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Distorted Images of Islam

Dr. Abdulaziz Othman Altwajiri is Director General of the Islamic Educational, Scientifc and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).

There are forces which do not wish to see the establishment of good relations between the Muslim world and the Western countries and are making use of every means available to them to make the West feel fearful and apprehensive of Islam and distance Western governments and peoples from the Muslim world; forces which seize every opportunity of any unusual event or unsound conduct emanating from individuals or groups belonging to the Muslim world, to hasten to sow confusion and to direct misgivings, lies and accusations against Islam as a faith, a culture and a civilization despite the condemnation by the Muslim world, including all its states, institutions and intellectuals of any terrorist act or any criminal behavior whatever its origin or its motive.

Amid this media misrepresentation, the Palestinian people are subjected, on their own soil and territories, to a savage aggression waged against them by the Israeli occupation authorities, thus violating all international resolutions and laws and divine legislations and striving to attain their expansionist ambitions even if this may cause great harm and prejudice to the interests of the peoples of the world at large and the peoples of the region in particular. This form of state terrorism practiced by Israel is not different from the distortion and misrepresentation of the Muslim world image practiced by many Western media; for both forms are terrorist acts, albeit with different means and different weapons. The first form is an outright usurpation of the right of the Palestinian people, an aggression against them and a false accusation; and the second form is a distortion of realities about the Muslim world.

The Muslim world adopts a firm and consistent position, based on Islamic teachings, a position against all forms of violence, terrorism or violation of civil liberties or denial of the rights of individuals or groups. Ours is an Islamic, civilized position to uphold and stand for human values, because Muslims are indeed part and parcel of human civilization, the building of which has been contributed to by all peoples of the world generation upon generation. And this is a position which complies with international law, because the principles, rules and regulations of international law are, in essence, derived from the heavenly religions which Islam has been revealed to believe in, to complement and to be the last.