Every religion in its scriptures has propagated violence at one point of time or another., be it Hinduism (Mahabharata) or Christianity (Crusades against Muslims under the Pope) or Sikhism (Violent Struggle against the Muslims) . Islam too has had a history of violence and has scriptural backing for it.

However, the current situation where Islam is at the fore-front of a major violent upsurge of terrorism, we need to understand that there are political, historical, financial and theological reasons for Islamic regions being in conflict.

A. Theological Background:

Literal Interpretations of Texts- Translation issues: The Quran and the Hadiths are written in Arabic language. The language is a complex one, supposedly with the same word meaning so many things. I am not an expert on Arabic; but I am given to understand for example that the word ‘Hoor’ means ‘Pearl’ as well as ‘Virgins’. So the so-called scriptures promising Hoors to Jehadis can have different meanings. Likewises for the word ‘Jehad’ amongst others. Interpretations without Context: Terrorists draw inspiration from insular non-contextual interpretation of the Quran There are verses in the Quran e.g [Quran[4:89] “They wish that you should disbelieve as they disbelieve, and then you would be equal; therefore take not to yourselves friends of them, until they emigrate in the way of God; then, if they turn their backs, take them, and slay them wherever you find them; take not to yourselves any one of them as friend or helper.”] which advocate killings of non-believers. Taken in context, the reference here is to those Bedouin tribes that had formed mutual alliances with Muslims, but were planning on entering into a confederation with the Meccans against Prophet Muhammad at the same time. Muslims were advised against befriending such hypocrites. In case they resorted to treason through open hostilities, Muslims were commanded to engage them in a fight. Proliferation of Hadiths of Violence: The theology of Muslims comprises of the Quran and the Hadiths. While the Quran is said to have been recited and dictated by Allah to Prophet Mohammad and is inviolable; the Hadiths (describing the life and actions of the Prophet) were written several years and in some cases several centuries after the death of Prophet Mohammad. There are multiple Hadiths; often contradictory with each other – some propagating peace and others propagating war. This is alright and is often the case with all religious texts across all religions. However, the fact that the texts propagating love and brotherhood in mankind were ignored for political reasons by the muslim leadership that followed the Prophet’s death. Political reasons for Hadiths of Violence: After the death of Prophet Mohammad, Islam erupted in a major violent schism between Shias and Sunnis on the one hand and the emergence of powerful Caliphs out to spread power through the power of their swords. The Hadiths written under the early Caliphs has political reasons to propagate violence; and thus give their power the halo of a holy war against the so-called infidels. Islam thus became an easy tool to rally people around a common ruler and attack people who did not believe in Islam. The Hadiths were thus used in medieval history for creating a violent logic for the violent upsurge of Islam across Arabia, Persia, North Africa and Southern Europe and the subsequent crusades. Most of the terrorists draw their violent philosophical justifications from the Hadiths propagating violence, which were often politically motivated documents created under the Caliphs. Also, the fact that the Hadiths are open to multiple interpretations and conclusions thus obfuscating the ideological background.

B. Historical Reasons for propagation of current conflict:

The melt-down of Ottoman Empire: The Ottoman Empire was forged out after the Crusades thorugh consolidation of the Turk forces who had a stranglehold of Constantinople, thus holding the gates to Europe and Asia. The Empire held sway from 1300s to as late as 1922. Since 1850s, the Ottoman Empire had emerged as a modern empire with modern army and liberal ethos. Music, Arts and Sciences all flourished during this empire’s reign. The areas covered by the Ottoman at it’s height included Norther Africa, Arabia, entire Middle East comprising Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and others. It was defeated by the joint forces of England and France; and was divided into several small nations that have been in conflict since then. Moreover, the Sykes – Picot Agreement divided the remnants of the Ottoman Empire for colonial rule by French and British Imperial forces. Inability of Islamic World to accept Israel: Events of WW-II led to the Exodus of Jews to Israel, owing to a prophecy believed by the Western nations that Christ would re-appear only after the Jews came back to Jerusalem. Arab nations for various reasons have not accepted the creation of Israel and are generally in conflict with Israel, and Israel is the rallying point across both the Shias as well as Sunnis for radicalisation and conflict. Impact of Post War Anglo-French Machinations – After the WW-II, the British and French found it untenable to hold their empires; and left in a hurry; carving out fiefdoms for their favourite and pliable Sheikhs like the House of Saud; or by dividing the remnants amongst Shias, Sunnis and Jews; most countries being carved out on whims and fancies of the British bureaucrats. For example, the Kurds had nothing in common with the Iraqis, but they were made a part of Iraq. A balancing act was done with the Shah of Iran, gifting him some Shia Areas but taking some away for Iraq, so as to prevent the emergence of a strong Shia country. They then played a game of Chinese Chequers with the tin-pot dictators of these artificial nations for many decades till 1980s, when it all started coming apart in conflicts. Oil – Control of oil-rich countries of middle-east by the world’s big powers has been the most potent reason for fomenting religious conflict in the regions.

