Islam needs a non-violence movement

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Oct 6, 2011 at 03:15

Today in Somalia 70 people were killed in a suicide bombing by Islamic militants . The outfit Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the attack. I do not know whether the victims were muslims or otherwise. The country, date, time, and who the victims were does not matter. From the riches of America where Major Nidal Malik Hasan (among many others) struck to the poverty of Somalia where Al-Shabab struck, the story is the same: some Muslim decides to kill others to advance the cause of Islam. And, while this goes on, Muslims around the world keep quiet and invent excuses. They blame the west, the Hindus, the Chinese, the Christians, the Kafirs, the America-supported tyrants, the Jews and they blame everyone else but themselves for what some of them are doing around the planet.

I think Islam needs a home-grown non-violence movement. Some Muslim person has to rise somewhere in the world and has to say that all excuses aside, it is not right to kill others. He or she has to stand up and say that killing others is not acceptable even if it is to advance the cause of Islam. He has to say that violence is unacceptable even if the Islamic prophet and scripture commanded the believers to use violence. He has to say that violence is justified -if at all- only when sanctioned by a large number of independently thinking and free people.

If/when such a home-grown movement starts Islam's image will start changing and peace and respect will come to Islamic societies.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".