OPINION:
In “George W. Bush still gets Islam wrong after 9/11” (Web, Sept. 15) Jed Babbin cites George W. Bush as saying that Islam is a religion of peace. Denouncing Mr. Bush, Mr. Babbin argues that people should study the Quran and history of Islam before making any broad claims.
Mr. Babbin is a knowledgeable person, but it seems that biases are influencing his understanding of Islam and he hasn’t grasped the historical events in their proper context.
Islam has indeed been caught up in various wars since its inception. But many early wars involving Islam were defensive. Referring to Quran verse 2:216, Mr. Babbin argues that jihad means waging a war against all non-Muslims and that it is obligatory for every Muslim.
Yes, Islam mandates jihad for self-defense. Undue violence still has no justification. This was revealed in Medina at a time when the Prophet Muhammad and his companions were being persecuted and driven away. They migrated to Medina, but were again chased.
They were small in number, so it was obligatory for everyone to fight against the oppression.
The word “non-Muslims” isn’t used in the verse; rather, it is “non-believers.” This slight tampering changes the entire meaning of the verse.
The people Muhammad was fighting were neither Europeans nor Americans. They were from Muhammad’s own clan. The enmity wasn’t because Muslims were intolerant; the Meccans saw Islam as a challenge to their faith.
Islam arose under adverse circumstances. It expanded among war-loving people and normalized them. Islam is a religion of peace not because it does not fight wars, but because it still prefers peace over violence. See the Mongols, Turks, Arabs, and other Central Asian tribes. They denounced unnecessary violence after accepting Islam.
After so much persecution, Iraqis, Lebanese, and Palestinians are still looking for ways to compromise because they want to live in peace. Nobody wants unnecessary wars.
Mr. Babbin raises the issue of the growing burden on Europe of Muslim immigrants, but he doesn’t explain who is behind the refugee problem. Did Asians or Africans ask anyone to impose Western democracy and bomb their habitats? Mr. Babbin should look for Europeans’ footprints in conflict-ridden zones. Then he will be able to find the real culprit.
SAIYED ZEGHAM MURTAZA
Delhi, India
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