From Orlando to Dhaka to Nice: Heartfelt tragedies

Politics contain brutality and dishonesty at any level,  whether they are the politics of a group, an organisation, a country, or international, all are played out for the sake and protection of some ‘established’ rules and all conform to the same equation. Many of those engaged in politics rarely display any consideration for the consequences of their actions and even more rarely take responsibility for them. Looked at from an Islamic perspective, no sense of their final accountability to Allah is present, but rather that all will be well as long as their ‘purpose’ is ‘noble’.

As a Muslim, it pains me and my heart bleeds to see brutality and suffering inflicted on my fellow human beings, Muslims or non-Muslims. Political Islam has introduced a brutal twist to the interpretation of Islamic rules and is misusing vulnerable people by brainwashing them into becoming suicide bombers, or more recently, driving a lorry over women and children, in the name of ‘Islamic state’.

In my opinion, any credibility that ‘Islamic state’ might have possessed and that people might have held until now, has been totally discredited by their recent actions. Why do 'Islamic state' supporters seek to be brutal murderers, capable only of displaying animosity, and worse, towards everyone else outside their regime? Is that not what the angels feared when they said in the following verse: ‘Just remember when your Lord said to the angels: ‘Lo! I am about to place a vicegerent on earth, they(the angels) said: ‘Will you place on it one who will spread mischief and shed blood while we celebrate Your glory and extol Your holiness? He said: ‘Surely I know what you do not know’. S2 V30

Confrontation usually only finally ends when one party loses or some sort of settlement is arrived at by compromise. If, as it claims, 'Islamic state' truly seeks to establish itself it must show that it is genuinely and peaceably capable of serving all the people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.  It will achieve this only if it can offer a model of peaceful Islam that is civilised and represents the best example of a relationship between Allah and humanity.

We all look forward to an Islam which is social, economically successful, solves people’s problems and brings them closer to Allah and cooperates in all matters of development, righteousness and good causes. However, we must remember that Islam does not transgress and violate the rights of people whatever situation arises. It is, after all, a religion of accountability and goodness.  

What has happened recently and over many previous months and years is shameful and painful, particularly when the politics behind them bear the name of Islam. Islam is submission to Allah, Islam does not harm people who are not involved in fighting or not on the battlefield. Avoiding such carnage will necessitate a total rethink of the present tactics of those involved.

Suicide bombers have never been Islamic weapons of war, particularly when they are mentally incapacitated or enticed by false promises.  This exploitation of vulnerable people goes against Islamic teachings and can never be justified. 

What happened in Nice was disgusting. What kind of people would use a mentally impaired person as a human bomb against civilians in his own locality? 

He had become a mindless psychopath, who was used for the sake of ‘revenge from the citizens of coalition countries’. He drove a truck at high speed ploughing through crowds of people, who were innocently celebrating Bastille Day in Nice.  But, to call him a soldier is an insult to all those who defend our homes and nations.  He was himself subjected to the brutal mentality of those who subscribe to this group and ended by showing his support in the manner they sought. These groups have only one way of demonstrating its brutality towards those who disagree with their so called principles, its methods, or those it regards as citizens of an enemy country – Death!

Mr Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel is described as a loner, psychologically troubled and prone to violence, non-observant of Islam, drank alcohol, ate pork and never observed Ramadan.

How could such a person ever be seen as a soldier of Islam? Why this title and honour?

Is it just because he succeeded in killing 84 people, men, women and children and injured more than 200 others? What have these people achieved by resorting to this human carnage? They have lost that which they regard as a game and they most certainly have lost their war. There is no longer room for any compromise with them.

What happened in Orlando or Dhaka were also shockingly mindless acts. I sometimes wonder if the purpose behind these acts is to drive the nations of the world against Muslims! Is the purpose behind this is to make every Muslim an object of suspicion in the eyes of other people? Who out there does not want peace in the lives of Muslims?

Muslims must understand, away from any false sentiments or misconceived religious preaching, that Islam has some established rules which can never be changed by anyone. Allah does not love those who perpetrate corruption in the land. Islam does not survive by evil. Islam is a religion of ethics, morality and high excellence. The goodness of Islam surpasses any other goodness.

Muslims must not join splinter extremist groups with false grievances intent on taking what they see as revenge on America or other Western nations. We need to purge our own evils and find a way to offer our services to the needy of the world.

All these politics of extremism are played out in the name of ‘tawheed’, salaf and Islamic reformation. however, they have nothing to do with any of them. The message of ‘tawheed’, is to bring humanity to an understanding of Allah, the Creator of the worlds, who has no partner and no one comparable to Him. Salaf were the people who followed and supported the prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, in his task and mission of conveying the message of Allah to humanity. What kind of brutal example are we using them as? Is that what they did? Of course not.

We need to understand that our reference points in Islam are always the Qur`an and the Sunnah of the prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, and not the interpretations of those who follow only their own false desires and whims, seeking to foster their evil ambitions and political aims. We have lost too many good people to these false wars. Let us continue to be optimistic about the world and let us cooperate in matters of piety and righteousness, but never, ever, cooperate in sinful acts and transgressions. Let all true believers combine in their efforts to sustain the world as created by Allah where we can fruitfully build our lives for the hereafter.