Haroon Moghul is a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding . He is an author, essayist and public speaker. Follow him @hsmoghul . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) It's not enough for Muslims to condemn terrorism, such as what occurred Friday in Paris , a brutal ISIS assault that left 129 dead and many more injured.

We must build communities in which extremists cannot find a foothold, let alone a launching pad, to take their terror to the ends of the Earth. I don't mean to say Muslims are collectively or personally responsible. But I also can't tolerate the idea that we don't have a problem.

ISIS believes itself to be Islamic. The group is Muslim, after all. Members quote from our scripture. They claim to act in our name. They kill in the name of our faith . And they seek to recruit their murderers from our communities, even and perhaps especially in the West.

If American Muslims are going to fight back, we have to pay attention to their claims. If we do, we find that ISIS isn't just at war with much of the world, or, especially, the Muslim world. The Islamic State is at war with how Muslims understand Islam.

And let me be clear here: They represent a mortal danger to Islam.

Whenever I teach on Islam, inevitably someone asks, "Well, what about such-and-such verse of the Quran?" The fact is, the people who argue about Islam using isolated verses of the Quran alone are usually Islamophobes or Islamic extremists.

I'm more concerned by the latter.

Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A memorial commemorates the victims of the Paris attacks on a street in Paris on Monday, November 16. Hide Caption 1 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A woman on November 16 sits in front of the Parisian concert venue Balaclan, where many of the victims from the Paris attacks were killed. Hide Caption 2 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks An anti-border control, pro-refugee sticker is pasted over an advertisement in Paris on November 16. Hide Caption 3 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A young man in Paris on November 16 holds a sign that reads "Not even afraid" in the neighborhood of Le petit Cambodge, a restaurant that was hit in the attacks. Hide Caption 4 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Security guards stand outside a Disney store on Champs Elysees in Paris on November 16. Hide Caption 5 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Comments made with different colored chalk are written on the Place de la Republique in Paris on November 16. Hide Caption 6 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A man sells newspapers on Sunday, November 15, at the Barbes-Rochechouart Metro station in one of the Paris neighborhoods with the highest foreign-born population. The headlines read "The War against Daech / ISIS" and "The Day After." Hide Caption 7 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks People walk past a man selling newspapers near the Barbes-Rochechouart Metro station on November 15. Hide Caption 8 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A woman reads a newspaper in the Cafe Les Deux Magots on November 15 In the St. Germain neighborhood of Paris. Hide Caption 9 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks People sit inside the St. Sulpice Catholic church on November 15 in Paris. Hide Caption 10 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Children play on November 15 with Notre Dame in the background. Hide Caption 11 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Tourists walk past Notre Dame on November 15 as the military and police patrol the area. Hide Caption 12 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A crowd gathers on Rue Charonne on November 15 near the site of one of the attacks. Hide Caption 13 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks "No passaran!" is scrawled on a wall near the Bataclan music venue on November 15. The phrase translates roughly to "thou shall not pass" and refers to standing firm in the face of an enemy. Hide Caption 14 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks People walk down Rue Charonne on November 15, near the site of one of the attacks. Hide Caption 15 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Drinks sit abandoned on a cafe terrace near Place de la République after a false alarm caused a panic on November 15. Hide Caption 16 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A woman observes bullet holes in a wall near the Paris restaurant Le Petit Cambodge on Saturday, November 14. Hide Caption 17 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A crowd gathers on November 14 outside Le Petit Cambodge, where more than a dozen people were killed. Hide Caption 18 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A man wearing a French flag walks through the streets of Paris on November 14. French President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency. Hide Caption 19 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Candles and flowers are seen on November 14 at the spot where a victim died on the Rue de la Fontaine au Roi. Five people were killed in a shooting outside a bar in Paris' 11th district, according to prosecutor Francois Molins. Hide Caption 20 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A woman takes a picture of a window shattered by bullets on November 14. Hide Caption 21 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks The windows of a laundromat on the Rue de la Fontaine au Roi were blown out in the attacks. Hide Caption 22 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks People take pictures on November 14 near the Bataclan concert hall, where more than 80 people were killed. Hide Caption 23 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A woman walks past a memorial in Paris' 10th district November 14. Hide Caption 24 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Bernard-Henri Levy, a prominent French philosopher, stands in the center of a crowd near the Bataclan on November 14. Hide Caption 25 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Women pay their respects near the Bataclan on November 14. Three gunmen shot concertgoers and held hostages late Friday night until police raided the building. Hide Caption 26 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Candles are lit to honor the victims of the attacks on November 14. Hide Caption 27 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A family stands among TV crews set up on November 14 near the Bataclan. Hide Caption 28 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks Bullet holes are circled on a wall near Le Petit Cambodge on November 14. Hide Caption 29 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks People gather on November 14 at the Place de la Republique square. Hide Caption 30 of 31 Photos: Aftermath of Paris terror attacks A couple embraces in the streets of Paris on November 14. The world has rallied around France. Hide Caption 31 of 31

