Gary Adshead’s editorial on the Paris terror attacks
Overnight in France there was an extraordinary display of resistance against those who continue to commit murder behind the mask of a religion.
In Paris alone, an estimated 1.6 million people marched through the city centre to say enough was enough.
After days of death and terror, the people of Paris took back their city and stood up for freedom.
In my opinion, it’s now time the Islamic world took back its religion from the minority of psychopathic misfits who are killing and maiming ordinary citizens across the world.
Because whether Muslims like it or not, the common component to the carnage is Islam and the abuse of it.
In order to understand what promotes so much passion for Islam, what creates such devotion to the religion, I watched a documentary recently.
At the forefront of the religion are the five pillars of Islam. They are the framework for any Muslim’s life.
Testimony of faith is number one, praying five times a day forms the second pillar, giving support to needy people is the third, fasting for Ramadan the fourth and making the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca is the fifth.
There are more than one billion Muslims and most do follow and hold dear these five pillars ? including those behind the latest terrorist atrocities.
Perhaps, it’s time that the Islamic world creates a sixth pillar which leaves those who commit such heinous crimes in the name of Allah and the Prophet Muhammad in no doubt that they have completely besmirched the very religion they claim to live their lives by.
Perhaps the sixth pillar should denounce and cast out anyone who uses Allah and the Prophet Muhammad to spill another’s blood in the name of Islam.
People will say you can’t tamper with scriptures and edicts forged 1500 years ago.
But like other religions, it’s time Islam makes changes to suit the times. It’s time the religious leaders stand up like the citizens of France and say enough is enough.
They need to take back the religion they hold so dear from the few that have hijacked it and make it abundantly clear that those who wantonly kill are wrong and misguided.
They will not be martyrs, they will not go to Paradise. They will be despised. They will rot in hell.
Call me naive. But surely those who love their religion so much will agree they can do moere to stop this violence.
Gary Adshead spoke with Professor Clive Williams from the Centre for Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism at Macquarie University who believes tracking devices should be put on terror suspects who return from fighting in the Middle East