What is the connection between Islam and terrorism and how can terrorism be vanquished?
Before attempting an answer, let's spill the beans. Islam has no connection to terrorism. It is the history of Muslims, colonial rule, human greed and the quest for political and economic control that have propagated terrorism as manifested in Al-Qaeda, Boco Haram, Al-Shabaab, ISIS (Daesh) and new groups to come unless the cause of the malignancy is correctly identified and addressed.
Islam was hijacked soon after its birth. As the Prophet Mohammad lay on his deathbed, his young wife Aisha and some of his companions plotted to take up his mantle. In short order, corrupt caliphs and their supporters abandoned Islamic teachings and embraced policies that contradict the Quran and the practice of the Prophet, fought unjust wars for power to gain control of resources and wealth, lived lives of luxury and used Islam as the instrument for political and economic control.
After WWI with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the victors carved up most of the Middle East -- installing and supporting rulers who did their bidding and furthered their national interests at the expense of the local population. The colonial masters did not shy away from using all options open to them -- intrigue, economic and financial pressure, threats and ultimately military force -- to plunder the region and subjugate its people. Over a period of about five decades they forced their will on the region, with Muslim frustration and anger directed against the colonial powers and against their rulers. But the colonial domination did not end there. Over the ensuing five decades, with rapid advances in communication technology, military force became less palatable and colonialists collaborated with tyrannical rulers who did their bidding -- colonialism was replaced by collaborative colonialism as rulers wrapped themselves in their own brand of Islam for legitimacy. The poisoned fruit of Western collaboration with corrupt rulers, though hidden in the past from Western eyes, has now permeated the world. [Collaborative Colonialism]
Today, hereditary rulers, dictators and compliant clerics are the modern day caliphs. They have taken over the pulpit and "interpret" Islamic teachings to maintain their hold on power and to impede political, social and economic reforms. It is even a crime in some Muslim countries to question or discuss the teachings of the Quran, something the Prophet encouraged in the nascent Muslim community in Medina. All the while, Western powers, businesses and influential individuals continue to support illegitimate rulers in the name of stability but are doing so for national, corporate and personal gain. Westerners point to the violence brought about by the Arab Spring -- hope turned into calamity in a matter of months -- as a reason to revert to supporting dictators. These same Westerners, while supporting dictators to line their pockets, espouse democracy, political, social and economic reforms and respect for human rights and the rule of law -- displaying blatant duplicity that is obvious to all.
Is it a wonder that such conditions created by corrupt and greedy rulers and their Western backers provide a fertile medium for terrorists to propagate their hateful version of Islam for support, that Muslim masses feel disenfranchised, desperate and increasingly vulnerable to voices promising any brand of change, that conflicts within the Muslim World have become more violent, leading to horrendous casualties, human displacements and physical destruction, that these conflicts have increased and have spilled over into the non-Muslim World and that Muslims are fleeing their oppressive and conflict-ridden homelands? [Conflicts in the Persian Gulf]
While placing the root blame of terrorism on Islam may be convenient, it is the wrong attribution, which, if not corrected, will only exacerbate matters and render the fight against terrorism hopeless by pitting non-Muslims against Muslims the world over. In fact the fight against terrorism can only be won if Islam is embraced in the solution. Islam is a way of life and will not be abandoned by Islam bashing. Islam is a rules-based religion, with the rules outlined in the holy Quran and interpreted by the Prophet Mohammad. Rules in turn provide the scaffolding for institutions that are necessary for reform and sustained progress. Although Muslims pray and uphold the Five Pillars of Islam in Muslim-majority countries, there is much more to Islam, and most Muslim societies do not reflect the characteristics one would expect of a rule-compliant Muslim society -- in other words, of a society that has adopted the rules and institutions recommended in Islam. [Islam and Development]
How can the world win the war against terrorists and eradicate terrorism? It will require a multi-dimensional approach, perseverance, patience and time.
Muslim leaders must be encouraged to embrace the important teachings of Islam from the Holy Quran, advocating freedom, effective and just institutions, equal opportunities for all members of society, gender equality, economic and social progress, representative governance and effective institutions -- institutions that are also compatible with the economic prescriptions of Adam Smith but with a heavier dose of morality and justice. Individual Muslims should be encouraged to study their religion, be free to debate its teachings, reclaim it from corrupt rulers and clerics and in turn hold their rulers accountable. If they don't, terrorists will increasingly fill the void in failed states created by false interpretations of the Holy Quran. Terrorists will point the finger at corrupt rulers and their Western supporters, promise a better life, if not in this world at least in the hereafter, espousing terror as the Islamic option for a turnaround. Disenfranchised Muslims with little hope -- in Muslim countries and in Western ghettos -- will be seduced into taking up arms and following terrorists.
Discussions on the philosophical foundation of Islam are necessary to establish the institutions envisaged in Islam. Because Islam is a rules-based system, it is possible to develop an objective benchmark to assess the legitimacy of rulers, a country's compliance with rules and the development of Islamic institutions, in other words the "Islamicity" of a country. Such a benchmark in turn facilitates the comparative assessment of rule compliance and institution building in Muslim countries and their progress over time. In turn, rulers can claim legitimacy by being the most rule-compliant members of society. [Islamicity Indices]
To affect change in Muslim countries, Western countries have a parallel responsibility. They can and should do a much better job of assimilating their Muslim communities and understanding what Islam teaches in the Quran. Extremists gain recruits when the young live in ghettos, have little hope for a better future and live marginalized lives, in communities where Islam is misunderstood and condemned. Western countries should come together and adopt a unified approach toward rulers in Muslim countries. Western democracies should not support dictators who contradict the teachings of the Quran and undermine Islam and its institutions. For international support, rulers must agree to adhere to a timetable to establish representative and accountable governance, effective institutions that include the rule of law and respect for human rights and dignity.
Time is the final dimension of a turnaround in the Muslim World. In the wake of the Arab Spring, Westerners expected an immediate transformation of countries plagued by nearly a century of external abuse on top of centuries of domestic deprivation and injustice. Even a country such as France, which was not colonized, did not immediately and peacefully transform itself through the French Revolution. Change in the Muslim World and in Muslim-Western relations will require sustained effort, cooperation and time. But before the world embarks on this transformation all sides must agree on the diagnosis and the path forward.
In a few decades, adherents of Islam and Christianity will be roughly equal in number and constitute about half of humanity. For the survival of life on this earth as we know it, these two religions of the book must come together. Governments, rulers and individuals must recognize their destructive practices and embrace a comprehensive and multilateral approach. Although such a recommendation might appear naïve today, with each passing day it will be more readily recognized as the best option, which would have been more easily implemented earlier.