Barbarism not part of Islam

I condemn the cowardly and evil attack on the office of Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France by some who call themselves Muslims. I would like to pass on my condolences to the family of editor Stéphane Charbonnier’s and to the families of other victims. May God have mercy on their souls, Amen.

I consider this barbaric act of terrorism to be un-Islamic and believe that the faith of Islam champions freedom of speech and allows anyone to express themselves in a responsible way. Blasphemy was committed against the Prophet Muhammad during his life but we don’t find a single instance where he asked his followers to assassinate any of the blasphemers. In fact, on one occasion one of Muhammad’s followers asked permission to kill his father who had blasphemed against Muhammad but he did not give him permission.

Muhammad was called a mad man, a fabricator, treated as a liar and his revelations were called fairy tales etc. In spite of all the mockery, Muhammad did not punish these blasphemes. Instead, Allah advised forbearance in the Quran, “When you hear the signs of God being denied and mocked at, sit not with those until they engage in some other talk … (Quran 4:141).

Imran Ghumman

Member, Muslim Writers Guild of America

Redmond