Dear People: Please stop calling us 'these terrorists'. There is no such thing.

Inspired by the article of Paul Farhi in the Washington Post I decided to use his idea to discuss something that seriously requires attention. Original article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/dear-readers-please-stop-calling-us-the-media-there-is-no-such-thing/2016/09/23/37972a32-7932-11e6-ac8e-cf8e0dd91dc7_story.html To: Everyone From: Despotic Words Subject: “These terrorists.” ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Taliban - no matter which name you may choose to refer to these people this is how I describe them - enemies of humanity. But you know what's worst of all, how easily anyone who shares a religion with them is called the same. I don't doubt their faith, my God is there to question them upon that. But I surely doubt what they present, because I know this isn't what my religion preaches. Do all criminals have the same faith, belong to the same race or ethnicity? No. They have multiple faiths and multiple racial backgrounds. Then can you blame their faith or their religion to be the reason behind their actions? Has the world ever decided to do that? Then why does it choose to do so when it comes to these terrorists. I don't deny their existence, their actions or the fact that their actions are wrong. But I do deny that what they choose to say is wrong. They do not do this for my religion. They do this for the salvation of their personal desires. They do this for the extreme level of ruthless comfort they receive by torturing people. I don't blame anyone for taking their word, but what shocks me is that no-one chooses to explore the truth in their statement. They say this is Jihad and the world believes it. Astonishing how they've captured the human senses so much that no-one even thinks of how any religion in the world could approve of such a nonsensical approach. Jihad is war, but it is a battle quite different from what they present to you. Jihad according to its first approach is a spiritual war, a war with one's desires and the belief that many of them are wrong and so he must must practice restraint. In the sense of a physical war, it is a form of self-defense to protect the religion and it's followers. But then again it has its own rules that one must abide by - to not harm the sick, the elderly, women, children and the nature. Do you see anyone of these terrorists abide by any of these regulations? No. Then how can you take their word on it that it is Jihad? The wars that took place in the Islamic history all had a reason, whether the religion or it's followers were under threat the wars were only a form of self-defense. For those terrorists who say they are spreading the religion through Jihad, let me specify here that Islam was never spread with the sword. There are uncountable events in the Islamic history that can explain very well that Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) was a man who was known for his patient and forgiving nature. His people can never preach the opposite. To speak of religious propagation let me quote here the event of Taif where Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) himself went to invite the people of the tribe of this region to accept Islam. They not only rejected his message but physically attacked him and his foster son even on their journey back home. At a moment that Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) was bleeding head to toe as described by his foster son, an angel desended from the skies asking for his command that if he wished to punish the people for how they attacked him and he chose to forgive them. That is my Prophet people! As humans we can't even face rejection but he was physically harmed up-to an inhumane level and yet he forgave those who attacked him. Now how can you believe these people when they say they are doing this for Islam when the man who came with the message of this religion to the mankind never practised any such thing himself. I do not know what lies in someone's heart. I am no-one to judge anyone's belief. But yes I can surely tell you if their actions are contradictory to the cardinal beliefs of my religion. Every community has a few criminals, but you cannot blame the whole community to be like them. Judge people irrespective of religious affiliations, judge them for their individual actions. I am a Muslim and I may be very different from another Muslim. We're still both Muslims but that doesn't mean all our individual actions represent our religion, our actions may be quite contradictory both to each other and the religion. What doesn't change is what the religion preaches, and no matter what one may choose to say it definitely doesn't preach inhumanity. These people may say they are fighting Christians or Jews, but my religion says they are your brothers. These people may say they raise the sword to protect the religion, but my religion says raising the sword against the innocent is a crime itself. These people may say they are Muslims and I choose to leave that matter to my God for he knows of what lies in their hearts, but I know what they do if inhumane is surely against the teachings of my religion. My religion was brought by the man who was constantly publicly attacked by a woman of another faith who threw trash on him each day, and yet when one day she didn't do so he went to inquire about her and if she was feeling well. He helped her with her household chores and looked after her till she felt better. A man who even cared for a woman who constantly bothered him, his religion cannot be one that preaches inhumanity, for that man my Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) is the best example of a Muslim. Together we all may be called Muslims, for the religion we chose to associate ourselves with. But for the actions of few you cannot call us all terrorist, just because we share a faith. If someone is lying to you that he's doing this for my religion you cannot accuse me to share the same ideas as him, just because I'm a follower of that religion. His actions contradict my religion. Neither is he right to say he's doing all this for my religion, nor are you right to blame me for my religious identity just because someone falsely associates his actions to my religion. Thanks Despotic Words