In the 21st century, the Muslim world has convulsed into conditions of terrorist violence and internecine wars, with radical extremist groups having literally hijacked the second most populous religion in the world. The frequent, increasingly vicious, and brutal terrorist attacks on soft Western targets is a relatively new phenomenon and has created a wave of anger and political backlash against Muslims. Through misrepresentation and misinterpretation, Muslim terrorist groups have redefined Islamic concepts to justify their criminal actions which they blame on Western conspiracy theories. The terrorist’s interpretation, commonly referred to as Islamism or political Islam, is very different from the teachings of Islam contained in the Qur’an and the practices of Prophet Mohammadsa[1]. The Muslim world must come together to differentiate between the real teachings of Islam and the radicals’ interpretation.
The Muslims’ failure to challenge the terrorists’ interpretation and to enhance their own understanding of the Qur’an in line with modern standards and knowledge, has now become a critical prerequisite. This has to happen from within the house of Islam. Without this, centuries old conflicts like the Sunni-Shia divide, which started as a political division in the 7th century and evolved into ideological differences, cannot be resolved. Significant sectarian divisions within the Sunni and Shia Islam have further subdivided the Muslims. The landmark Iranian nuclear deal with Western countries has become reality. The consequent lifting of economic sanctions on Iran can sharpen these differences and reshape the political and economic landscape in the Middle East in unpredictable ways. Under these circumstances, the future of Muslims is foreboding. Click Anatomy of Muslim Revolutionary Extremism to read or download the paper
[1] “sa” is the Arabic appellation meaning peace be on you. Muslims use such appellation for all prophets.