You see me and I see you.
I am wearing a bright blue summer dress touching the ground (which is my favourite colour by the way) with a jeans jacket. On top of my head, I am wearing three coloured hijab caps (bright blue, deep mauve, and white) along with a floral blue, purple, and white scarf. You notice me, and I notice you. Now what?
I approach and mumble a bunch of words, in which case you look at me very confused. These words are “Alsalamu alaykom”, or “may peace be with you”.
Peace? You are greeting me with peace? Now, your answer in this case in “wa alaykom alsalam”, or “and may peace be returned to you”.
“But when you enter the houses, greet one another with a greeting from God, As-salamu Alaikum – blessed and good.” (Quran 24:61)
This is the Islamic greeting between Muslims.
Yes, as shocking as that is, we greet eachother with peace or salam.
In my opinion, we are all in need of peace in our lives. Some may need a peace of mind, intellect, or rationality; whereas others need peace of financial stability, physical sustenance, or even peace in freedom or ignorance.
I understand the media believes and what ISIS is doing is far from peace, but let’s take a logical standpoint to all of this. They are claiming they are Muslim; they are the true “Islamic Government” on earth today. Without knowing anything about the religion other than the greeting, is it logical that the religion that initially greets you with peace without evening knowing your first name would preach torture and murder to innocent civilians?
No.
Forget about what this Abduallah or Mohammad off the street or behind a computer is telling you, and lets think rationally; does this make sense?
Just because a few people are using the banner of a religion to kill and murder does that mean the whole religion preaches it? The KKA murdered and tortured thousands of people under the name of Christianity, does that mean the religion of Jesus Christ is pro-oppression and killing? Hitler murdered millions of innocent people for his own brutal takeover, believing what he was doing was for his “Divine Creator”, does that mean all believers in God are oppressive and psychopathic?
Of course not.
I will leave you with this; if I want peace, my actions should say “peace”. If I want morality and justice to be spread among the people, then I must be just and moral with my day to day interactions.
Islam is a religion of peace, as it has been for 1400+ years. The Messenger of God did not go through years of torment and hardship for us to ruin it with our egocentric selves.
We need peace, and we will only achieve it with conscious movements towards a better society.
May peace always be with you.