And Thou Shalt Not Kill Indiscriminately in The Name of Religion

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/09/01/your-letters-the-hijacking-islam.html

And Thou Shalt Not Kill Indiscriminately in The Name of Religion

“And Thou shalt not kill, and do not take any life, which God has made sacred, except by way of [Haq]-justice and law (due process/just cause); thus does He command you, that you may learn wisdom.” (QS. 6:151)

The recent havoc wrought by The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), needs to be condemned. This terror group has obscenely hijacked the religion of peace, Islam. No verses in the holy Quran justifies their brutal killing of innocents, the persecution of minority group including the Christians and Yazidi, the conversion of non Muslims into Islam by force and any other horrific misdeeds they have committed. There is nothing whatsoever Islamic in their cause, thus the ideology should be extinguished.

My eight years old nephew asked profoundly, "Auntie is ISIS Islam? Why did they kill people?" He searched my face expectantly after accidentally we watched the news on the screen.

I stopped short for an answer. So many jarring arguments and answers swam in my brain as how best to provide reasonable answer for a child like him. I bet there are many Muslim children also have such critical question. It dreaded me to watch the gruesome images of an alleged ISIS boy holding a decapitated head of a Syrian soldier like a toy, smiling proudly along with his misguided father. Even those hardened by gruesome scenes in war-torn regions would find tough to stomach such vivid contrast of innocence and brutality. I thought of my nephew and raw emotions assaulted me.

It is a tragedy of humanity. How could a stupid ideology turn a man into a monster who encouraged his sons to follow on his shoes? My hearts ached. Frustration welled up inside of me. O, The foolishness of people! Surrendering to their carnal and primal savagery!

I looked my nephew in the eyes. Repressing the emotion, I hugged him close before providing any answer.

"My dearest, ISIS or ISIL is not Islam. They are a group of lost people. You know the mango tree in the backyard of your Grandpa? It bears many juicy fruits every season, right?” He nodded but confusion engraved on his face.

"Well, sometimes, among the fruits, there some which are rotten, full of maggots. They are not eatable, thus should be thrown away lest they would bring disease and make us sick, right?" Again, he nodded.

This world is full of fruit trees just like religion. ISIL OR ISIS is like a rotten mango in your grandpa's tree. As any other fruit tree in the garden, each will have its own rotten ones. You should never touch or eat the bad fruit. Take only the good and you will be just fine. So, I said and hugged him again, silently praying that Merciful God keeps him safe and sound, away from the path of the astray and the lost.

My nephew looked me, scratched his nose and nodded again. Smiling, he said, "Oh, ok I got it! No bad fruit! Then, he ran to meet his friends who called him out to play.

After he left, I was still in bad mood. I hoped my silly explanation could make him understand in the simplest way.

It angered me to see the exceptionally brutal methods imposed by the group bearing Islamic symbol with them. It’s an identity stealing. The mass beheading is sickening. The capture of the young beautiful Yazidi women on the ground only God knows why by those sick men are nauseating. These terrorist have brought shame and disgrace to humanity. They have hijacked Islam.

The most frustrating fact is that the bad ideology has spread its wings up to Indonesia. Intelligence reports said some Indonesians join the group despite the constant education from the Muslim clerics and the government that the ideology is haram and has no place in Indonesia.

It is fearful to think that youngsters are being brainwashed with radicalism and terrorism in the cloak of religion. Their logical thinking is blocked and assassinated. They ignore the very first verse revealed to our Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), "Read."

Instead of put the verse into practice, they follow any ideology without any question to any group who disabuse Islam. Don’t they read that in Islam all forms of life is sacred to God, and that murder is forbidden - as it is listed as one of the Seven Greatest Sins in Islam. They live a life of their worldly interpretion instead of taking The Phrophet as the uswatun hasanah (the best role model in words and deeds).

How could they fail to learn that love and mercy is the epitome of Islam personified by The Phrophet. One such act of the Prophet’s mercy was when he emerged victorious after the conquest of Makkah with a force of 10,000 men. Instead of taking vengeance, he practiced the greatest act of mercy, allowing the pagans to go free telling them not to worry, and that he forgives them for what they have done! He could have killed all the pagans, these were the people who have slaughtered his beloved uncle, imposed cruelties and brutality to Muslims, have prosecuted and exiled them. Yet, he forgives them and pardons all of them. Not even a grass or animal should endure pain when his armies marched in. What better act of mercy can we get then?

In our day, the ugly fighting and conflict going are choking all over the world. The misguided zealots twisted the morality of the Qur’an, to justify their acts against the non-believers. Tragically, they fall into the deepest pit pf hell on earth as they farther depart from the path of justice, blinded by their bestial instincts. They spread hatred based on creed, caste and color.

And certainly ISIS or ISIL do not reflect the morality of Qur'an and Sunnah. Instead, they are the epitome of hatred, prejudice and violence. Not only did the group hijack planes, countries and destroy life, but they also hijacked the peaceful religion of Islam and split the brother and sisterhood of mankind.  Does Islam command its followers to wage war against unbelievers or kill them without provocation? Absolutely not!

Unfortunately, this is a popular misconception among people living in the United States and the west in general. The statements of a few radicals in the Muslim world don't help in ending this false idea in people' minds. They in fact help to spread and reinforce the fallacy. They stupidly become the agents of such propaganda.

In fact, Islam forbids the taking of any human life except for a just cause under the law (i.e. the Qur'an & Sunah), that is capital punishment for convicted murderers, fighting in wartime, or self-defense.

“…Whoever took a single life (one soul), except if it be for murder or spreading mischief and corruption in the land - It would be as if He killed the whole of Humanity; And (likewise) if any one saved one life, it would be as if he saved the life of all people. (QS: 5:32)