Conclusion

Unless necessary measures are taken, unless deep-rooted solutions are brought in, the 21st century will continue to be a time of terror and violence, just as the 20th was before it. The ideological struggle against terrorism, therefore, must be initiated as a matter of urgency and must include very great numbers of people. This struggle will be fought on the level of ideas, between people who believe in the true religious morality, who are loving, forgiving, compassionate and in full possession of their conscience, and those who draw their strength from ignorance, arrogance and violence.

In one holy verse, our Lord asks, "Would there had been more people with a vestige of good among the generations of those who came before you, who forbade corruption in the earth…" (Surah Hud: 116). Believers should possess the virtue that Allah describes in that verse. While terrorists hope to achieve their aims by violence, believers should know that true success can be achieved only by clinging tightly to the religion of Allah, and acting accordingly. If Jews, Christians, and Muslims join together in that struggle, in a spirit of respect for all beliefs and ideas and, by the will of Allah, they will enjoy definitive success.

A terrorist may learn by heart all the fundamental sources behind his beliefs. Yet such a person will still be unaware of the one evident truth that will bring him happiness and inspiration, both in this world and the next. Because all his life, he has been educated in radical ideologies, in the context of the idea that life is a battleground in which only the strong survive, where violence and oppression are the only means of survival. Anyone resorting to terrorism, no matter what his religion, race, or nation, must understand that he is acting under the influence of a misleading philosophy, that in the final analysis stems from materialist and Darwinist thinking, though it sometimes masquerades as a religious idea.

Those who resort to secular terrorism are unaware that Allah and the hereafter really do exist, that this world is merely a place of trial and that only those who believe and carry out their religious obligations devoutly will be saved. Those who resort to allegedly "religious" terrorism are far from understanding Allah's commandments against evil and the value of human life, such as that "… If someone kills another person—unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth—it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to all mankind." (Surat Al-Ma'ida: 32)

At this point, a great responsibility falls on all true believers, no matter what their religion. Jews must not ignore the statements of the Torah ,calling mankind to peace and love, and they must call on all other Jews to oppose terrorism, including the state terrorism employed by Israel in the occupied territories. So should Christians call on all other Christians, taking as their guide the morality most pleasing to Allah. They should also stress that "the war on terror" must not turn into violent revenge, and a peaceful "counter-terrorism" should be preferred, since the Christian faith proclaims that "blessed are the peacemakers". (Matthew, 5: 9) One should not forget that terrorism stems from wrong ideas and that the basic struggle against terrorism should be on the level of ideas. Believers must explain that these ideas are wrong in terms of both theory and practice. No idea can prevail by means of violence, oppression and cruelty, and despotism can never triumph.

Terrorist ideology is built on rotten foundations, which we have been concentrating on in this book, and these can easily be eliminated through mass education. Devout believers across the world can oppose terror and prevent ignorance by coming up with solutions, through various educational initiatives and through a cultural legacy. The dominion of the compassion, peace of mind and security commanded by Allah will irrevocably consign terror to the waste bin of history.