New Jersey Muslim groups condemn Paris attacks

There was no call to local Muslims in France to rise up and strike individually in so-called “lone wolf” attacks in the Isis claim of responsibility on Saturday. The group is Muslim, after all.

“These are the Muslim towards which fingers will be always pointed because fundamentalist Muslims are perceived to be those who perpetrate heinous crimes in the name of Allah and in the cause of Islam”.

Sheffield’s Muslim community has called the attacks “abhorrent”.

New Zealand’s Muslim community has expressed its sorrow after terrorist attacks in France and Lebanon killed almost 200 people. However, in contrast to the Paris, American media outlets barely covered the Beirut attack. ISIS wants the world to know that the perpetrator is a Syrian Muslim, leading many to assume that the refugee crisis is closely linked to the attack – despite the contrary being true.

That’s when the rollercoaster of emotion hit. I remained fundamentally agnostic until 20 months ago, I experienced a spiritual revelation, started to believe in God and to practise my religion of adoption. In ISIS’ Islam, there’s only black and white.

The question is how else would the backlash manifest? This will never happen as along as we are brainwashed to hate. In Malaysia, the government has frequently bowed to the demands of the most radical Muslim clerics, in what appears to be an unmistakeably steady Islamization of the country.

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

As the world continues to pray for Paris in the wake of Friday’s terror attacks, there are heightened security measures and new threats here at home.

My emotions soon moved from fear to anger.

At the time of this report, at least 150 people are reported to have died, including about 120 at the theatre. I feel just as sorry about the deaths in Paris as I would feel for the deaths of thousands of innocent folks in Iraq by invading forces. The outrage and disgust by the Muslim community toward ISIS is palpable.

Ms Al Faifi also said she “lost count” of the incidents of physical abuse against her before the Paris attacks, saying: “If I reported all of them, I’d be living half of my life in the police station”. The extremists invoke religion and talk of creating a pan-Islamic state, although they are disowned by established Islamic nations. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin wanted support for his battle against a breakaway movement in Chechnya, and China’s Jiang Zemin wanted backing for Beijing’s fight against the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, and worldwide support to label the group a “terrorist organization”.

From the extremists’ perspective, this is a war aimed at reestablishing an Islamic caliphate, a war against the infidels, including other Muslims, who dare to hold different beliefs.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Paris and every other place on earth plagued by sick men with weapons and bombs”, Imam Umar Al-Qadri said.

Of course, a few will still say they don’t hear these condemnations.

The American public still views Islam through the lens of 9/11 and the reactions to the disrespectful cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad brings to mind images of religious fanatics and terrorism.

Whether it’s the greeting “As-Salamu alaykum” or the root of the word Islam- Salam or all the 114 Surahs i.e. chapters of the Qur’an except for Surah Taubah, that begin with “Bismillah-hir-Rahman-nir-Rahim” signifying Allah as being the Most Merciful, the teaching of Islam is rooted overwhelmingly and conclusively rooted in peace not terror. The reason beneath the violence we see around us is not Islam but complex political and social circumstances.