After i wrote my last post here and logged off, i myself was wondering, not how i should answer you, but whether i myself knows the answer or not. What i realized was that, only few people know *something* about it. I believe that Muslims themselves are confused, what happened to my religion? what happened to my fellow Muslims!
That's why all what an average Muslim can tell you is that what it happening is contrary to the teachings of Islam. They honestly don't know what's wrong! I know, it's hard to believe, but this is how Muslims feel. And even if you asked scholars, each one of them would have his own theory.
I asked myself this question so many times, it was really puzzling. What happened?! What's going on?!Many non-Muslims don't realize how Muslims are struggling. I started reading countless Muslim resources about it, and i wasn't satisfied, what i found was either apologies, justifications, or condemnations. Hey, i shouted in my mind, i need a reason! Unfortunately, i found none. Is it my Quran? Is it my religion?
The default answer is no for me because there are more than one and half billion people who belong to this religion and most of them live their lives normally. I thought to myself, maybe the Muslims would be the last people i should ask, because i'm a Muslim and i don't know anything about this and why it's happening, so i thought non-Muslims, especially British and Americans maybe will be more capable of telling me about my problem, because they are fighting terrorism, isn't it?
So, I started reading non-Muslim resources. I read so many books written by non-Muslims on Islam, terrorism, violence, politics, Muslim's history, etc, and again, each one of those had his/her own theory. Still, no body knows the answer, just mere speculations.
I think i should ask myself this question, after all these years of research on this issue, am i able to answer this question now? why Muslims turned into terrorists, killing their own brothers and sisters in Islam before killing the others!!!
Maybe i have a glim of truth finally? Who knows!
I'll try to explain for you to the best of my ability what i know so far on this subject. Don't worry, they are my own words this time, not the articles you despise. The following is what i have been thinking about for so many hours. I tried to gather in my head what i can understand so far on the subject, but i know that i can't remember everything so this is what comes to my mind now.
After the fall of Ottoman Empire, Muslim countries were like children who lost their parents, still figuring out how to survive on their own. They had no relatives and no guardian to take care of them. The problem was that, there was A LOT of children.
Some of them been adopted for being too talented or too beautiful, some of them were very small and weak so they got kidnapped, some of them walked alone in the dark so they got raped, some of them were very poor so they worked in prostitution, some of them struggled but finally lost their mind, some of them tried their best and they could barely survive, some of them worked so hard so they made it, and some of them died. They kept growing up, and when fighting others, they kept winning and losing, laughing and crying, but they were still, just children.
Between the 80's and late 90's they were already teenagers, but after that they started to grow more and more till they became grown ups and chose their paths. The tough decisions appeared on the surface and either good or bad decisions had their own consequences. Once they became grown ups, they looked around them and noticed how people in the far east and west were old, mature, and wise because they finished up the miseries since ages, but to the "Muslims", the real battle to know themselves have just began.
A big blow happened, many Muslims were injured and most of them till now are going through a very difficult surgery which will determine whether they will survive or die, but even if they lived, their life will never be the same.
That's the whole story.
Now, the Muslims who will change and adapt, will be able to, not only survive, but go forward and catch up to the rest of the civil world. On the other hand, those who will resist change will either be FORCED to change or will die and humiliated in misery. It was the wake up call for Muslims around the world, to teach them that doing NOTHING does have consequences.
We can use an example here, he is not just a well known scholar but maybe he is one of the most charismatic and influential men in the Muslim world, who have gone through this change. A great, modern, open-minded clergy, a unique Muslim thinker, and one of those who helped to laid out the foundations of reform in the Muslim world. He is the Shikh, Dr. Salman al-Ouda, who changed dramatically from supporting chaos and terrorists into supporting reform and enlightenment.
Salman al-Ouda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I myself found out that i was closed minded person on some issues compared to him. Sometimes when he speak, i can't believe that these words are coming from a conservative Shikh like him. I learnt a lot from him, and his attitude really was enlightening to me. He inspired thousands and maybe millions of Muslims to change positively and abandon their fear.
It's true that Europe lived well their dark ages and the Muslims helped in their enlightenment in the past, but today i think it will be the other way around, even if it was indirectly and unintentionally.
Autodidact, i think if i wanted to write on this subject seriously, i will not be able to do so in a post or two, but i'll need to write an entire book about it. That's why i tried so hard to squeeze me thoughts and what i have learnt and searched for during the last couple of years into a one big picture represented in this humble post of mine. I know it might not fully satisfy your thirst on this subject, but i hope it can give you an idea of what's going on, maybe a glim of hope. Maybe instead of attacking Islam, you will find a more noble cause by attempting to be more understanding, and more productive, and more supportive, because you are attacking the wrong people.
Start picking up a couple of books about Islam and Muslims in the past and how they changed Europe and helped them to reach to where they are today. Maybe that will help you to see the big picture, not about Islam, but about the whole world. All these things around us happened in less than a century. Think of the previous centuries and the centuries to come, and you will realize that we just represent less than a fraction in the course of history. Only then, you will know the truth, that nothing can stay constant in this life forever.
Regards,
Tashan