Triumph Over Terror (TOT): The Texas Islamic Council (T.I.C.), an independent statewide coalition of Islamic Centers (Mosques) across the Lone Star State coordinated by the Freedom and Justice Foundation (F&J), voted in June 2006 to expand the expansive interfaith partnerships Texas Muslims have built over the decades to include all of civic and political society in order to clarify the language used in the Global War On Terror (GWOT). The T.I.C. members voted unanimously that the hijacking of Islam in public discourse at home was just as detrimental to American interests as are any terrorists oversees. The purpose of the T.I.C. membership making this decision was to bring more support to efforts by F&J and other groups already working to clarify the use of such controversial language.

 

Triumph Over Terror (TOT) Interfaith Statement

 

Since September 11th 2001 and before, our nation has been under attack by a global network of terrorists who murdered thousands of our fellow American citizens in New York, Washington DC, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. This terrorist network attempts to legitimize its murderous behavior by claiming to be performing it under the auspices and authority of Islam, the religion for 1/5th of humanity as well as millions of our fellow American citizens. These perpetrators have misrepresented their claimed faith by asserting that their actions honor God and have falsely maintained that the Quran justifies these killings as acts of pure devotion. These distortions and fabrications have been correctly labeled as the "hijacking" of a faith by a misguided few.

 

Two questions are essential to our national understanding and national interests: 1. How do we correctly communicate about the issue of terrorists claiming religious authority without implying that all followers of Islam share this flawed interpretation? 2. How do we communicate accurate information about religious belief and not unintentionally give the terrorists the very religious authority they claim?

 

1. How do we communicate correctly about the issue of terrorists claiming religious authority without implying that all followers of Islam share this flawed interpretation?

 

First it is useful to understand the differences between the terms “Islam” and “Muslim.” “Islam” is a noun referring to a complete faith tradition similar to the terms “Christianity” and “Judaism.” “Muslim” is a noun referring to an individual who practices Islam, and in common use, is similar to the terms “Christian” and “Jew.” For example, a terrorist can be Muslim, Christian, Jewish or a practitioner of any or no faith. The root for the word Christian or Jew is derived from the religion that they practice, Christianity or Judaism respectively. However, for Muslims, practicing the religion of Islam, there is a difference in terminology – “mu” refers to the practitioner + “Islam” = “Muslim.” In this way "Islamic" and "Muslim" are not equivalent terms and therefore cannot be used interchangeably. “Islamic” refers to the very nature of the religion and carries the connotation of a mandated observance for all who practice Islam irrespective and independent of their degree of success in doing so. “Muslim” when used as a modifier (adjective, not a noun), like “Christian” and “Jewish,” implies the actions are the result of the understanding and interpretation of the practitioner. The use of the term “Islam” then implies that the religion of Islam is responsible for the terrorism; “Muslim” clearly indicates the claimed faith of the perpetrator, but does not necessarily imply the agreement or support of all the faithful.

 

Many times in our public discourse the term used to describe a fanatical religious terrorist is “Islamist.” In current usage, this term is intended to narrow the category to mean “a subset of those who practice the faith of Islam.” Unfortunately, the use of “Islamist” (because it uses the root word Islam and not Muslim) refers to all the faith’s practitioners instead of a subcategory thereof.

 

2. How do we communicate accurate information about religious belief and not unintentionally give the terrorists the very religious authority they claim?

 

Slapping the term "Islamic” or “Islamist" on a terrorist if he claims to be fighting under the banner of Islam legitimizes his actions as derived from the religion of Islam, its theology in other words. This tactical misstep elevates the terrorist to the level of "a spokesman" within the religious spectrum of Islam, conferring upon him an undeserved religious authority. This is counter-productive to America’s National Security interest by creating a much broader and more unified front of opposition against us in the Muslim World than necessary. This alienation of Muslims from our mutual struggle against violent extremism thrusts the terrorist into the role of the “faith’s defender” against the perceived “War on Islam.”

 

By unintentionally granting the Muslim terrorist a religious platform that carries the weight of total religious authority (Islam), rather than the lesser authority of a single interpreter of the religion (Muslim), the religion of Islam is essentially hijacked in public discourse and taken in an undesirable direction – providing support to the terrorists claim that the US is waging a “War on Islam.” The use of phrases like “Islamic terrorist” implies that the “terrorist” is a product of “Islam” and creates the unintended consequence of fear in the US populace of anything associated with or connected to the term “Islam” or “Islamic.” American Muslims are left to bear the brunt of the consequences for this collective fear and this small minority (2% of the US population) cannot overcome this mindset without the support of other Americans.

