Islam Hijacked in Europe

Ahmed Al-Rabei, Distributed by the Common Ground News Service - Partners in Humanity, Washington D.C.

It's a colossal scandal when a group of extremists and lunatics are turned into representatives of a religion as widespread as Islam with billions of people under its shade. It is also sad that people like Bakri, Abu Qatada, and Abu Hamza Al- Masri are featured on a daily basis on all global TV station as Islamic leaders. What the majority of the world doesn't realize is that these individuals only represent a group of maniacs and criminals, who've hijacked Islam and have erased all the human heritage belonging to this religion, to present it to the world as an image of hatred, murder and terrorism.

Should the blame be solely place on these lunatics? Or are there other entities that should share the responsibility, particularly the leading Muslim intellectuals and influential Islamic groups and institutions of our societies? Isn't silence, justification, fear and hesitation in condemning terrorism, a factor in the encouragement of these individuals to appear on numerous platforms and satellite channels and claim that they represent a religion in the absence of active influential groups and institutions?

Do the Muslims of Europe share a part of the blame? The ones that refused to integrate into European societies, or clarify the true nature of Islam, or act like citizens who do not appreciate the privilege of living in an atmosphere of freedom and democracy that these countries provide?

Isn't it a tragic crime to label the millions of European Muslims as guilty, because of the rhetoric of a few professional lunatics, while the rest remain silent and wallow in self-pity?

We have to admit that Islam has been hijacked particularly in European countries. Muslims in these countries share the responsibility of setting Muslims free from these hijackers. We have to admit that mosques in Europe and Islamic dialogue in general have also been abducted.

Unfortunately, some insalubrious characters that represent a small segment of Muslims have become their representatives on the world's stage, while the rest dwell in irresponsible silence. This is a strange paradox.

The writer is a journalist for Asharq Alawsat.