists kill as many innocent people outside of their faith as possible. Why? Because they believe this is the only way Mohamed has prescribed for their assurance of salvation. It is obvious that not all Muslim believers validate those crimes and some are publicly opposed to it, however, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world and most of newly converts are enrolled through radical Islam rather than any of its moderate versions.
While everybody still had in mind the terrorist attack in Manchester killing 22 people in an Arianna Grande concert, last night it happened again. A group of terrorists attacked London Bridge, riding over people in a truck causing them to jump in the Tamise to survive. Without any guns but with knives, they stabbed 7 people to death, 48 are in the hospital among whom 21 are fighting for their lives. Witnesses report them yelling "this is for Allah" (The Telegraph). The Islamic State of Iraq claimed its responsibility.
The website named "the religion of peace" reports 30,938 Islamic Terrorist attacks in the world since 09/11. It holds a permanent record of every single attack claimed by an Islamic terrorist organisation. Over the last 30 days, 185 attacks were perpetuated, in 27 countries, in which 1,336 people were killed and 1,548 injured. Every year, the most killings of "infidels" (non-Muslims) and "hypocrites" (moderate Muslims) happen during Ramadan.
Now the question is, have you heard about it on the news? Have you heard any politician propose a decent solution to stop and prevent future attacks?
To these barbaric murders, the response of the governments and medias seem irrelevant. To quote the newly elected French president after the latest terrorist attack in France: "I am not going to find a solution to terrorism overnight."
Since the attack of 09/11 in 2001, and even before that, Islamic terrorist organisations have attacked and killed innocents in the name of "Allah" and for the cause of "Jihad". More than 16 years of civil attacks have been going on and no solution has been found. Avoiding taking responsibilities does not seem very fair to the people living in everyday threat around the world, and to the numerous mourning families of the victims. Paying a true homage to the victims and their families would be to give them justice in taking all the necessary measures to prevent that it would ever happen again.
In most of all Western countries, the secret services have a list of individuals related to terrorism and susceptible to bomb themselves any day. In France, this list of people numbers to 11,000, in England to 20,000. Those individuals are living on the French and English soil with all the privileges it implies; walk by schools, concert halls, and take the subway every day.
Islamic terrorism is to be taken very seriously and should be understood by us, citizens involved in a world and society promoting freedom of speech, religion, woman's rights and tolerance.
Is "Jihad" related to Islam and Mohamed's teaching?
Islam is the religion that originates the teaching and the ideology of Jihad. In Islam, there is no assurance of salvation, only one certain hope is provided: dying in Jihad while killing those who do not submit to Allah assures you heaven. Many of Mohamed commands found in the Quran call to war and are still considered relevant by a decent majority of the Muslim community. Verses of the Quran such as Quran (9:88) - "But the Messenger and those who believe with him, strive and fight with their wealth and their persons: for them are (all) good things: and it is they who will prosper." or Quran (9:123) - "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness," when interpreted radically, can lead to Jihad.
On the other hand, talking about Islamic terrorism openly does not mean that this is a judgment on the whole Muslim community and their religious freedom. Rejection should not be the response from an informed Western community and especially from the Christian community. We are called to help and love the Muslim community as any other, and maybe even more.
However it is important to understand that Muslim countries living under Sharia law, such as Saudi Arabia, persecute Christians and Jews and forbid their religious practices, kill homosexuals, adulterous woman, do not allow woman to drive or go outside their home without permission, declare blasphemy or not wearing the Hijab a sentence to death, etc. From there it is interesting to understand what Islam really teaches and why it does so.
In response to that it is essential that America and European countries do not only welcome all Muslim but engage and confront their beliefs to human rights. Supporting a people and an ideology are two very different things. If we are called to call Muslims our friends we are also called to challenge their authoritative sources and maybe offer them a freedom of mind that does not translate into any form of oppression.
The problem of terrorism is not a people, but an ideology that needs to be fought and challenged. Muslims are not of any precise ethnicity, it is a religion and a system of belief and it should be treated as such.
We should be able to understand the danger of the ideology of "Jihad" and challenge it as it should be in our Western World at a national and international level.
If you want to learn more, check out the videos of David Wood, a specialist in apologetic and Islam doctrine that gives a strong counterpoint to Islam understanding today:
