The Emptiness of Terror

The trio that were convicted of Terrorism charges Fanatics Irfan Naseer, 31, Irfan Khalid, 27, and Ashik Ali, 27 in no way represent true Islam. Their sickening, twisted & demented views represent an illness & disease that has no place in a modern, democratic & civilized society.

Islam by nature is a peaceful religion & at every point the Prophet Mohammed taught & preached moderation, tolerance & a middle of the road approach to life. Neither excessive or moderate but a balanced perspective which would nourish the spiritual as well as the material.

Extremism of this nature is a relatively modern phenomenon feasting upon the emptiness of the soul and is the product of the void that is created by years of neglect, ill thought and a diseased, corrupted mind.

It feeds of the anger, resentment and hatred that have been constantly fed to the perpetrator over months if not years by unscrupulous Extremist Groups who literally prey on young impressionable minds who yearn for spiritual nourishment, but instead find they are unknowingly  being led down a dangerous path of ideologies unfitting of any sane person. Thus the manifestation of which is displayed in the form of comments made by the Terrorist trio. Comments which are quite frankly disgusting & abhorrent.

 

The Million dollar question is then how do we tackle this growing radicalisation of Young Muslims who by association damage the good name of other Muslims? With Birmingham now taking centre stage with 3 terror plots uncovered in ten years, many have commented on deprivation , poverty and lack of opportunity.

 

The problem I feel is much simpler, Muslims need role models , proper guidance to the true message of Islam and that  Islamic Education in the UK needs to be reformed.

 

1. Role Models - whether in top flight, British Sport, Top Uk Business & Politics to instil that sense of pride and achievement & the belief that it is achievable for all.

2. The True message of Islam is often not communicated effectively, hence the void that is created . Far too often negativity , cynicism & conspiracy theories creep in to fill the vacuum. A sense of us against them apocalyptic scenario is created & the proliferation of articles on the internet fuel this exponentially.

3. Islamic Education & the Madrassa system needs to reform. Imams must speak fluent English & Follow a structured curriculum which engages other faiths & communities as well as be independently scrutinized  by a central body the Muslim Council of Britain may be best placed for this.

 

Lastly but not least the British Media needs to help,  a typical example I give is that a fundamental Christian Terrorist in Anders Britvic who actually massacred  77 innocent people, is labelled a madman yet these trio who thank which ever deity you believe in , didn't get to that stage are labelled Terrorists . It seems that the word is exclusively reserved for Muslims and redressing the balance will reduce the Islam phobia, the antagonistic descriptions & the guilt by association that this creates. Many have commented on integration & the ghettos of large Inner Cities where these communities have traditionally stuck together. Is it not I ask? that this constant attack not just on Islam but religion itself that causes a community to self-preserve and close itself and become recluse in an act of self preservation?

 

I am by no means an expert but what I do know is that the Islamic communities need to reform from within and show the world the beauty, the peaceful nature and the spirituality of their religion and come out of the cocoon to display the deeply philanthropic & socially active nature and only by making this contribution to society will Western Society recognise their true nature.