A few days ago, there was a devastating terrorist event after a musical concert at Manchester Arena. It was a suicide bombing that killed 22 people, mostly children, and injured more than sixty innocent people, including an eight years old child. This horrific incident was carried out by a British born Muslim extremist Salman Abedi, who was born and raised in a western world, who did not have any experience of the hardcore life of the third world countries, and who enjoyed his life full of freedom and human rights given by the British government.

This was not a new incident in the Britain’s tolerant society, but this type of the terrible incident happened in 2005 and it recalled the painful memories of the victims of other terrorist attacks in the UK. I burst into tears when I saw very young children with their bodies torn apart in the blast and thought how horrible Islamic terrorism is, separating the victims from their loved ones in such an atrocious way. I saw the frustration and grief in the victims’ parents’ eyes; they were asking questions, “What was the crime of our innocent children? Why would they have been butchered in such a merciless way?” I, being a Muslim, cannot answer their questions because I, along with other Muslims, feel that I am responsible for losing their loved ones. The very thing that puts me in an uncomfortable condition is when I see my fellow Muslims being apologetic and defensive on social media by calling this type of incident nothing to do with Islam. They are used to saying or writing a few unattractive sentences which definitely puts the parents of the victims of terrorism in a difficult situation where they cannot see Islam as a peaceful religion as they just lost their children.

“Islam is a religion of peace, Islam has nothing to do with terrorism, Islam teaches tolerance, Islam promotes love and harmony, terrorism has no religion, blah blah blah…….” I am fed up with listening to these defensive comments from my own religious community because I do not see any reality in their comments. They have done nothing to prove that they are right with what they claim for. Terrorism has no Religion,

Terrorism has no Religion, Terrorism has no Religion.

Why do not Muslims understand that parents lost their children to this scum who were taking the name of Allah when blowing them up? They were chanting the Shahadah (creed) “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah” while they were slaughtering innocent humans. These terrorists were worshiping the same Allah, whom we worship. They were praying and keeping fasts as all Muslims do. They were attending the mosques as we all Muslims attend on Friday and they were calling Allah Akbar (Allah is great) when they were killing and beheading followers of other religions, yet we claim Terrorism has no Religion!!!! Why do not we accept that Terrorists have a religion which is called ISLAM.?

Most Muslims are not terrorists, but most of the terrorists involving in a religious affiliated terrorism are Muslims. Most of the Muslim population of the UK, are peaceful, democratic, pro-government individuals and against terrorism but their silence fuels the extremist ideology. I have spoken and discussed with hundreds of Muslims and everyone has some sort of justification and none of which I consider as a justification. They say “They condemn terrorism, but… they support innocent victims, but…, they are against the extremists, but…”. Their BUT created extremism, their silence is not a solution but an evolution of extremism.

The Roots of Terrorism within Ideology

The Manchester attacker Salman Abedi was a Muslim, The Parliament attacker Khaled Masood was a Muslim, a lone attacker who attempted to behead passenger at Leytonstone Station, Muhiddin Mire, was a Muslim, Lee Rigby murderers Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale were Muslims, two men who attacked a Glasgow terminal with their Jeep burning in a fire, were also Muslims and London Underground suicide bombers Hasib Hussain, Mohammad Sidique Khan, Germaine Lindsay, Shehzad Tanweer were all Muslims. Hundreds of others who have been arrested, convicted and charged under the Terrorism Act were/are Muslims. Yet, we claim that terrorists are not Muslims and they have nothing to do with Islam is nothing but a baseless justification of their guilt. There are three fundamental beliefs within Muslims that generate extremist thoughts in their minds.

The need to be the dominating form of Islam

That any religions but Islam are Fake religions

Being taught and calling other Infidels

There is a common ideological problem we Muslims have that Islam will dominate in the world. This phenomenon creates more extremism within Muslims, this is a political Islamic ideology that every nation, community and country will be defeated and dominated by Islam. This ideology leads young Muslims to become extremists and offensive towards other nations. The real message of Islam is to live among other nations in peace, love and harmony, not with the ideology of defeating and dominating over them. The concept that all other religions are fake, changed, fabricated and Satanic except Islam, is an attitude which creates hate, extremism and a superiority complex within Muslim communities leading them to believe that they are higher than followers of other religions and that Muslims will go to paradise and the followers of rest of religion will burn into hell. This is not only an Islamic claim, but it is a political Islamic barbaric ideology which needs to be stopped immediately.

The world faces this extreme ideology that “all people, who do not believe the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a messenger, are infidels and their place is in the hell fire except Muslims.” This is a promotion of hate and racism towards other religions and races. Yet, we claim we are the most tolerant communities in the world!!! We not only believe in this above mentioned offensive and hatred based religious ideology, but we induce this ideology into our new generation’s minds. This type of ideology fuels extremism, which leads someone to commit terrorism against the people who they consider followers of fake religions, infidels and inferiors because they think that one day Islam will dominate in the world and Muslims will rule over them.

Solutions within the Muslim Community

This is political Islam, which drags this world into the fire with its extremist ideology and it needs to be destroyed by our own Muslim communities who need to take the prime responsibility of other Muslims’ actions of terrorism. The Muslim community should stop being apologetic and defensive, but should speak up and work hard to identify this terrorist scum who are being nurtured among them. Muslims have to take some responsibility what is happening around the world in the name of their religion. If they do not accept that responsibility, how can they change the extreme cultures of their religion! It is time to hold those who are responsible to account in order to prevent the future threats to Britain and to other countries and within the Muslim community.

We Muslims, who claim ourselves as a peaceful nation in the UK, should monitor our mosques, madrasahs, homes, educational institutions, our children’s behaviour, changing attitudes, their friends and any suspicious activities otherwise, we will be sitting in front of our computers, stand before other communities in a defensive situation and with apologetic behaviour by condemning terrorism We must stop saying, “Terrorism has no religion and Islam has nothing to with terrorism”, instead accepting the guilt created by our own Muslim youngsters in the name of Islam who we claim to peaceful yet which still needs to be proved. My last advice to my Muslim brothers and sisters is that we must together cooperate with police and security services in combating terrorism. They cannot defeat this monstrous ideology without our help. They cannot enter in our religious places without any legal reason but we make them strong in protecting our children by providing intelligence of any suspicious activity within our community. We need to maintain our strong trust on our government security departments who work day and night and risk their lives to protect us and the country.