Islam, either wittingly or due to some radical training some circles receive, is misrepresented to the West and propagated as a pro-violence religion. However Islam is a religion advocating all out freedom of thought and democracy. It is a religion by which all faiths can coexist in peace and ease in a conception of mutual understanding. Toughness, violence and bloodshed are utterly at odds with the morality of the Qur'an.
Brutality and violence, no matter where or from which circles they may arise, have in no way any reasonable or valid explanation. All tensions and conflicts arise from feelings of fury and enmity. It has never been seen that any kind of tension or conflict has brought any peace and ease to a geography, for better or worse, and that all conflicts and tensions also have a negative impact on the rest of the world. In other words, fury and enmity cause harm to everyone, to all humanity. Some people who are tense by nature reflect their angry mood to the people around them which, in turn, cause those others to assume a negative stance. They respond to fury with fury and harshness with harshness. Those harboring these negative feelings and causing tension mostly try to base it on a holy book and thereby allegedly legitimize their actions; however none of the books admitted to be holy encourage enmity towards others. On the contrary, holy books advise people to be tolerant and respectful to everyone.
Some people with an Orthodox Islamic conception generally have a distant and cool attitude towards Jews and Christians. This is an erroneous stance, which is against the provisions of the Qur'an. The outlook of the Qur'an towards the People of the Book is based on love, respect and friendship.
However, people who are not savvy of the Qur'anic perspective on this issue perceive the radical interpretations as stemming from the Qur'an. The way to correct this erroneous perception is to inform the Islamic world thoroughly about the Qur’anic perspective on this issue and telling everyone that harboring enmity towards Christians and Jews is incompatible with the Qur'an. The moderate people in the Islamic world must assume this task and say very clearly at every opportunity that bearing a grudge against the People of the Book is utterly baseless.
However one needs to keep in mind that radical conceptions can arise from any religious community or nation. It is a fact that some Christians and Jews also assume a very harsh stance towards Muslims; no doubt peace can never be attained unilaterally. To secure a lasting peace, it is essential that Jews and Christians who assume a harsh tone towards Muslims also come to attain a moderate line.
Meeting at a common ground can be possible only with the approach of both sides with good intentions towards one another. For this reason, it is very important and essential for people of sobriety to assume a common approach and call people to peace and friendship. In the Middle East being foremost, it is otherwise impossible to establish the air of peace and tolerance that is longed for years among the members of the three religions. This is evident and it is apparent that the current harsh and cool attitudes must no longer persist. If the present strategies and plans in any way harbored any resolution, the problems in question would be long gone. This means that the method must change and this fact must be seen by everyone.
As a member of the Islamic world I call all moderate Jews, Christians and Muslims of sound mind to act together in the name of friendship and tolerance. It is explicit that unless the pro-moderation segments have a louder voice, permanent peace and friendship can not be secured. For this goal we all need to undertake more responsibility and a more active role. Moderate Jews, Christians and Muslims must constantly be in touch and carry out joint intellectual and cultural activities. In this way, they must raise the awareness of people and they must lose no time getting into action, for our world right now needs those people of prudence to act more than ever.
Adnan Oktar's article on Blitz & Al Quds:
