To the Editor:
On Feb. 22, two coordinated attacks in Belgium's capital took the lives of nearly 30 individuals. ISIS took responsibility for the explosions and threatened other countries in the anti-ISIS coalition. After last year's deadly attack on Paris and the recent tragedy in Ankara, the situation in Brussels appears dreadfully familiar. While many politicians are pointing towards the Islamic faith as the root cause for these attacks, it's important to note that Islam does not encourage or condone any form of terrorism. The Holy Quran, Islam's holy book believed by Muslims to be the word of God, states that whosoever kills a person shall be as if he has killed all mankind. In fact, the prophet Muhammad of Islam forbade against any and all forms of terrorism. He instead taught the followers of Islam to engage in personal reflection for self-improvement. Thus, the belief that terrorism is rooted in the tenets of Islam is both incorrect and perpetuates highly negative stereotypes of Muslims who are ironically the majority of victims of ISIS's attacks.
Shumaila Ahmad
Chantilly