C: Radicalisation of Islamic Ideology : The Muslim world however was not doing too bad after the Europeans left, it held on firmly and was developing neck to neck with the west. From 1940s onwards to 1979, muslim dominated countries were steadily getting liberal and in many countries there was hardly a difference in the life-styles or thought processes of the muslim nations compared to the rest of the world. Pakistan was far ahead of India in all economic indicators, having chosen capitalism in contrast to India’s socialism. Turkey under Mustafa Kemal Ata Turk was leading the modernisation of the Islamic world; with Turkey even going as far as dumping the Ottoman-Turkish Script and opting for Roman alphabets. Iran, Iraq, Syria or Jordan looked like any other country, a mixture of modern and tradition, rooted in a liberal ethos, permitting free exchange of ideas and free expression of religions. Egypt was bathing in the glory of its ancient heritage and was not disowning its past. There were exceptions too like Saudi Arabia but the general mood was towards assimilation into the world comity of nations. Subsequent events as below have destroyed this modernisation:

Islamic Revolution in Iran: Islamic Revolution in 1970s was the first sign of the resurgence of medieval form of Islam and was a water-shed moment leading to receding westernisation in the middle east. Western liberal ideas have since then been receding into the background all over the Islamic world. Ideologues like Iqbal are known to have had a large impact on spreading the ideas of Muslim Brotherhood panning across borders, with an overall idea of supremacy of Islam over others. Islamic revolution put a wheel into motion that subsequently led to Iran-Iraq conflict and owes a lot to the mayhem and radicalisation that happened in latter years. Radicalisation funded by CIA in 1980s: Soviet Union (USSR) invaded Afghanistan around 1980; and this set the ball rolling for a Jehadi conflict of Mujahideen, who were then the blue-eyed boys of CIA; funded and radicalised so as to give the independence movement the form of a religious war. It would not be out of place to categorically say that CIA invented the radical interpretations of Islamic Scriptures and encouraged Wahabi ideology, just to fan the Jehad in Afghanistan. Emergence of Wahabi ideology – Petro Dollars of Saudi Arabia, initially funded the Jehad in Afghanistan through a singular interpretation of Islamic Texts, without any ground for moderation or context; but once Afghanistan was defeated, the Jehadis spread out all across South Asia, Middle East and North/ Eastern Africa Strategic Depth theory of Pakistan – After Moscow vacated Afghanistan, Pakistan tried to colonise Afghanistan for reasons of strategic depth against India. The Taliban were created by Pakistan to take control of Afghanistan. Most of the terror ideologies owe their base in Taliban off-shoots of Al Qaeda or ISIS. Pakistan’s ISI has created a vibrant net of Madrassas and hateful ideological hubs to attack India, which in turn is feeding radicalisation within Pakistan itself, and also spreading its tentacles across the entire Islamic World.

D. Lack of Reform movement from inside the religion: None of the above reasons waives off the direct responsibility of Muslims in refusing to see the demon creeping in their society and giving Islam a bad name, generally. Rather than looking at the past follies, machinations of motives of world powers, the responsibility lies with the Islamic World which refuses to address the need for peace and is in constant hyperbolic hoopla in victimisation mode:

Every religion has propagated violence at one point of time or another : Bible has verses propagating violence, so as Bhagwat Geeta of the Hindus, so has Dasam Granth of Sikhs or the Quran/ Hadiths of Islam. Religious leaders of all these religions have rejected violence in the modern era. Other religions have had significant reform movements that have debunked the hate ideologies and have embraced only those ideologies that ascribe to modern ideas of human rights. For example, Christianity was reformed through a very powerful Protestant Movement that shook the power of the Pope and over centuries significantly eroded the linkage between political power and religion. Also, Hindus rarely ever use the Bhagwat Geeta to justify the murder of their Adharmic cousins; which was explicitly encouraged in the Gita. Sikhs rarely use the poetry of Guru Gobind Singh to encourage violence against Muslims. Islam has had no reform movement from inside. Islamic leaders though refuse to take ownership for a reform movement within Islam, led by their own leaders. There is a need for a mass scale movement and debunking of violent interpretations of Islamic scriptures by the Muslims themselves.

In Conclusion:

It is time for a wake-up call for moderate muslims to look inside and try to change things; the churning must start from inside Islamic brotherhood and must start NOW.