by Dr. Salman Masud

On behalf of the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake we unequivocally condemn the killing of journalists in Paris, including the Muslim policeman who was guarding the building. According to the teachings of the Qur’an and our Prophet (saw), there is no justification whatsoever for such violent acts in the name of Islam. However, we as Muslims can help explain such events. The purpose of this explanation is not that we carry any guilt by association but rather to allay the fears of our fellow Americans and to help prevent tragedies like this one from happening elsewhere.

There is a tiny minority of Muslims who want to impose their interpretation and views upon the majority of Muslims. The bulk of this conflict is happening in Muslim countries themselves, which seldom get the headlines in the west. Allow me to remind you of two recent instances: the recent murder of 142 students and teachers in Peshawar, Pakistan and the destruction of twenty villages in Nigeria just yesterday. Close to two thousand innocent people were massacred in this second example. In both countries the national armies are fighting this militancy.

Europe, unfortunately, is going through both a long acting recession and an identity crisis. The big economies of Europe once colonized Muslim countries and brought their subjects as cheap labor to the mainland. Now that the country is facing long-standing unemployment immigrants have lost their welcome. Major political parties are making gains on the basis of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim stances while a second generation of immigrants born and raised in Europe are experiencing intolerance because of it. More than a thousand young French men joined ISIL this year, which shows the level of frustration many European Muslims are experiencing. This should be a wakeup call for Europe.

This explanation, again, is not given with the purpose to condone these men’s actions. Rather, it serves to open a dialogue and explore the root causes of and solutions to this problem as well as foster a more integrated, tolerant multicultural society. At the same time we would like to reinforce the fact that no matter how offended we are as Muslims by someone’s opinions or portrayals of Islam, violence is never justified.

-Salman Masud is an M.D. and the President of Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake