Heretic

In order to understand why crimes are committed in the name of Islam, and to be able to resolve this problem, we need to look at the core concepts and foundational texts of Islam. More importantly, we need to reconsider what they mean.

Because as it stands now, Islam is not considered a peaceful religion.

Of course, the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful. However, the holy text of Islam, the Qur’an, justifies violence by explicitly allowing for it in certain situations. For instance, the Qur’an says violence is justifiable in cases of blasphemy, adultery or when family honor is threatened.

More importantly, though, Islamic terrorists believe that the Qur’an calls for violence.

The Kouachi brothers believed that the magazine Charlie Hebdo had committed blasphemy by printing cartoons depicting Muhammad. Therefore, they believed their killing spree at the magazine’s offices on January 7, 2015, was justified by the Qur’an.

They clarified this belief by sparing the life of a female employee, explaining that they didn’t kill women and telling her, “What you are doing is bad. I spare you, and because I spare you, you will read the Qur’an.”

In addition, Islamic terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, Islamic State and Boko Haram cite religious texts when advocating violence.

But these beliefs aren’t just the interpretation of individuals or terrorist groups; some countries also follow these beliefs. In Pakistan, criticism of the Prophet Muhammad or of Islam is considered blasphemous and punishable by death.

In Saudi Arabia, the Islamic royal family allows beheadings. One recent spate occurred in August, 2014, when a beheading occurred almost every day. Meanwhile, in Iran, stoning is an acceptable form of Islamic punishment and homosexuality is a crime punishable by hanging.

If terrorists and states believe that Islam supports their violent acts, it makes sense to hold the religion and the Muslim community accountable for perpetuating this belief. In the next blink, however, we’ll see why this is difficult.