statement by senator fraser anning on 15th march 2019 in response to the mosque shootings

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It’s interesting how the senator starts with condemning the shooter for his actions and how such an event cannot be justified but it’s difficult to understand if he really does believe that at heart, why does he end his statement quoting a bible verse and saying “those who follow a violent religion that calls on them to murder us, cannot be too surprised when someone takes them at their word and responds in kind” clearly implying a justification for the shooting to have taken place further saying “…does not make [the victims] blameless.”

First and foremost, if there’s anyone who is believing in “cliched nonsense”, it is not the activists this ignorant senator addresses but the very senator himself for the beliefs that he portrays and seems to so proudly confide in. It can be commonly agreed upon, that the greatest fuel to the fire of Islamophobia are the words of such leaders. As long as leaders like these are still allowed to hold office, chances of peace will remain low for these people are not after constructive upliftment of the society but votes and holding office.

It’s disheartening how when leaders actually try to assess problems with good intentions and constructive methods, little to no coverage is given and somehow nor are they people interested. But when radical right wing, xenophobic and anti-immigrant ideas are put forward, the attention of majority of that society is captured. Perhaps that may be the reason the senator is shifting blame to so called Islamic terrorism elsewhere in the world and linking it to immigration.

“Muslims are killing people in the name of their faith on an industrial scale.” What characterizes the so-called Muslim terrorist groups as true Islam? Just their name? So does that mean I should base my ideologies about Christianity by the acts of the KKK and about Hinduism from the activities of Saffron Terror?

How hard is it to look into true Islam and people that actually represent the religion of peace accurately and not at politically motivated militants who have no clear knowledge of and/or choose to ignore the true essence of the religion?

“Whoever kills a soul it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.” [Quran 5:32]

One may wish to argue upon that Islam permits killing on the exception of others not believing in Islamic principles but again that too, is a senseless argument for it is mentioned in the Quran in 2:256- “There shall be no compulsion in religion.”

A funeral procession once passed in front of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and he stood up out of respect. When he was told the person in the coffin was Jewish and not Muslim, he said: “Was it not a living (soul)?”[Hadith Bukhari: 2:399]

Taking another case, let’s just create a hypothetical scenario where Muslims were at fault for terrorism in other parts of the world. Were those who were killed in the shooting at fault though? Did they deserve it? Implying any sort of justification for these shootings with the nonsense belief that Islam is associated to terrorism would be using the same logic as Hitler did for the holocaust- killing innocents for the [apparent] acts of someone else.

Please refrain from striking arguments in favor of Islam being associated to terrorism, you can quote verses to prove your point all you want but do realize whatever you have is misunderstood and out of context. If you happen to have verses that make you feel that Islam is violent, look it up on an authentic Islamic site that explains the actual context behind the verse. If you wish to research, do not begin with your conclusion of “How to prove Islam is violent?”, but begin with the question “What exactly is Islam?”.
Example: “[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.” [Quran 8:12] Although this may seem like a verse that promotes what the Senator believes, it is nothing like it. This verse is a description of the Battle of Badr and what had happened during the battle and not a general command to be followed in life. The word “those who disbelieved” refers to the attackers.

It is possible to show each and every religion in bad light by quoting their verses out of context but we need to understand that it has a different meaning than what it looks like.
Example: “He who sacrifices to any God other than the Lord must be destroyed” [Exodus 22:20]

Religions around the world need to be understood better and our beliefs about them need to be rooted on the basis of the authentic meaning of their scriptures and reliable scholars.

It is not religion that is causing havoc in the world, but the misinterpretation of religions.