What’s jihad all about, then?
Re: It’s not about religion, Letters, May 24
A devout Muslim either inspired by or with ties to ISIL turns himself into a human bomb in order to kill little girls and their parents at an Ariana Grande concert, and somehow, claims letter-writer Fasih Malik, it’s not about religion? We comfort ourselves with such bromides at our peril. Of course it’s about religion — the religion that has jihad, the eternal holy war against the infidel, as a core tenet. And having the courage to state that unpleasant truth is a prerequisite for confronting and defeating those waging jihad in our time.
To do so is not about “labelling an entire group based on the actions of few.” It is to acknowledge that, while all Muslims are not jihadis, and while the majority of Muslims have no interest in martyring themselves for the sake of their faith, all jihadis, including the one in Manchester, are Muslim.
Mindy Alter, Toronto
Letter writer Fasih Malik believes that the Manchester terrorist attack is not about religion, rather its purpose was to “instil fear in the hearts of people … for political gain.”
The suicide bomber attended a mosque regularly, the leaders of ISIL consistently preach that their aim is an Islamic caliphate, purging the world of the infidel; the name of Allah is consistently invoked, often seconds before a bomb is detonated, and the bomber is eager to give up his own life because of the promise of a blessed afterlife.
All this, and it’s not about religion.
Glen Brooks, Vancouver
While it is understandable that moderate Muslims may wish to disassociate terrorism from their religion, Mr. Malik’s argument does not make logical sense.
It is rare for perpetrators to commit suicide terrorism solely for earthly political gains — after all, they could not be present to appreciate the fruits of their labours. Such commitment usually requires devotion to a higher calling, which both fulfils a religious duty and promises a corresponding heavenly reward.
Interviews with ISIS fighters overwhelmingly confirm such dedication to their literal interpretation of the Qur’an, which they see as leading to the ultimate triumph of Islam in a fallen world.
Herb Schultz, Edmonton
It seems statistically unusual that the vast majority of terrorists are motivated to a large extent by their Islamic faith. For Muslims, peace- loving at the core, it must hurt them to be continually associated with violent fascists misappropriating the faith’s good name.
Perhaps a closer analysis of the tenets of this faith ( misogyny, intolerance, rejection of democracy) would reveal the source of this call to gratuitous violence. ISIL and al- Qaida terrorism cannot be defeated until the ideology that engenders the terrorism is reformed or eliminated.
Thomas Castigane, Guelph, Ont.
For Mr. Malik to write: “these acts are not religiously motivated” is equivalent to my saying the Inquisition and the Crusades were not religiously motivated.
I may condemn the killing of the Inquisition and the Crusades, and Mr. Malik may condemn the Manchester bombing, but it’s pretty clear it was religious belief that underpinned all these events. We can choose to disown a religion that commits such atrocities, but just because we disown it doesn’t mean it is not someone’s religion, and a religion that motivates them to kill in this way.
Gerard Ponsford, White Rock, B. C.