Only love can defeat terrorism (2) [Archives:2007/1087/Culture]
September 20 2007
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Terrorism can be healed only when such people understand the mistaken illogic of any ideology that inspires terrorism and incites to violence)-and when they realize that going along with it can never get them anywhere. Until those ideologies' errors and contradictions are revealed, all measures taken against terrorism can be short-term only. Soon terrorism will emerge again, in different places and under different circumstances, behind a different mask.
We can put an end to terrorism only by destroying its ideological infrastructure. Modern terrorism's ideological foundations in fact go back to Social Darwinism and the materialist tendencies derived from it. People exposed to this indoctrination believe that life is a field of struggle, and that only the strong survive. The weak are condemned to be eliminated. Man and, in fact, the entire universe, are both products of chance. Therefore, no one is responsible for his actions to anyone else.
These and similar ideas inevitably coax people into leading an animalistic form of life, where ruthlessness, aggression and violence are regarded as acceptable or even virtuous.
Anyone who resorts to terrorism, maintaining that violence is the only way to achieve his aims, is actually under the influence of Social Darwinism and materialist thought, no matter what his religion or race, or what group he belongs to. Modern terrorist groups that claim to act in the name of religion are also under Darwinism's influence and materialism, even though they claim to carry out their terroristic acts in the name of religion.
This is because for anyone who lives by the morality of religion revealed by God, it's impossible to approve of violence of any kind, much less achieve a “higher” aim by murdering others. Those who resort to such methods are therefore pursuing the exact opposite of the moral values upheld by religion, carrying out their actions under the influence of materialist ideologies.
Today's politicians, political commentators and academics agree that by itself, military force isn't enough to root out terrorism. We should concentrate on the only way it can be eradicated: by means of peace, tolerance, and love.
All the divinely-inspired religions that God sent down by means of His messengers are helpful guides. The only way to fight terrorism is to heal the root causes through the love, affection, compassion, humility, forgiveness, tolerance and concepts of justice that religion's morality instils in people)whom, following the verse from the Qur'an (10:25): “God calls to the Abode of Peace… ” Such fortunates will do their utmost to build a world full of peace and love.
The Bloody Toll of Terror
Terrorism is one of the gravest menaces facing our 21st-century world because it sees acts of violence as the only way to achieve political aims. The particular aim or problem depends on the terrorist's individual worldview. In a terrorist's eyes, political dilemmas and conflicts caused by ethnic and cultural differences can be resolved by violence alone. No group can get what it wants, except by “blood and iron”.
The terrorist believes that his objectives)enforcing his demands, spreading his organization's propaganda)can be attained only by damaging the fabric of society; when unease, fear, and conflict come to dominate daily life. Some groups aim to take advantage of the climate of chaos that their actions bring about. They think that it will be easier to achieve their aims where social stability has collapsed, individuals are wracked with fear and uncertainty.
From the destruction, they claim, will rise what they call “righteousness and justice.” But expecting that acts of terrorism can establish righteousness and justice, or that problems can be resolved by violence, is a terrible mistake. Violence is counter-productive: All they that live by the sword shall perish by the sword.
In the Qur'an (13:25), God describes such people as “those [who] cause corruption in the earth.” So far, they have managed only to increase the number of deaths among the innocent)-and among their own supporters as well. Every year, terrorist attacks cause thousands to live in fear and anxiety and suffer economic harm, not to mention those who are wounded or killed. Terrorism threatens all of mankind, its toll so very terrible that fighting has become urgently essential.
Terrorism is Close to Home!
There are an estimated 500 terrorist groups in the world. These include international cartels controlling trade in drugs, arms and prostitution, as well as underground organizations, marginal movements, various radical ideological groups, and deviant cults that stage actions allegedly in the name of religion.
Many terrorist organizations do operate within their own countries' borders, but a number target what they have decided as “enemy” countries, through attacks on prominent sites and individuals that, they calculate, will elicit a huge public reaction. From the reaction, they seek to achieve fame, in fact notoriety, which they hope that will add to their power.
Though terrorism has existed since the earliest times, through esoteric organizations like the Sicarii or Assassins, and flourished in the modern times through revolutionary cadres like the sans-cullottes of the French Revolution or the Russian Nihilism of the 19th century, its threat really came to the fore in the 20th century, which saw an explosion in acts of terror and in the number of terrorists who committed them. Weapons of mass destruction and the rapid advance of technology made terrorist attacks much easier and vastly increased their destructiveness.
By the 1960s, people began to wonder seriously what might happen, if a terrorist group managed to acquire some kind of nuclear weapon that could result in the deaths of tens of thousands. A biological or chemical attack could wipe entire populations off the map. No such attack happened, fortunately. But by the 1990s, the chances of such attacks increased.
