Being deeply saddened by the terrible and tragic mass shooting in Orlando, Florida recently, I feel compelled to discuss a very sensitive subject. I also understand that I will be categorized as liberal or secular, but I don’t care as long as this article provokes readers to open their minds and engage in thoughtful discussion.
The terrible man who committed these depraved acts is being labeled a terrorist. Unfortunately, he was also a Muslim, which naturally caused the media to link Islam with terrorism. The phrase “radical Islamic terrorism” has been casually and incorrectly used in the media to paint all Muslims as terrorists.
How can we address this misguided interpretation of Islam as a religion that seemingly tolerates terrorists and acts of terror? Further, what does this mean for Saudi Arabia? Certainly, it is indisputable that terrorism is a real concern to Saudi Arabia as well as any other country.
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, where Islamic law is followed. However, as in many other places, it is very normal to find a handful of people with extremist tendencies who ignore the tolerant and flexible nature of Islam and impose a kind of strict interpretation that betrays our religion and the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) teachings. These fringe elements don’t represent the majority. This fundamental issue has been so problematic and complex that it dominated and controlled thinking and intellectual discourse of some who adopted deviant thoughts.
Islam is a faith that does not require mediation from any third person to establish a direct link or relationship with the Creator. Yet, regrettably, some of our clerics talk in the name of God and his Messenger and advance their mistaken view. They claim that those opposing them actually oppose God and his Messenger. There are radical elements in every religious group. Unfortunately, due to a variety of reasons these fringe elements have somehow gained the spotlight. In fact, such radical elements have succeeded in hijacking our religion and many youths have become their victims.
Those of us who grew up in the 1960s still remember when we could go to movies and attend festivals and other forms of entertainment in Jeddah without being harassed.
Never before has our society experienced such an arbitrarily enforced conservatism. Does this mean that Islam has changed or simply that some of our religious leaders have failed to keep up with modern societal trends?
Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world must devise effective solutions that can address and eradicate this scourge. These solutions must be decisive and not transitory if Saudi citizens are to live in a safe and secure nation where they can pursue their careers and raise their families. Saudi religious schools must enter the modern age to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s economic and political development.
Many reforms depend on an informed and tolerant citizenry. Justifying intolerance and ignorance breed terrorism.
The key is education. Education is the most effective means of reducing unemployment and improving an individual’s overall quality of life. Unemployment has become an appalling nightmare that needs to be addressed immediately. Additionally, granting women a more significant role to play is essential. We should neither fear nor coddle them nor, indeed, treat them as if they were creatures from a different planet. It is high time our women joined men in improving the framework of our laws. Since the dawn of Islam, women have always played significant roles in society. We have to free them from being a hostage to habits and customs that have caused the rest of the world to think of us as if we are living in the Stone Age.
There is a prevailing belief that the present situation is what the majority of Islamic society wants. I am here to unequivocally tell you that Muslims and Islam do not condone violent terrorist acts such as the shooting in Orlando.
Refusing to acknowledge the problem helps the terrorists continue their depraved actions. There is a big difference between a country that faces and suffers from terrorism and a country that supports terrorism. Saudi Arabia is clearly a victim of terrorism and not a nation that supports it. Terrorism has become a global phenomenon affecting all communities — Islamic, Christian and Jewish. Terrorism now extends from Jakarta to Dakar and from Oslo to Cape Town in South Africa. Every religion has extremists within it who foster terrorist activities whether they are Jews, Christians or Muslims, but it is terrible times like these when we must seize the initiative and move the conversation forward. We must continue to discuss reform, democracy and promote openness in Islam until we are no longer left having to defend it against those who would choose to do unspeakable acts of terror in its name.
— Khalid Alnowaiser is a Saudi writer and attorney.
The terrible man who committed these depraved acts is being labeled a terrorist. Unfortunately, he was also a Muslim, which naturally caused the media to link Islam with terrorism. The phrase “radical Islamic terrorism” has been casually and incorrectly used in the media to paint all Muslims as terrorists.
How can we address this misguided interpretation of Islam as a religion that seemingly tolerates terrorists and acts of terror? Further, what does this mean for Saudi Arabia? Certainly, it is indisputable that terrorism is a real concern to Saudi Arabia as well as any other country.
Saudi Arabia is the birthplace of Islam, where Islamic law is followed. However, as in many other places, it is very normal to find a handful of people with extremist tendencies who ignore the tolerant and flexible nature of Islam and impose a kind of strict interpretation that betrays our religion and the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) teachings. These fringe elements don’t represent the majority. This fundamental issue has been so problematic and complex that it dominated and controlled thinking and intellectual discourse of some who adopted deviant thoughts.
Islam is a faith that does not require mediation from any third person to establish a direct link or relationship with the Creator. Yet, regrettably, some of our clerics talk in the name of God and his Messenger and advance their mistaken view. They claim that those opposing them actually oppose God and his Messenger. There are radical elements in every religious group. Unfortunately, due to a variety of reasons these fringe elements have somehow gained the spotlight. In fact, such radical elements have succeeded in hijacking our religion and many youths have become their victims.
Those of us who grew up in the 1960s still remember when we could go to movies and attend festivals and other forms of entertainment in Jeddah without being harassed.
Never before has our society experienced such an arbitrarily enforced conservatism. Does this mean that Islam has changed or simply that some of our religious leaders have failed to keep up with modern societal trends?
Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Arab world must devise effective solutions that can address and eradicate this scourge. These solutions must be decisive and not transitory if Saudi citizens are to live in a safe and secure nation where they can pursue their careers and raise their families. Saudi religious schools must enter the modern age to contribute to Saudi Arabia’s economic and political development.
Many reforms depend on an informed and tolerant citizenry. Justifying intolerance and ignorance breed terrorism.
The key is education. Education is the most effective means of reducing unemployment and improving an individual’s overall quality of life. Unemployment has become an appalling nightmare that needs to be addressed immediately. Additionally, granting women a more significant role to play is essential. We should neither fear nor coddle them nor, indeed, treat them as if they were creatures from a different planet. It is high time our women joined men in improving the framework of our laws. Since the dawn of Islam, women have always played significant roles in society. We have to free them from being a hostage to habits and customs that have caused the rest of the world to think of us as if we are living in the Stone Age.
There is a prevailing belief that the present situation is what the majority of Islamic society wants. I am here to unequivocally tell you that Muslims and Islam do not condone violent terrorist acts such as the shooting in Orlando.
Refusing to acknowledge the problem helps the terrorists continue their depraved actions. There is a big difference between a country that faces and suffers from terrorism and a country that supports terrorism. Saudi Arabia is clearly a victim of terrorism and not a nation that supports it. Terrorism has become a global phenomenon affecting all communities — Islamic, Christian and Jewish. Terrorism now extends from Jakarta to Dakar and from Oslo to Cape Town in South Africa. Every religion has extremists within it who foster terrorist activities whether they are Jews, Christians or Muslims, but it is terrible times like these when we must seize the initiative and move the conversation forward. We must continue to discuss reform, democracy and promote openness in Islam until we are no longer left having to defend it against those who would choose to do unspeakable acts of terror in its name.
— Khalid Alnowaiser is a Saudi writer and attorney.
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