Recent Attacks in Madrid

In a recent multi-faith program, a group of faith leaders raised a few questions about the response of the Muslim community to the recent attacks in Spain where many innocent people were killed in a very barbaric manner. As we exchanged ideas around the table and agreed more than we disagreed on many issues, questions began to vary from simple speculations about what could be the reasons and motives of such crimes against humanity to indirect accusations to Islam with sporadic expressions to indicate that it is well understood that the majority of Muslims do condemn such horrific acts and that Islam is a religion of peace.

The issue itself has become these days a very uncomfortable topic of discussion though we Muslims here in this part of the world have not saved any endeavor to deplore every single unjust killing of civilians no matter what the reasons were. For the last few years, we, as leaders of congregations and communities, as colleagues at workplaces, as classmates at schools and universities and as workers in factories..etc., have done a good number of community education projects. We have published books, pamphlets and brochures. We have held open houses at our homes and Islamic centers. We have made presentations and delivered talks about the position of Islam vis-à-vis shedding innocent blood and killing civilians.

The word "Terrorism" quoted constantly with our religion "Islam" has become something we do not want to talk about or hear anymore. As individuals who live in the West and as a community that belongs geographically, physically and politically to the West, we do not want to be associated with any agendas except the agenda of spreading goodness and prosperity where we live and set collectively with our neighbors from other ethnic and religious backgrounds a good model and example for other nations in the world. We can be ambassadors of Islam without being strangers where we live. We do not need to be ambassadors of a specific Muslim country or a specific cause but rather holders of great universal values and principles that are embedded in the Holy Qur'an. We must consider ourselves missionnaries for hope, respect, human dignity and universal justice without trying to be the justice system ourselves.

The beauty of Islam, the mercy of Islam, the kindness of Islam, the justice of Islam, the dignity and uniformity of humankind, the tolerance, the universality, the simplicity and the easiness of Islam. All these elements need to be shared in the context of the West in order to show the flexibility of Islam and its adaptation without change of its essence.

In the same morning of March 11, after hearing the sad news, a brother said with a sigh, "O My God! I am sure that they will tell me at work: O not again! What's wrong with you people?" Now, the issue has gone beyond misconceptions and misunderstandings. It is more about credibility and reputation. Simple people that are our neighbors and people we meet everyday have no time to go and read the whole history and background of conflicts. People are hardly seeing their children. They are already stressed out because of work and the difficulty and challenge of making a decent living.

Most of the Spanish people are also simple people. Out of good consciousness and good human nature, they stood against the war in Iraq and they have been sympathizing with many Justice issues in the world. The masses that called the Spanish government last year not to take part in the war on Iraq and protested continuously against killing innocent people whether by ETA or any other Organization are now witnessing acts against them in the name of Islam.

We should also make sure that we do not repeat anything we hear in the media. We really do not know at this moment the real perpetrators who were behind these heinous attacks. No matter who they are, we should condemn them for their wickedness, malice, insanity and immorality.

Positively changing the perception of simple people, gaining credibility and having a good reputation is by itself a challenge today. We need to share with the people here in the West not only what we know about the suffering of others in the East, but also we need to learn how to express our sympathy to them when they endure injustice and show sincerely that it also aches our hearts to see them suffering unjustly.

Our deep and constant condolences to the families of those who are killed everyday unjustly and mischievously in every part of the world whether in the West or the East for Allah Almighty says,
"To Allah belongs all the East and the West"

Imam Hamid Slimi