Highlights - “Antidotes to Islamist Extremism” – European Parliament on 2nd May 2017
The event “Antidotes to Islamist Extremism” was organised by the ECR Group and the International Organisation to Preserve Human Rights (IOPHR) and supported by the EPP, S&D and ALDE groups of the European Parliament. Hosts of the event were MEP Geoffrey Van Orden and Mattie Heaven, Policy and Advocacy Advisor at the international Organisation to Preserve Human Rights.
Welcoming speakers from the European Council, the British Embassy, the Belgian Federal Police and many more, the days was structured around panels addressing three main theme’s;
Diagnosis – which focused on the scale, extent and nature of the problem of radicalisation;
Factors – discussing why people are open to radicalisation & where they are most vulnerable;
and ‘Remedies’ – exploring potential antidotes to the problems of radicalisation and extremism.
Welcoming speakers from the European Council, the British Embassy, the Belgian Federal Police and many more, the days was structured around panels addressing three main theme’s;
Diagnosis – which focused on the scale, extent and nature of the problem of radicalisation;
Factors – discussing why people are open to radicalisation & where they are most vulnerable;
and ‘Remedies’ – exploring potential antidotes to the problems of radicalisation and extremism.
The Biggest Misconceptions About Islam-Introduction
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The holy verses of the Quran have been misused over the years through misinterpretations, misquotations, and incorrect translations of the text as well as quoting the verses of the Quran out of context. With the rising numbers of extremist Islamic groups around the world, it is necessary to clarify some of the most common misconceptions of the Quran and Islam. The aim of this book, is to examine and resolve some of these misconceptions among both Muslims and non-Muslims. The misconceptions that shall be discussed in this book include the Quran’s views on Human Rights, Women’s Rights, and the concept of Jihad.
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Before exploring the details of various misconceptions, it is necessary to define the spirit of Islam and its main foundations. As a result of doing this, one can then acknowledge that many of the verses that do not seem to follow the defined principles of Islam, may be due to misinterpretations and incorrect translations or being taken out of context. This is an important point to consider, as in any civilised and just society, the judges interpret the laws of the land within the context of the spirit of the law which is often written in the constitution or the Bill of Rights of that country. In a similar manner, the Quranic verses must also be understood within the context of the Divine objective or “spirit” which is contained within the verses of the Quran itself.
The first step in this process is to understand the meaning of the word Islam itself which is defined by the Quran.
The word Islam refers to “health” or “peace”, and an individual in this path is referred to as a Muslim. According to the Quran, one must first acknowledge that they have an “unhealthy heart” (Soghm). Through teachings of the Quran, the seeker’s heart will transform from a state of Soghm to a state of “Selm”, which can be translated as a “healthy heart”.
The Quran states that the seeker’s heart can transform further from a state of “Salem” to a state of “Salim”, which is a “vaccinated or immune heart”. The Quran mentions Prophet Abraham as a role model whose heart was Salim. It is important to note that the words Islam, Muslim, Selm, Salem, and Salim are all derivatives of the same word Salam, all of which are related to health and/or peace. The Quran describes the destination of the pious in the Hereafter to be a place known as Dar al-Salam, which can be translated as the House of Peace, otherwise known as paradise or heaven. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to hear Muslims saying As-Salam-Alaikum when approaching one another; a phrase which can be translated as “Peace be upon you”.
The significance of such method of greetings and the word Salam and its derivatives are highly emphasised in the Quran. The fourth Surah (An-Nisa) verse 94 clearly orders the believers: “do not say to one who gives you Salam [a greeting of] peace ‘you are not a believer’”. From this verse, we can derive that according to the teachings of Islam, it is not acceptable for a Muslim to question one’s religion or belief. The Quran continues that giving greetings of Salam (peace) is considered as a good deed, and the person receiving the greetings of Salam (peace) has an obligation to return the greetings of Salam (peace), and failure to such is considered a sin, regardless of the faith of the one who first gave the greetings of Salam (peace). Verse 63 of Surah 25 (Al-Furqan) explains that followers of the Most Merciful are those whom who walk in complete humbleness, and when they are confronted harshly by the ignorant, they respond with Salam (peace).
Another important point to consider is that one of the personal names attributed to Allah according to the Quran is Salam. Thus, the word Salam in Islam is a word of great significance, and the path of Islam revolves around it and its derivatives. When considering the principles of Salam, and understanding the spirit of the Quran, it becomes clear that any accusations attributed to the Quran and any barbaric acts performed in the name of Islam are purely the results of abuse of the Quranic texts.
The first step in this process is to understand the meaning of the word Islam itself which is defined by the Quran.
The word Islam refers to “health” or “peace”, and an individual in this path is referred to as a Muslim. According to the Quran, one must first acknowledge that they have an “unhealthy heart” (Soghm). Through teachings of the Quran, the seeker’s heart will transform from a state of Soghm to a state of “Selm”, which can be translated as a “healthy heart”.
The Quran states that the seeker’s heart can transform further from a state of “Salem” to a state of “Salim”, which is a “vaccinated or immune heart”. The Quran mentions Prophet Abraham as a role model whose heart was Salim. It is important to note that the words Islam, Muslim, Selm, Salem, and Salim are all derivatives of the same word Salam, all of which are related to health and/or peace. The Quran describes the destination of the pious in the Hereafter to be a place known as Dar al-Salam, which can be translated as the House of Peace, otherwise known as paradise or heaven. Furthermore, it is not uncommon to hear Muslims saying As-Salam-Alaikum when approaching one another; a phrase which can be translated as “Peace be upon you”.
The significance of such method of greetings and the word Salam and its derivatives are highly emphasised in the Quran. The fourth Surah (An-Nisa) verse 94 clearly orders the believers: “do not say to one who gives you Salam [a greeting of] peace ‘you are not a believer’”. From this verse, we can derive that according to the teachings of Islam, it is not acceptable for a Muslim to question one’s religion or belief. The Quran continues that giving greetings of Salam (peace) is considered as a good deed, and the person receiving the greetings of Salam (peace) has an obligation to return the greetings of Salam (peace), and failure to such is considered a sin, regardless of the faith of the one who first gave the greetings of Salam (peace). Verse 63 of Surah 25 (Al-Furqan) explains that followers of the Most Merciful are those whom who walk in complete humbleness, and when they are confronted harshly by the ignorant, they respond with Salam (peace).
Another important point to consider is that one of the personal names attributed to Allah according to the Quran is Salam. Thus, the word Salam in Islam is a word of great significance, and the path of Islam revolves around it and its derivatives. When considering the principles of Salam, and understanding the spirit of the Quran, it becomes clear that any accusations attributed to the Quran and any barbaric acts performed in the name of Islam are purely the results of abuse of the Quranic texts.
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In many cases, the lack of knowledge on the structure of the Quran leaves room for misunderstanding and misinterpreting the verses of the Quran. The general structure of the Quran can be split into three main categories. The first and most important category of verses in the Quran are the core teachings of Islam, which, according to Muslims, Angel Gabriel revealed to Prophet Mohammad. The second category of verses in the Quran are questions posed to Prophet Mohammad by his students and others who came to listen to his teachings. The third category of verses in the Quran are answers that Prophet Mohammad would give to those who raised questions. The group who posed questions also often included his adversaries who were determined to undermine his mission at every turn and often through the use of ridicule.
Misunderstandings of the Quran due to the lack of knowledge on the structure of the Quran often arises from this category of verses, where the exact questions posed to Prophet Mohammad are written in the Quran. Here we start to understand how some verses can be mistaken for the core teachings of Islam. |
