Muslims are Violent, Terrorists and/or Extremists

Islam literally means 'submission to God' and is derived from a root word meaning 'peace'. Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion doesn't dominate everyday life in the West, whereas Islam is considered a 'way of life' for Muslims and they make no division between secular and sacred in their lives.

Islam condemns the killing of innocents, and nowhere does Islam ever enjoin on such corruption. Like Christianity and judaism however, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. During such times there are strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock. The Quran says:

"Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." (Quran 2:190)

"Therefore if they withdraw from you and do not fight you, and (instead) send you peace, then Allah has not allowed a way for you (to fight them)" (Quran 4:90)

"If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things."(Quran 8:61)

War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term 'jihad' literally means 'struggle'. Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner struggle of the soul which everyone wages against egotistic desires for the sake of attaining inner peace.

This misconception about Islam has been spreading in the World only recently, no doubt resulting from stereotyping. The actions of lone gunmen and suicide bombers who belong to deviated oppressive renegade groups claiming allegiance to Islam should not be taken as the source of Islam. One should go to the teachings of the prophet and read the verses that are found in the Quran to see the truth about the religion of Islam that is followed by more than a billion peaceful people Worldwide who have not been blowing up or killing anyone. Similarly speaking, Catholic IRA guerrilla setting off bombs in urban England, Serbian christian militiamen raping and killing innocent Muslim civilians, and KKK hanging black people on the foreground of a burning cross; all these acts are not, and should not, be used to stereotype entire faiths."