{"id":1042,"date":"2016-09-22T22:34:40","date_gmt":"2016-09-23T03:34:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/commonwordcommonlord\/?p=1042"},"modified":"2016-09-22T22:34:40","modified_gmt":"2016-09-23T03:34:40","slug":"becoming-religious-can-never-mean-committing-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/commonwordcommonlord\/becoming-religious-can-never-mean-committing-murder\/","title":{"rendered":"Becoming “Religious” Can NEVER Mean Committing Murder"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Name of God: The Extremely and Everlastingly Loving and Caring<\/em><\/p>\n

While the investigation<\/a> into the motives of the suspected bomber in NYC continues, there is one aspect that gave me pause:<\/p>\n

Multiple federal law enforcement and intelligence sources said that Rahami\u2019s friends and family were telling investigators that they noticed a transformation when he returned from Afghanistan in 2014 regarding his dress and appearance. He had become more religious and started distancing himself from friends and family.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He had become “more religious.” What seems implicit in this statement is that his religiosity, somehow, led to his radicalization and his becoming a would-be mass murderer.<\/p>\n

Let me say this: being “religious” and committing mass murder do not belong in the same sentence.<\/p>\n

Now, author and internationally syndicated columnist Rami Khouri<\/a> made a good point about why some people become more religious:<\/p>\n

\n

Bad tendency in much of West to miss that sudden religiosity often = a protective reaction to political stress or socio-economic subjugation https:\/\/t.co\/ipnJVW62v3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Rami G. Khouri (@RamiKhouri) September 21, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Still, there seems to be this contention in the minds of many that Islamic religiosity is connected with violent extremism.<\/p>\n

This is simply not true.<\/p>\n

In fact, Islamic religiosity should make someone less<\/em> violent, not more.<\/p>\n

If someone becomes more religious, he or she would become closer to God. This would then mean his or her love for God would increase. If one’s love for God increases, then this necessarily would mean that his or her love for God’s creation would also increase. As a result, violence would not be contemplated, since it would hurt the very creation of the God that one loves.<\/p>\n

In the Qur’an God says:<\/p>\n

Now there has come to you from God a light and a clear divine writ through which God shows unto all that seek His goodly acceptance the paths leading to salvation and, by His Grace, brings them out of the depths of darkness into the light and guides them onto a straight way (5:15-16)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The term “paths leading to salvation” in the above verse is literally translated as “the paths of peace.”<\/p>\n

Thus, violence can never figure into one’s “path of salvation,” or “path of peace,” to God. They are wholly antithetical. Any non-Muslim who thinks otherwise is mistaken about our faith. And any Muslim who thinks otherwise is deluded by Satan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the Name of God: The Extremely and Everlastingly Loving and Caring While the investigation into the motives of the suspected bomber in NYC continues, there is one aspect that gave me pause: Multiple federal law enforcement and intelligence sources said that Rahami\u2019s friends and family were telling investigators that they noticed a transformation when…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":175,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[11,536,774,775,776,18],"class_list":["post-1042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-religionbelief","tag-islam","tag-murder","tag-nyc-bombing","tag-ramahi","tag-religious","tag-terrorism-2"],"yoast_head":"\nBecoming "Relgious" Can NEVER Mean Committing Murder<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Friends and family say alleged NYC bomber became "more religious" before he committed his act of terror. 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Hassaballa","description":"Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor and writer. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, being published in newspapers across the country and around the world. He has been a Beliefnet columnist since 2001, and has written for the Religion News Service. He is also a columnist for Patheos. His articles have been distributed worldwide by Agence Global, and he was also a guest blogger for The Chicago Tribune and has blogged on ChicagoNow\" . In addition, Dr. Hassaballa has appeared as a guest on WTTW (Channel 11) in Chicago, CNN, Fox News, BBC, and National Public Radio. Dr. Hassaballa is co-author of The Beliefnet Guide to Islam (Doubleday), and his essay, \u201cWhy I Love the Ten Commandments,\u201d was published in the award-winning book Taking Back Islam (Rodale). His latest book, Noble Brother, is the story of the Prophet Muhammad told entirely in poetry, and it is now published in its second edition. In 2007, his blog \"God, Faith, and a Pen\" was nominated for a Brass Crescent Award for a blog that is \u201cthe most stimulating, insightful, and philosophical, providing the best rebuttals to extremist ideology and making an impact whenever they post.\u201d \"God, Faith, and a Pen\" has also received an award for being one of the \"Top Muslim Blogs for 2010\" by Awarding The Web. In addition to writing, Dr. Hassaballa helped found the Chicago Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations and currently serves on their board of directors. He also co-founded the Bayan H. 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