Over the past ten days, the Muslim world has been stunned by an onslaught of terrible tragedies by people seeking to subjugate others through a reign of violence in the cities of Istanbul and Jakarta and the university in Pakistan’s. It was with a great sense of sorrow that we as Muslims greeted the news of the attacks in Istanbul’s historic quarter, which killed innocent tourists; the explosions in Jakarta, which killed several and wounded many; and the shooting at the university in Pakistan, which has claimed the lives of students and staff. The mindsets of such militants are beyond the understanding of peace-loving peoples of all faiths. We offer our heartfelt condolences to those who lost loved ones in the senseless tragedies.
We continue to be reminded that violence recognizes neither borders nor faith nor tribe, and the lives of innocent victims are being torn asunder in a trail across the globe. As Muslims, each such act of mind-numbing violence fills us with deep sadness. It is quite disheartening to people of faith that these acts are not abating, but rather seem to be increasing in frequency. At such times, we would do well to remember those affected in our sincere prayers. There are no words that can undo such horrific acts, and only sincere prayer for all those affected can restore a sense of peace to our selves, our humanity, and our world.
As Muslims, we should all be keenly aware of the injunction in our Holy Book, the Qur’an, that urges us to be mindful of the value of human life: “if any one kills a person unjustly, it would be as if he killed the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. [Verse 5:32]” With this as our firm and unerring guideline, we absolutely condemn violence perpetrated upon humanity, and recognize that Islam is unequivocal in its respect for humanity and peace.
It is our most sincere prayer that cycles of violence come to an end. We pray for the path to peace. We hope for wisdom and love for humanity to prevail upon all people, so that we may all know the blessings of harmony.