Preacher Nabil Al Awady to Echorouk: terrorism ahs nothing to do with jihad

Islamic preacher Cheikh Nabil Al Awady arrived to Algeria on Wednesday on his first visit to the country to give lectures.

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• “Algeria is a unique phenomenon in the Islamic world and the Algerian people respect Islam as a religion,” Al Awady told Echorouk when arrived to the airport of Algiers.
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• Islamic activities in Algeria are sometimes misunderstood as there is confusion between Islam as a religion and terrorism as anti-religious act. Is religion a positive energy in the society or not?
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• Not in Islamic societies. Even in western communities, there are groups calling for coming back to religion. If we look at life in the western world, we will find many behaviours emanating from the core of Islam. If those behaviours approved by Islam such as justice, sincerity and honesty did not exist, life in the west would not be in the right way. There is no life without religion.
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• What is the reason for the amalgam between religion, extremism and terrorism in the western communities and even in the Muslim ones? Is religion behind terrorism or it is just a matter of ignoring religion?
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• Extremism exists in every idea even in religion itself. Real Islam has nothing to do with it. The problem is in the understanding. Some people misunderstand Islam. That’s why, they get extremist. Even the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) asked his followers to enjoy their life and live it in a normal way away from extremism.
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• There is also the question of violence in Muslim societies. What is the role of preachers and scholars in ending this phenomenon?
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• Violence is not just physical. There is also verbal violence and it actually exists in the Arab communities unfortunately. Our religion teaches us the good manners to discuss with people who have different points of view. Physical violence is unjustifiable especially in Muslim countries.
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• Physical violence evolves to become terrorism, as it is the case in Algeria where Muslims are killed. What do you think about that?
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• Killing innocent people whether they are Muslim or not is illegitimate in Islam. Even animals can not be killed only on a legitimate reason.
• Islam is a religion of mercy, justice and sincerity. Neither religion nor mind accepts killing and blowing people up. Jihad has its own rules and conditions. The Prophet Mohamed (Peace Be Upon Him) ordered his followers to not kill women, children and animals during his wars against unbelievers.
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• What is the importance of faith in facing the materialist civilization’s temptations?
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• Preachers nowadays have to deal more with faith-related questions. The number of people who kill themselves is terribly increasing in the world because of the absence of faith. People need faith.
• I hope that preachers focus on this point because people need it as much as they need knowledge.