Many authentic Hadiths and narrations of the Rightly Guided Caliphs advocate the protection of innocent people during the time of battle. This injunction respects the inviolability and sacredness of innocent blood. The counsel of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) “Fight in the name of Allaah and the path of Allaah and with him who disbelieves in Allah fight and do not be treacherous and do not be dishonest about booty and do not deface (in killing) and do not kill a child, woman, the elderly, or a person isolated in a tower” was addressed to his army which was headed to Mu’ta to meet the Romans in the first military confrontation between the two parties. These words were repeated in many battles fought by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Such prophetic counsel seems to have had no effect or has been summarily ignored by jihadist groups who quite readily spill the blood of innocent Muslims and non-Muslims alike. They have no regard for the sanctity of innocent human life that God has rendered inviolable. While the tendency for imperialist expansionism among some Western countries has violated innocent people to achieve political and economic goals, the humanity of Islam does not accept any justification for killing innocent people and civilians, whatever the justification.
Anyone who has followed the series of terrorist events that are shaking Muslim and non-Muslim countries recognises the fact that those who pay the heaviest price for engaging in these tactics are innocent, powerless civilians whose only fault was to be in the wrong place at a moment of madness.
The observer of extremism recognises that all violent movements throughout history have been able to accomplish their political and ideological agendas leading them to perpetrate extremist acts of barbarism. Such was the case of the Kharijites who took up arms against the Muslims and such is the case of contemporary extremist groups plaguing the Muslim world and terrorist movements from outside the Muslim world such as the Lord’s Resistance Army, the Japanese Red Army and other movements. Rather, groups opposing their ideologies have emerged and remained by justifying their policies in opposition of the extremist groups despite largely being inconsistent with the public interest.
In its annual report for the index of global terrorism, the Institute for Economics and Peace realised the extent of innocent civilians murdered by terrorist acts plaguing Muslim communities. Here, we present a brief overview of the statistics for the Muslim countries most affected by terrorist acts in 2015. The number of innocent victims from all the terrorist bombings was 43% of total victims, not counting government officials from the non-security sector and religious figures and institutions who are also considered civilians. The total overall losses among civilians and civilian sectors were 71% of total victims and to statistics for 2015.
The country most affected were Iraq which has become a scene of violence after the US occupation in 2003. 2016 recorded one of the bloodiest and most brutal attacks claiming the lives of countless innocents who were preparing to begin the first day of fasting in the Holy month of Ramadan. It claimed 324 lives and injured 250. Most of the victims had to be identified through DNA tests due to the intensity of the bombing. Another despicable atrocity was the attack on innocents in Turkey’s Ataturk airport on June 28, 2016, which claimed the lives of 43 innocents and 239 wounded. Blood was also spilt in the hostage-taking attack in Bangladesh on July 1. All of these events did not target the security forces and the army. It claimed the lives of innocent bystanders who were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Innocent Iraqis paid the highest price. The number of policemen as victims of terrorist acts in 2015 was 2259 police officers in more than 543 attacks. We must realise that the police are public officials tasked with maintaining law and order and ensure the safety of communities. There is no difference between killing a police officer or a civilian. As for Nigeria, Boko Haram have killed more than 15,600 people since 2009 at a rate of 11 people per attack. Statistics indicate that four of every five victims of this barbaric movement were innocent. This makes it the terrorist movement that targets civilians most surpassing the brutality of Daesh which has a rate of 50% of innocent civilians as victims.
The following chart by the Institute for Economics and Peace Operations illustrates the number of victims of bombings in the six Muslim countries most affected by terrorism in 2015. The same six countries occupy the top six places in the Global Terrorism Index for the years 2015 and 2016.
No rational philosophy can justify this heavy price paid by innocent civilians. How then can a divine religion advocating the message of global peace justify such atrocities? It would seem that Napoleon Bonaparte’s famous saying “the soldiers are kindle of wars” has become “innocents are the kindle of terror and madness.”
*Dr.Tarik Ladjal is Professor of History at Effat University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
