Quran teaches terrorism - fact or myth?

Today there is an understanding (or is it a misunderstanding) that the Quran, the Islam Religious Scripture for Muslims, teaches terrorism and accepts the destruction of other world religions and people. In this article, it is not my intent to teach or advocate the Islamic religion, or any other religion. My intent is to make an argument that it is a myth that the Quran teaches terrorism and destruction of other world religions and people.

Qasim Rashid, an attorney, author and national spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, (1) believes that the Quran has been given a bad rap. Rashid states as follows:

“Only two groups in our society promote the ‘Quran teaches terrorism’ myth: anti-muslim-pundits and Isis extremists. Both are wrong. . . .Three critical facts demonstrate that nothing in the Quran permits terrorism. And while Islamophobes and Isis will both go on ignoring these three facts, the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad and Muslims worldwide continue to champion them.” (2)

I will attempt to paraphrase Fact 1 and Fact 2 below. Fact 3 will be quoted in Rashid’s own words, his denial of the myth that the Quran teaches terrorism.

Fact 1 – The Quran must be read in its entirety. To pull out individual statements that are made out of context leads to incorrect interpretation.

For instance, Rashid mentions the following verse that is found in the Quran: “kill them where ye find them.”

Rashid admits this is a very viral quote as it stands alone. It must then be interpreted in the light of the total Quran – as he does in Fact 2.

Fact 2 – “Islam is a practical faith that permits self-defense in certain strict situations.” (2)

Rashid asks us to look at the violent history of persecution and terrorism of the Islam religion, Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad. And Rashid asks that we consider the reactions of Muslims and Mohammad during that history of persecution and terrorism against them.

■ The Islam religious belief is that Allah is the sole deity and Muhammad is his prophet. Muhammad was given the mission to be the messenger for Allah and these messages from Allah became the Quran. History shows a violent persecution of the Muslims – and Mohammad likewise, not because he was the prophet of Allah, but simply because he was a Muslim. This persecution lasted 13 years in Mecca. Muhammad’s wife died of starvation at this time. Muslims didn’t fight back.
■ Muhammad sent some of his people to Abyssinia where they might be treated better under a Christian King. Those Muslims remaining in Mecca didn’t fight back.
■ When Mohammad’s companions actually asked him to allow them to fight back, Muhammad said, ‘I have not been given permission to fight.’
■ And, when the persecution became unbearable, Muhammad and the Muslims simply left Mecca – still refusing to fight.
■ To escape persecution and terrorism, the Muslims fled to Medina. If Islam really had taught terrorism and enforced Sharia, Muslims and Muhammad would have taken over Medina. Instead, Prophet Muhammad formed the Constitution of Medina with the Jews, establishing a unified secular state.
■ And yet the extremist terrorists, who were trying to kill Muslims in Mecca, pursued the Muslims to kill them in Medina. And now – finally – the Quran addressed fighting for the first time, permitting Muslims to fight in self-defense.

It is quite significant that these pieces of the history of Mecca and Medina do tend to show that Muhammad and the Muslims were not terrorists and their God, Allah, speaking through Muhammad and the Quran, only gave them the right to fight in self defense.

Fact 3 - Qasim Rashid states the following as his denial of the myth that the Quran teaches terrorism:

“You might now understand who the Quran refers to when it says ‘kill them where you find them.’ The ‘them’ are those terrorists who persecuted people for their faith, exiled them from their homes and then pursued to kill innocent people in their new homes.

In other words ‘them’ is close to a modern day Isis. The Quran permits killing terrorists in self-defense because they have waged pre-emptive war against you, or against Christians, Jews, or people of any faith. Yet, even then, if terrorists desist, the Quran forbids aggression against them. This teaching is not mere theory, it’s Islamic history.” (3)

Coincidentally, during the time I was writing this piece, I attended a sermon by Pastor Michael at The United Methodist Church of Ocala.

The Pastor stated that God, Jesus Christ the son of God, and the virgin birth are all mentioned in the Quran.

He said both the Christian Bible and the Islam Quran define scripture as being given by divine inspiration from God (or Allah).

And both the Bible and the Quran are concerned with how humans are saved. Christians have only to accept Jesus Christ and Islams need only to follow The Five Pillars of Islam. (4)

And finally, a most human, generous and loving perspective from the Quran came forth when Pastor Michael explained that the fifth pillar, the Pilgrimage to Mecca, could be foregone by any Muslim if it were too much of a burden on the Muslim’s close family.

From the brief amount I have learned in this sermon, it seems to me that the Quran appears to define hope, goodness, well-being and the saving of mankind – not terrorism.

(1) Qasim Rashid is an attorney, author and national spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. Follow him at @MuslimIQ

(2) http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/islam-muslim-terrorism-islamist-extremism-quran-teaching-violence

(3) Ibid

(4) The Five Pillars of Islam
i. Shahada – Confession,
ii. Salat – Prayers,
iii. Sawm – Fasting,
iv. – Zakat – Almsgiving and
v. Hajj – Pilgramage to Mecca.