Combating extremism – a Muslim’s lecture
Turkish educator Dr. Cihangir Arslan has been lecturing in schools, military camps, and civic forums about the incongruity of extremism with Islam. A Philippine resident for 13 years, he promotes inter-faith understanding. Excerpts of his talk, “Islam and Combating Extremism Cancer,” as president of Pacific Dialogue Foundation:
What does “Islam” mean? It is an Arabic word, the root denoting “peace, purity, submission, obedience” ... “submission to God’s will and obedience to His law.”
What is “extremism”? Situated at the farthest point from the center. It indicates a remoteness in religion, thought, and behavior.
Does Islam promote extremism? Is- lam strictly is against extremism. Islam advocates moderation and balance: in belief, worship, conduct, and legislation. “Oh mankind! We created you from a (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other).” (Qur’an 49:13) Allah (Arabic term for God; God is called Allah in the Arabic version of Holy Bible) instructs that male and female are equal, and to engage in interfaith dialogue to know, clearly not to discriminate, harm, or destroy one another.
In Istanbul are a mosque, a church, and a synagogue standing side by side. The three temples were established next to each other during the Ottoman time, an empire that lived Islam thoroughly. Question: if Islam was to promote extremism, destruction, and discrimination, then how come the temples were built in one nation, serving neighbors in the same community? How could those survive more than 400 years? When the Ottomans conquered Istanbul, Sultan Mehmet assured Christian leaders that they could live freely and peacefully in his realm; no harm would come to them due to religion; he assigned troops to ensure their security.
Is war allowed in Islam? Yes, under five circumstances. The Quran is made of 6666 verses, revealed to humanity over 23 years, mostly to teach how to act under certain conditions. War is allowed only for defense. The Quran advises avoidance of conflict, but inevitable if there is an attack to: (1) your family, (2) your property, (3) your sanity, (4) your country, (5) your religion. Even then, “If they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing.” (Qur’an, 8:61) In war there are rules. Harming children, women, elderly, clergy (imam, priest, anyone in service of God) is prohibited. Also harming nature, cutting fruitful trees; slaughtering animals except for food; harming villages and fields; fighting against non-combatants.
“Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.” (AlTirmidhi) This is a statement (hadith) of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him). It is easy to be friendly and kind to those who are friendly and kind to us. But he states, even if we are hurt and mistreated, even if our human desire is to respond likewise, if we are real believers then we must accustom our nature to be good to those who are bad to us.
The most reliable sources of Islam are the Quran and teachings of Prophet
This Philippine-resident Turkish professor expresses what thinking Muslims feel.
Mohammad. No message of the Prophet is about violence, only good relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. He states: “Those who are unjust to Jews and Christians shall answer to me first on Judgment Day.” And “Those who are unjust to Jews and Christians will not enter Paradise.”
Is there interfaith dialogue in Islam? The first took place during Prophet Muhammad’s time. Before the Muslim migration from Mecca to Medina, the pagans persecuted them. He told them to seek asylum in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). Just King Najashi protected them despite the pagans’ friendship with him. Another time, Christians in Najran visited Medina to learn about Islam from The Prophet. Sixty-one of them under a bishop were welcomed in the first mosque, where they also were let to pray in their own way.
What is jihad? Many say jihad is holy war. It means struggle. The Quran mentions jihad 34 times in two kinds. The greater kind, 30 menState-run tions, refers to one’s self-struggle against sinful desires (lying, stealing, adultery). The lesser jihad refers to defensive battles.
Root causes of extremism. Religious extremism arises from differing value systems, racism, cleric-monarch collusion for vested interests, aversion to scientific discovery.
Causes of Muslim extremism: differing sects, Western colonialism of Muslim lands, militant revivalist movements, unresolved political disputes, dictatorial regimes, public suppression, (misguided) quest for Islamic identity, and bad governments that blunt progress, rule of law, and human rights.
Turkish Muslim scholar Said Nursi (1876-1960) noted three causes of extremism: ignomajor rance, poverty, conflict/disunity. More than half of Muslim countries have less than 50-percent literacy. Spending for science and technology is low. Of 146 surveyed by Transparency International’s Corruption Index, 35 Muslim countries were among the 70 steeped in poverty, population explosion, illiteracy, unemployment, and inequitable distribution of resources.
In most Afro-Asian Muslim countries, half of the population lives below the poverty line. Of 57 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, more than one-third (22) are “least developed.” The collective GDP of the Muslim world is just about five percent of the world GDP.
Most Muslim countries are under autocratic/ dictatorial rule. There is general lack of democracy, political participation, and representative institutions. Rights and freedoms are denied; there is hardly any recourse to independent judiciaries. Internal repression occurs through state apparatus. Radicalism/militancy grow as a consequence.