By Dr Armas Abdul Malik Shikongo
There is no doubt that much of the world believes that Islam and violent acts of terrorism are synonymous. One of the biggest challenges for peaceful and moderate Muslims in the world today, is that everyone expects them to condemn each and every act of terrorism committed in the name of Islam. Such pressure has made innocent Muslims guilty by association, if not, by mere identity.
Yet, all Muslims of conscience will continue condemning and disassociating themselves from acts committed by those professing to be Muslims but whose acts are proven not in line with the basic moral and religious teachings of Islam as derived from the Quran and prophetic tradition/example.
In the aftermath of the most recent terrorist attacks by ‘Islamist terrorists’ in Paris and Nigeria, I have had long and critical conversations with some of my Facebook friends and enemies, as some were quite openly hostile towards Islam and Muslims.
The questions that I received are quite pertinent and popular about Islam and violence. From a Facebook friend: “I hope you remember the text I send you last year (2014) in which I asked you why is God for Islamic is violent? You gave me some illustration. Today I would like to draw your attention to the Friday newspaper page 29 (The Namibian). Boko Haram threatened Cameroon if they fail to embrace Islam doctrine. I am still tempted to repeat my previous question as to why the God of Islam is so violent that seems to enjoy people being killed, kidnapped and all the like.”
My response:”Islam prohibits the use of military force and violence to convert people to Islam. What the so-called Boko Haram is doing is similar to what the so called Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda has been doing, committing crimes in the name of Jesus Christ, apparently wanting to turn Uganda into a Christian state. Does that make Jesus Christ a Lord of military violence? What Boko Haram is doing in Nigeria and surrounding countries is not Islamically correct. It is criminal but covered up in a religious discourse. I know what the Quran says on how to invite people to Islam. You can read it yourself in the Quran 16: 125. No use of violence or force allowed to invite people to Islam. Boko Haram is a deviant group using the name of Islam to do their own things just like the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. John Kony is a recognised ‘Christian terrorist’, do you agree with his type of Christian theology and tactics?”
After this response on my Facebook page, more individuals came to join the debate and the conversation ended up being fairly vigorous and frank. What I have observed is that when a critical debate (free speech) is allowed, the possibility for understanding is set in motion, leading people to start drawing fair and reasonable conclusions. I am a great fan of freedom of speech, not freedom of hate speech.
What became obvious from my Facebook conversations is that some people have allowed themselves to be patently bias, hypocritically selective and almost blind to the reality of terrorism being a universally shared problem amongst most religions and ideologies in the world. One shared link by another Facebook friend even went to the extent of laying the terrorism problem squarely at the feet of Islam and Muslims, as if, the whole world has all of a sudden become Muslim and Islamic, where each and every terrorist organization in the world is apparently Islamist.
Many people know that I am a Muslim, a Namibian and a proud African of Oshiwambo-speaking background. I must state that I have no apology owed to anyone for being a Muslim in Namibia or in the world today. Namibia being a free country with a constitution that explicitly allows me, just like any other Namibian, to have or choose my culture, religion, ideology, thus, enjoying the freedoms of thought, speech, association and conscience.
I would also like to state very clearly here that I was not forced, bribed or coerced to leave my previous Lutheran Christianity for Islam. It was all voluntary.
As to my personal position regarding terrorism, I regard it as satanic, regardless of who is the perpetrator or victim. As such, I strongly and permanently condemn all of the acts of senseless violence and terrorism that have been committed against innocent people, not only in Paris or Nigeria, but everywhere in this world, both by or against Muslims!
It does not make any rational, moral or ethical sense to only vigorously condemn the terrorist act when the perpetrators are Muslims, but when Muslims are victims of terrorists, the silence becomes deafening. This selective morality and self-righteous piety complex must be exposed. The world has equally suffered from acts of terrorism perpetrated by Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Secularists, in all parts of this planet, from all sorts of cultural and racial backgrounds. Perpetuating a myth that terrorism is 100 percent Islamic cannot be tolerated anymore and besides it being false, it is not even factually defensible.
As a normal human, there is no way I can ever be happy or morally comfortable when evil acts are committed by anyone, worse when such evils are committed in the name of God. This makes the crime more sinister. At the same, the hypocrisy, selective morality and piety complex around the issue of terrorism must be exposed, for terrorism has no religion.
• Dr Armas Abdul Malik Shikongo is a psychology lecturer at the University of Namibia. He writes in his persnal capacity.