Tonight we see a number of cowardly attacks unfolding on the streets of Paris. The death toll currently stands at 140 (according to AFP News agency suggesting that 100 were killed alone in the Bataclan Theatre), but no doubt this will increase significantly in the coming hours and days. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those who have lost their lives. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, and despite the desires of these terrorists, we will not let them divide us.
It is not clear who is behind the attack just yet, but reports seem to suggest that the perpetrators have some link to ISIS/Al Qaeda or such groups. The key factor being that those who have committed murder and bloodshed tonight will no doubt claim that they did this in the name of Islam.
As Muslims we cannot and must not remain silent. In fact, merely speaking out against such heinous crimes is also no longer enough in itself. It is now time, as proud Muslims, that we actively fight back against this tide of menace in order to reclaim our faith. Our faith, Islam, the faith which is the front and centre of our lives; our faith that provides us with hope, solace, patience; our faith which in its essence is a message of peace – is being hijacked and perverted. The world at large is beginning to believe that Islam is synonymous with violence and extremism; yet the vast and overwhelming majority of us Muslims know this not to be true. However, if we do not become more proactive, more ambitious and more determined than these terrorists to reclaim our faith, our religion will further be hijacked.
There will be groups and people from the Muslim community who in the coming hours and days will be on our T.V screens giving the Muslim response to these attacks. No doubt they will condemn these crimes, but ‘some’ will lay the blame squarely at the feet of Western foreign policy as being the cause of these crimes. Whatever the rights and wrong of Western foreign policy, there is simply no excuse for such violence; there certainly is no possible justification for such attacks in Islam. To speak only about foreign policy whilst diminishing the fact, or even excluding it entirely, that our faith is being hijacked is part of the problem and not the solution.
Let us be perfectly clear. There is no justification for such crimes in Islam. These attacks are not just an affront to humanity, but Islam, too. In fact the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) warned and foretold us about these extremist imposters who would claim to be acting in the name of Islam, but would in reality be considered the ‘dogs of Hell’. In traditional Islamic jurisprudence these terrorists are known as the Khawarij. They are terrorists and murderers. They are not Muslim and do not represent Islam. As Muslims we must not shy away from making this known loudly and clearly.
This really must be a turning point for the Muslim world, where we, as Muslims, become more invigorated and resourceful in our own battle (speaking metaphorically) against this Khawarijite ideology that has poisoned the Islamic faith. In recent times there has been growing activism from within the Muslim community to stem the tide of terrorism. This has been led by Islamic scholars, Imams and countless Muslim organisations. However, nights like tonight remind us that we have a long way to go. We have achieved so much with so little, but we must push on ahead. These actions will not deter us in our aims; rather it will only embolden our unwavering determination to work harder and even more tirelessly. Enough lives have been lost; far too many families have had their families ripped away from them. This cannot go on any longer. As the people of Paris restart to build their lives, as Muslims, we will stand shoulder to shoulder with them. We will not stop until the scourge of extremism is once and truly eliminated.
The post Press Release (14/11/15 at 12:45 a.m.) – Horror Attacks in Paris appeared first on British Muslim Youth.