These concerns only heightened with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the weakening of control over its nuclear arsenal. The spread of the Internet and the facilitation of all forms of information increased worries still further.1 Fear of terrorism became the subject of hundreds of films and books. Reports were written about the possible consequences; research was carried out. Now, all too obviously, terrorists could go beyond familiar, limited actions like bombings, armed robberies, skyjackings and kidnappings, to attack entire communities. Such attacks could be carried out by remote control or computer, with no direct human intervention.
In the 21st century, computer technology is expected to play an important role in terrorist attacks. Meanwhile, more “conventional” ways of terrorism, like bombings, arson attacks, skyjackings and kidnappings are still going on all over the world, from Europe to America, from Asia to Africa.
Currently, no country can feel safe from this kind of threat. The few examples just cited show just how deeply terrorism has come to influence peoples' lives. No longer the problem of just a few specific nations, it's a threat that faces all mankind. Because no one can tell when, where or how terrorists will strike, the fight against them can no longer be considered the duty of a handful of countries or organizations. Terrorism, threatening the entire world, can be resolved only if well-intentioned people support each other in search of peace, friendship and brotherhood. (To be continued)
Quick grasp of faith
* How should one behave toward arrogant people?
One of the believers' most important characteristics is their resolute compliance with good morals and their beliefs, regardless of conditions, people, or environment. For that reason, when they encounter any arrogance in people, they do not fall into the same error as the person committing it; rather, they behave modestly and humbly and try to set an example for that person. Allah states that such behavior pleases Him, and that responding to bad behavior with good will influence that person: A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. (Surah Fussilat, 34)
* Do such concepts as impatience and despair have a place in a believer's life?
Allah advises the faithful to be patient in times of difficulty, as follows: O You who believe. Be steadfast, be supreme in steadfastness, be firm on the battlefield, and heed Allah so that hopefully you will be successful. (Surah Al `Imran, 200)
Allah advises believers to be steadfast when they face hardship. The believers use their intellect, as well as all material and spiritual means, and do their utmost to overcome difficulties. In addition, knowing that hardships are special conditions that Allah creates to test them and that there is an absolute good hidden behind these events, they trust Allah, for this is essential to their continued steadfastness. The believers' explicit trust that Allah creates every event with absolute wisdom, and that He will remove these difficulties by answering their prayers, prevents them from experiencing despair, hopelessness, and similar negative feelings.
In “Say: 'My servants, you who have transgressed against yourselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Truly Allah forgives all wrong actions. He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful,'” (Surat az-Zumar, 53) Allah commands the believers not to despair of His mercy, no matter what happens. (For further reference, please see, Quick Grasp of Faith 1-3, by Harun Yahya)
Miracles of the Qur'an
Black Holes
The 20th century saw a great many new discoveries regarding celestial phenomena in the universe. One of these entities, which has only recently been encountered, is the Black Hole. These are formed when a star which has consumed all its fuel collapses in on itself, eventually turning into a black hole with infinite density and zero volume and an immensely powerful magnetic field. We are unable to see black holes even with the most powerful telescope, because their gravitational pull is so strong that light is unable to escape from them. However, such a collapsed star can be perceived by means of the effect it has on the surrounding area. In Surat al-Waqi'a, Allah draws attention this matter in this way, by swearing upon the position of stars: And I swear by the stars' positions)and that is a mighty oath if you only knew. (Qur'an, 56:75-76)
The term “black hole” was first employed in 1969 by the American physicist John Wheeler. Previously, we imagined that we were able to see all the stars. However, it later emerged that there were stars in space whose light we were unable to perceive. Because, the light of these collapsed stars disappears. Light cannot escape from a black hole because it is such a high concentration of mass in a small space. The enormous gravitation captures even the fastest particles, i.e. the photons. For example, the final stage of a typical star, three times the mass of the Sun, ends after its burning out and its implosion as a black hole of only 20 kilometres in diameter! Black holes are “black,” i.e. veiled from direct observation. They nevertheless reveal themselves indirectly, by the tremendous suction which their gravitational force exerts on other heavenly bodies. As well as depictions of the Day of Judgement, the verse below may also be pointing to this scientific discovery about black holes: When the stars are extinguished, (Qur'an, 77:8)
Moreover, stars of great mass also cause warps to be perceived in space. Black holes, however, do not just cause warps in space but also tear holes in it. That is why these collapsed stars are known as black holes. This fact may be referred to in the verse about stars, and this is another important item of information demonstrating that the Qur'an is the Word of Allah: [I swear] by Heaven and the Tariq! And what will convey to you what the Tariq is? The Star Piercing [the darkness]! (Qur'an, 86:1-3)
To purchase the works of Harun Yahya, please visit www.bookglobal.net
1 Vladimir Orlov, Anton Khlophov, Nezavissimaia Gazeta, Moskova, Le Courrier International, No: 571, 11-17 October 2001, pp. 99-100.
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