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A female
Muslim's views on Terror in London
By Nahla Abbas Al-A'raji
Thursday,
the 7th of July, 2005 was a typical hot summer morning in
London. I woke up and decided to get to work by bus and not to rush
into a stuffy hot train. At half past 7, I got on my first bus journey
on number 83 where I sat on a nice cozy seat right at the front, people
were talking, children laughing in the background a baby held by her
mother smiling innocently at me. As I play with the baby and make funny
faces at her, I think to myself how hard the world will be in your
generation…
Nevertheless, I arrived to work and entered my department. The
atmosphere at work was not the same. The department was nearly empty. At
first, a woman told me that cables had exploded in a tube station called
Edgware Rd. Not long after, a man told me three buses had exploded one
after the other. My heart started beating. Thoughts started running
through my mind. Work was empty. There were only a few people other
than me. The others couldn’t travel to work due to explosions that
occurred simultaneously one after the other at 3 train stations and a
bus. I was in a state of shock thinking to myself I could have been on
that bus or on the train carriage. Concentrating on my work became
difficult and thoughts of those that could have been hurt filled by
mind.
Strange
eerie feeling filled my department. My boss
suggested we do what we can at work then rush home to find out what had
happened. As I stepped outside, it felt as if everyone was looking at
me possibly because I was wearing hijab. If Al-Qaeda had announced that
they have committed the evil crime, in the name of Islam, I cannot blame
them for starring at me in such a manner. Even I felt very anger and
upset at the current situation.
Strange
feelings spread outside too. There was silence. Yet at the same time
everyone was in a state of panic. A shiver went down my spine as I left
work that day earlier than usual. Non-Muslims starred at me angrily. I
was a walking symbol of Islam. However, terrorists have created an image
far from the reality of Islam. Killing the innocent is strictly
forbidden in Islam. Allah (swt) has stated in the Holy Quran,
“And do not kill the soul which
Allah has forbidden except for the requirements of justice; this He has
enjoined you with that you may understand…” [6:151]
“…
whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in
the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive,
it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our messengers came
to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly
act extravagantly in the
land.” [5:32]
Islam is a
religion of peace. Unfortunately, this peaceful religion is being
portrayed as a source of evil and immorality. The recent London
bombings were a great crime against humanity, Islam, and the teachings
of its prophet (s).
Acts such
as these have no justification. Islam has nothing to do with the actions
of
ruthless, cruel individuals, who kill others for personal, political
motives.
Addressing
his son Ali in Karabala, Imam Hussain (AS) said,
“O'
my son be afraid of oppressing the one who has no defender except God” |