You see, if someone cites a passage from the Quran, they have not proved much beyond their ability to cite a passage from the Quran. This should be obvious: A verse from the Quran no more tells you what Islam believes than a few sentences from the Bible defines Christianity.

But this is also true for Islam: Historically, Muslims never read verses of the Quran in isolation, nor did our religious scholars use verses alone to make or break arguments. That would very quickly end in deadlock.

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The reason there are schools of Islamic law, no centralized authority in Islam, and so much debate and discussion between Muslims is because the premise where traditional Muslim scholars regularly begin is one that jihadists, and many Islamists, cannot abide:

The Quran contradicts itself. The Prophet Mohammed said conflicting things.

Merely citing what the Quran says, or what Mohammed taught, say doesn't mean much, since the Quran and Mohammed often appear to offer conflicting advice.

How you make sense of a vast corpus of texts -- intended for different situations and different contexts, anchored to different points in Mohammed's life, reflecting the circumstances of a small, 7th-century Arabian city -- requires years of deep learning, debate and a willingness to admit that we might be wrong.None of which ISIS is interested in.

In ISIS' Islam, there's only black and white. Every text has just one meaning, and it's the meaning they prefer. In fact, in the terrorist group's reading, religion itself can only have one form, which is why ISIS might frequently invoke the Quran, but only the parts of it that support their extremist views.

Don't misunderstand my saying so: There's violence in the Quran, in the Islamic tradition, and in Islamic history. To deny that would be ridiculous.

But there are many more passages in the Quran that condemn violence, that note that God gives people the freedom to choose their faith, that it is not our job to impose religion on others, that killing a single innocent person is the same as killing every person. These verses are, however, nowhere to be found in ISIS propaganda. The group reads Islam selectively.

And it does so in a way most Muslims reject. ISIS' response to the pluralism of mainstream Islam is to describe all of us as "pagans," "infidels" or "collateral damage." To refuse to confront the challenge this presents openly and vigorously isn't just cowardly, it's suicidal.

In responding, moreover, we might look to the original sources of Islam itself to back us up.

Islam's end-times literature is just as confusing as that of any other religion's, but what's fascinating about Islam's version is how much it focuses on the terrible evil that will come not just from people of religion but of the Islamic faith.

Mohammed warned his followers that a people would arise "who read Quran," who would be more religiously observant than any around, but that "nothing of Islam would go past their throats" -- that is, they would talk the talk, but never walk the walk. In fact Mohammed described them not only as "the worst of all people, but the worst of all creation." Harsh words, but notice who they're applied to.

Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks President Barack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, second from right, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo arrive at the Bataclan, site of one of the Paris terrorists attacks, to pay their respects to the victims after Obama arrived in town for the COP21 climate change conference early on Monday, November 30, in Paris. Hide Caption 1 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks The Eiffel Tower in Paris is illuminated in the French national colors on Monday, November 16. Displays of support for the French people were evident at landmarks around the globe after the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday, November 13. Hide Caption 2 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People hold hands as they observe a minute of silence in Lyon, France, on November 16, three days after the Paris attacks. A minute of silence was observed throughout the country in memory of the victims of the country's deadliest violence since World War II. Hide Caption 3 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks French President Francois Hollande, center, flanked by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, right, and French Education Minister Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, center left, stands among students during a minute of silence in the courtyard of the Sorbonne University in Paris on November 16. Hide Caption 4 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A large crowd gathers to lay flowers and candles in front of the Carillon restaurant in Paris on Sunday, November 15. Hide Caption 5 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A man sits next to candles lit as homage to the victims of the deadly attacks in Paris at a square in Rio de Janeiro on November 15. Hide Caption 6 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People light candles in tribute to the Paris victims on November 15 in Budapest, Hungary. Hide Caption 7 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People gather outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on November 15 for a national service for the victims of the city's terror attacks. Hide Caption 8 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People write messages on the ground at Place de la Republique in Paris on November 15. Hide Caption 9 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People pray during a candlelight vigil for victims of the Paris attacks at a church in Islamabad, Pakistan, on November 15. Hide Caption 10 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks French golfer Gregory Bourdy passes a peace symbol for the Paris victims during the BMW Shanghai Masters tournament November 15 in Shanghai, China. Hide Caption 11 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A man offers a prayer in memory of victims of the Paris attacks at the French Embassy in Tokyo on November 15. Hide Caption 12 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A woman holds a candle atop a miniature replica of the Eiffel Tower during a candlelight vigil Saturday, November 14, in Vancouver, British Columbia. Hide Caption 13 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Front pages of Japanese newspapers in Tokyo show coverage and photos of the Paris attacks on November 14. Hide Caption 14 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks An electronic billboard on a canal in Milan, Italy reads, in French, "I'm Paris," on November 14. Hide Caption 15 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks The Eiffel Tower stands dark as a mourning gesture on November 14, in Paris. More than 125 people were killed in a series of coordinated attacks in Paris on Friday. People around the world reacted in horror to the deadly terrorist assaults. Hide Caption 16 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Lithuanians hold a candlelight vigil in front of the French Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, on November 14. Hide Caption 17 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Thousands gather in London's Trafalgar Square for a candlelit vigil on November 14 to honor the victims of the Paris attacks. Hide Caption 18 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A woman lights candles at a memorial near the Bataclan theater in Paris on November 14. Hide Caption 19 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A man places a candle in front of Le Carillon cafe in Paris on November 14. Hide Caption 20 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A woman holds a French flag during a gathering in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 14. Hide Caption 21 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Nancy Acevedo prays for France during the opening prayer for the Sunshine Summit being held at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida on November 14. Hide Caption 22 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks French soldiers of the United Nations' interim forces in Lebanon observe the national flag at half-staff at the contingent headquarters in the village of Deir Kifa on November 14. Hide Caption 23 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A couple surveys the signature sails of the Sydney Opera House lit in the colors of the French flag in Sydney on November 14. Hide Caption 24 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A woman places flowers in front of the French Consulate in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 14. Hide Caption 25 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Candles are lit in Hong Kong on November 14 to remember the scores who died in France. Hide Caption 26 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A woman lights a candle outside the French Consulate in Barcelona, Spain, on November 14. Hide Caption 27 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Britain's Prince Charles expresses solidarity with France at a birthday barbecue in his honor near Perth, Australia, on November 14. Hide Caption 28 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks The French national flag flutters at half-staff on November 14 at its embassy in Beijing. Hide Caption 29 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte after a speech on November 14 in The Hague following the attacks. Hide Caption 30 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe becomes emotional after his speech on the French attacks during the opening ceremony of a Japanese garden in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 14. Hide Caption 31 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks A woman mourns outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. The attackers ruthlessly sought out soft targets where people were getting their weekends underway. Hide Caption 32 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People lay flowers outside the French Embassy in Moscow on November 14. Hide Caption 33 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Mourners gather outside Le Carillon bar in the 10th district of Paris on November 14. "We were listening to music when we heard what we thought were the sounds of firecrackers," a doctor from a nearby hospital who was drinking in the bar with colleagues told Le Monde. "A few moments later, it was a scene straight out of a war. Blood everywhere." Hide Caption 34 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People attend a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered "all of Canada's support" to France on Friday, November 13, in the wake of the attacks. Hide Caption 35 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks Police show a heightened presence in Times Square in New York on November 13, following the terrorist attacks in Paris. Hide Caption 36 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13. Hide Caption 37 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks University of Nevada, Las Vegas, fans observe a moment of silence for the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris before a basketball game November 13. Hide Caption 38 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks The house lights are shut off and scoreboard dark as Boston Celtics players pause for a moment of silence for the Paris victims before an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks in Boston on November 13. Hide Caption 39 of 40 Photos: World reacts to Paris attacks People light candles at a vigil outside the French Consulate in Montreal on November 13. Hide Caption 40 of 40

Sometimes the worst evil, Islam warns, comes from within.

Traditional Islam embraced pluralism, because it recognized religious literature does not admit to a single interpretation. ISIS' Islam is opposed to pluralism, not just in the wider world, but within Islam itself. To murderous ends.

To defend ourselves from this heresy, Muslims could start with this easy admission: While religion can help improve us, it can also turn into a source of hubris, pride and even oppression. It's not just obvious from my own experience and observation, but it's right there in the Muslim scripture.