Fargo
Consciously or unconsciously, Dana Mikkelsen (Forum letters, Nov. 9) has mixed up the teachings of religions and the actions of their inheritors to imply that it is the teachings of the religions themselves that justify or lead to the atrocities and terrorism perpetrated by the followers of that religion. It is not the religion that teaches intolerance, rather it is the adherents who distort the teachings of the religion to promote their agendas. Some adherents of Islam have taken partial verses from the Quran, or have taken verses out of context, to justify terrorism. Most overzealous anti-Islam writers also are guilty of the same crime in their obsession to portray Islam as a violent religion.
Islam respects life. First of all, Islam forbids suicide. "And kill not your own selves. Surely Allah is Merciful to you." (4:29/30) "... and cast not yourselves into ruin with your own hands ..." (2:195/196).
Islam does not allow killing of people unless it is a person who has killed another or a person engaged in the act of war in a battlefield in an ongoing war.
"... whosoever killed a person - unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land - it shall be as if he killed all mankind; and who so saved a life, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind." (5:32/33)
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Islam clearly and unequivocally condemns acts of terrorism. There is no room for terrorism in Islam. "... persecution is worse than slaying..." (2:191/192) "... persecution is worse than killing ..." (2:217/218) "And seek not to create mischief in the land. Verily, Allah loves not those who create mischief." (28:77/78)
Antagonists to Islam, and to religion in general, do a disservice to society when they malign religion wrongly. By doing so, they strengthen the conviction of the terrorists as to their distorted interpretation of the pristine teachings of their respective religions.