 

As our country struggles to protect itself from the violence perpetrated by Al-Qaeda’s ‘global militant anarchist movement,’ we must remember to not give up our pluralistic American values in the process. American Muslims were also victims of 9/11. They voluntarily serve in our Armed Forces along with their fellow soldiers to protect our country from those who would do our nation harm and work diligently to help improve our national image abroad.

 

Muslims aren’t seeking special treatment, but if one can't substitute the word "Jew" or "Christian" for "Muslim" and the result be socially acceptable discourse, then it shouldn't be tolerated for Muslims. The same applies for the word "Islam" being substituted by "Christianity" or "Judaism." In our history we have struggled to weed out bigotry whether based on race against African-Americans or religion against Jewish Americans via anti-Semitism.

 

We call upon our fellow Americans to help promote "Civility in our Public Discourse" by ceasing to use the term "Islamic” or “Islamist" when describing "Terrorism." The impact of this action will not only disarm the terrorists of their propaganda claming our struggle to defend America is really a "War on Islam", but it will also eradicate the use of bigoted language such as "Islamofascists" and others from our Public Discourse.

 

In our global struggle against this latest wave of "Violent Extremism," the terrorist should be made accountable for his own actions and not be able to cloak himself in the protection of religious authority. He's a terrorist and should be called such! He has a cultural, ethnic, national and political identity; he doesn't deserve to be elevated to the position of "Spokesman for a Faith."

 

Let us come together as Americans and treat one another in a more civil manner in our public discourse by renouncing the use of such counter-productive terms to our mutual national interest. As our policy makers have repeatedly told us, the Global War on Terror can be won only by winning over the hearts and minds of Muslims around the globe. The use of language that alienates those we aim to win over will only make success harder to achieve and in the end that only really helps the terrorists.

 

Inaugural Signatories: (Organizational affiliations are for identification purposes only.)

 

Rev. Dr. George Bithos – Executive Director of the Texas Conference of Churches

 

Suzii Paynter – Director of the Christian Life Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas

 

Mohamed Elibiary – President & CEO of the Freedom and Justice Foundation - Coordinator of the T.I.C. 

 

About the TCC: “The Texas Conference of Churches is an ecumenical community of communions: Orthodox, Protestant, and Roman Catholic, constituted February 25, 1969 in Austin, Texas. Present membership of the TCC is comprised of 52 ecclesiastical units (judicatories) of thirteen communions. Their memberships are in excess of 9.5 million Texas Christians.” For more information, please visit: http://www.txconfchurches.org/

 

About the CLC: “Since 1950, the commission has served as the ethics and public policy arm of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, an organization that represents more than 5,600 congregations and 2.3 million Baptists throughout the state. The commission's goal … is to speak to — not for — Baptist churches and individuals on issues ranging from gambling and education to race relations and religious liberty.” For more information, please visit: http://www.bgct.org/

 

About the T.I.C.: “The Texas Islamic Council (T.I.C.) is a congregational membership body of Islamic Centers (Mosques) in Texas coordinated by the Freedom and Justice Foundation (F&J); an independent, membership funded, educational nonprofit started in 2002 to build up a state level representative body for Texas Muslims. The current membership of the T.I.C. includes Mosques from Tyler to El Paso and Dallas-Fort Worth down to Austin and Houston giving it a collective representative strength of more than 85,000 Texas Muslims, thereby making it the largest single representative body for Muslims in Texas.” For more information, please visit: http://www.freeandjust.org/

 

 

Dr. Yusuf Z. Kavakci	Prof. Emeritus of Islamic Law, Imam, Islamic Association of North Texas	Omar Hernandez	President - Islamic Center of El Paso
Waleed Basyouni	Imam of Clear Lake Islamic Center, Houston, TX	Zia Sheikh	Imam of Islamic Center of Irving
Anwar A. Khalifa	President of East Texas Islamic Society (Tyler)	Rev. Mel Caraway	President, Texas Impact Board
Yaser Birjas Issa	Imam of Islamic Center of El Paso	Rev. Dr. George A. Mason	Sr. Pastor, Wilshire Baptist Church (Dallas)

 

To learn more about the TOT project, please visit: http://www.islamistterrorismitisnot.net/