Decoding the senseless killing in New Zealand

The whole world is rightfully shocked at the senseless killing of innocent Muslims at a mosque in New Zealand. Where does this hatred come from that justifies taking lives of so many people? Who gives a man the right to end something as beautiful as a human life. What was more chilling is that the killer recorded himself at his own act of mass murder, like some drunken revelry.

Why there are so many people angry at Muslim across the world? Why do we see so many right movements growing in different countries, especially in Europe and the USA? It seems like an opportune time for both Muslim and non-Muslim people to look at this growing issue of religion-based hatred so that we don't allow the problem to fester more than it has already been. Can it be because some Muslims have executed horrendous terrorist attacks around the world, killing hundreds of people and raping hundreds of girls? These events over the last few decades allow the people in the right to rationalize such heinous terrorist attacks on the mosques even though nobody can justify taking up violence.

Terror attacks in mosques are not anything new. Sunni terrorists often attacked Shia or Ahmadian mosque, especially in Pakistan. A lot of these acts of violence arise from the belief that there is only one way, one holy book, and one God. Such monotheistic beliefs do not leave room for tolerance of anything different. While in every walks of human life and knowledge, each and every concept has evolved and been enriched by contribution of many philosophers and scientists over the years, it seems that some of these Abrahamic religions get locked into medieval thinking.

Rightfully Ayaan Hirsi, a Somali-born Dutch-American activist, calls for a reformation of Islam by defeating the Islamists and supporting reformist Muslims. In the Old Testament, there is so much war and violence sanctioned that one questions if this is the same loving God portrayed in the New Testament. It is great that the Christians evolved into the loving New Testament in keeping with the changing time. Can the moderate Muslim community likewise work to modernize the Islam religion?

Ayaan Hirsi maintains that "Islam is part religion, and part a political-military doctrine, the part that is a political doctrine contains a world view, a system of laws and a moral code that is totally incompatible with our constitution, our laws, and our way of life." If fundamentalism and terrorism have to be addressed, one has to control Saudi Arab and Pakistan, and stop the politics of religion first. The US and the Western world have to stop interfering in the Muslim countries trying to bring in regime change for their own selfish control.

One has to recognize that there are two billion people in the world who practice Islam, 80 to 93% (numbers vary as per various research) are regular peace-loving people, but they have to speak up and take charge. The silence of the majority does not help the cause of Islam. They have to show the same consideration and anger when non-Muslims are killed due to an act of Islamic terrorism. Just saying that Muslims are not just 'terrorists' or terrorist has no religion is not enough.

Therefore, about 7-20% of Muslims are radicalized. Out of the pool of radicalized people, a very small percentage are terrorists. When you consider a population of 2 billion people, a small percentage is still a formidable number of terrorists. Unfortunately, Muslim haters think that all Muslims are terrorists, so killing a Muslim means killing a terrorist. Most innocent Muslims are punished for the terrorist activities of a very small number of Muslims.

The moderate Muslim community needs to mourn and be as vocal about condemning terrorists who kill people in the name of Islam, as the entire world do when Muslims are targeted. Muslims should not be seen as only mourning when something happens to their community, they need to grow beyond that boundary and represent the religion of humanity. That is how they would get the respect and trust of all the people, irrespective of their religions. Also, most countries and churches have always opened their arms for refugees from the war-torn Muslim countries. Moreover, the Muslims do not get as much independence, cooperation and respect in a Muslim country as they get in a non-Muslim country. Therefore, all Muslims always desired to migrate to Western countries.

The Muslim community should recognize this and not try to change the culture and freedom of the adopted countries. Too many times, the police and politicians are afraid that some act on their part might offend the Muslims. As a result, they have changed school lunches to exclude pork or feared enforcement of parking violation on roads adjacent to mosques on Fridays. In India, there is different civil code for Muslims and there are several financial benefits allocated for Muslims. Such preferential treatment angers other citizens of respective countries and when they speak out, the intelligentsia is always quick to humiliate them as Islamophobes.

To solve any problem requires acceptance. Closing one's eyes to a problem doesn't mean that the problem can be wished away. The governments, intelligentsia and moderate Muslims, who are the majority, need to work together to tackle the growing issue. Note that trillions of dollars are being wasted each year to fight against terrorism, what good all those funds could have done for the entire humanity.

Muslims also need to mature into critical thinking and be open to criticism and freedom of expression when it applies to their own religion. They need to move away from the absolutism of blind faith and accept that many men will result in many paths for achieving the same spiritual goals. They have to be as sensitive to the culture and religion of other people and their religions as they are about their own.

The governments of the world can stop this menace of terrorism if they want by taking action against countries that fund and plan terrorism, stopping regime changing interventions in Muslim countries, and treating all people with same democratic values irrespective of the religions. But will they? There are too many vested interests in this world for which the common people of all faiths are constantly being subject to incredible pain.