| Worldwide Hostage Crisis
The act of hostage taking represents an
act of forcing an individual against their will to be sequestered in a
place until his/her destiny is decided. The individual is used
as a ransom to obtain a stated objective. Thus, any individual
may be a target and those who have some type of association with the
group who the hostage taker has some grievance with, become fair game.
These acts become a matter of random selection depending on the ease
of capture of the hostage, and the killing of the hostage is based on
whether the targeted group fulfills the requested objective.
Thus, this represents
random acts of aggression against individuals who have no control over
their own destiny but must rely on the cooperation of their affiliated
group. Their killing is a punishment for the group’s failure to
comply. Thus, an innocent individual’s life is taken for
revenge. There is no justification for killing innocent people. God
reveals in the Quran, "Nor take life - which God has made sacred
except for just cause.." (Surah 17, verse 33)
As believers we must
explore peaceful means to express our dissent and work towards making
society a better place. The end does not justify the means, and it is just
as important to act in a way where we are conscious of God at all times.
God encourages us towards
the path of peace even in scenarios where one is dealing with their enemy.
God states in the Quran, "But if the enemy incline towards peace, do
thou (also) incline towards peace, and trust in God..." (Surah 8,
verse 61)
As believers, we cherish
life, which God has granted us and we act in the spirit of peace to work
deeds of righteousness to benefit humanity as a whole. We do not commit
acts of aggression randomly. There is no justification for
random kidnapping and murder of individuals because of association. This
is not an act of believers submitting themselves to the One God, All
Knowing, All Merciful; rather it is the act of individuals who chose not
to follow the commands of God and spirit of the Quran as practiced by the
Prophet Mohammed.
June 29, 2004 |
