Story highlights Ramadan is a month of spiritual reflection for Muslims, writes Ed Husain

ISIS and jihadists have a flawed interpretation of history and scripture, he writes

Ed Husain is a commentator and writer specializing in Islam, the West, and the modern Middle East. The opinions in this article belong to the author.

(CNN) The 30 days of abstaining from food, water and sex during the daytime is a month of spiritual reflection for Muslims around the world.

But this Ramadan, we have hundreds of people killed in many different countries by ISIS murderers. They kill in the name of religion and God. Why?

Ed Husain

Here in Europe, we no longer take religion and religious beliefs seriously. This loss of our heritage also stops us from fully grasping the kind of mind that leads to slaughter in the mistaken name of divine sanctity. Unless we understand it, we can't challenge the extremism.

ISIS, al Qaeda and other jihadist terrorists believe in an Islam of literalism, anger, activism and political control. Most Muslims now and throughout history observed an Islam of contemplation, piety and inner goodness.

At the core of Salafi-jihadist violence is an extremely literalist reading of history and scripture. An ISIS magazine published before Ramadan named it "the month of martyrdom" and called upon its readers to "maximize the benefit you receive on the day of judgment."

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