Don’t believe everything ISIS tells you

by Gushwell Brooks · November 10, 2014

Organisations such as the Islamic State (or ISIS or ISL or a host of other names), Al Qaeda, Boko Haram and Al Shabab have been wreaking havoc across West, East as well as North Africa, the Middle East and as far afield as the United States.

Islamic State fighters stand guard at a checkpoint in Mosul, Iraq�but do they really represent Islam? (Photo:?Reuters/CNS)

These organisations argue that the beheadings, crucifixions, kidnappings, bombings, piracy and the horrific acts of terror they perpetrate are all committed in the name of Islam.

The unfortunate result of the terrorists� justification is the assumption, for many non-Muslims, that this brutality and terror is a tenet of Islam.

But does Islam dictate this level of cruelty, in essence forcing people to convert to Islam under pain of death?

This is the question I put to Fr Christopher Clohessy, a priest who is a renowned scholar of Islam, on my Wednesday afternoon drive-time show on Radio Veritas, �Changing Gear�, to help us better understand Islam, a religion of peace.

What resonated most with me was Fr Clohessy�s point that any religious text could be read and understood from a place of violence. From God aiding the Israelites to victory in times of armed, violent struggle to the New Testament�s suggested removal of body parts that lead to temptation; the Bible regularly speaks of violence.

As Fr Clohessy suggests, if one wishes to interpret these texts as an endorsement for violence, particularly if you use religion to advance your own agenda, it is not difficult to find such a violent endorsement.

As Fr Clohessy sees it, these extremist groups have a limited understanding and interpretation of Islam, one that is misguided, one that reinforces the notion that the religion was spread through the sword rather than the word, and one that fails to be tolerant of other beliefs and religions.

Contrary to the violence and intolerance these extremist organisations propagate, I came across a quote credited to the Prophet Muhammed that paints a polar-opposite picture: �The ink of a scholar is holier than the blood of a martyr.�

It is important for us to familiarise ourselves with the basic tenets of the beliefs we encounter outside of our immediate circles. Although Islam and Christianity have shared a history of conflict, the two religions respect, at times revere each other, and as two Abrahamic religions, share in each other�s commonalities.

These extremist fringe groups have managed not only to spread their message of hate and intolerance, but they have many rational people buying into their message. With Islamophobic attacks on the steady increase in Australia and the United States, increasing numbers of non-Muslims clearly associate Islam with violence.

If we buy into this message of hate we risk becoming the terror ourselves; non-Muslims become the aggressors as they, like these extremist fringe groups, do not fully appreciate and understand the true tenets of the religion. Out of their limited or distorted knowledge, they themselves act out of hate.

Brotherly love demands that rather than condemn and judge, we should embrace and appreciate those with different beliefs to our own. This is indeed possible, but only when we are able to differentiate between the messages of the hate- and warmongers on the one hand, and those of the true believers on the other.

Learning more about another�s religion goes a long way in fostering our tolerance for beliefs beyond your own, and it allows us to appreciate what we believe while fostering respect for another�s beliefs.

And that way we are also better equipped to tell the true believer from bloodthirsty terrorists, and prevent us from meeting terror with prejudices of our own.