Remembering that September Morn

Where were you on that horrible day, September 11th, 2001? As for me, I will

never forget. I was driving to meet with a high-powered business man in my

community. I couldn't believe my ears as I pulled my car into his parking lot,

listening with shock to my radio. Only one plane had struck at that time. I

ran inside, straight to his office and told him what I'd just heard. He had no

idea but quickly commanded all radios be tuned to a particular radio station.

We sat listening quietly as the radios echoed throughout the building, the

only sound one could hear. The phones weren't ringing as they normally

would have been. At one point, the business man looked at me and said,

"This is worse than Pearl Harbor." After nearly an hour, I suggested we

resume our meeting at another date. He agreed. Before I left, I commented

that I felt like I needed to go home and pray. He smiled and said, "Not me.

I had enough of that hellfire and damnation stuff when I was a kid."

As I pulled into my apartment parking lot, a young lady backed her black

pick-up truck squarely into the grill of my beat-up car for which I'd paid

$500. She jumped out, crying, "I'm sorry...it's just this stuff going on in

New York...!" I told her not to worry about it and that God was still in

control. She thanked me, smiled and got back in her truck.

Once inside, I turned on my computer to check the latest news. I received

an Instant message from an 11-year old girl. She was at home, sick, and

heard the news. She was afraid. I dialogued with her for a while before I

reminded her to pray as I was about to do. She was glad I was there. So

was I.

The events of that day were a horrible kind of East meets West situation.

An attack on our own soil was a terrible and shocking experience for

Americans but it's something that other parts of the world are all too

familiar with. When the nations of the world reached out to us in

sympathy, some also sent us this message: "Now you understand what

we've been going through." We can be thankful for a strange gift we

received that day: a new kind of bridge to the other nations of the world.

Whether it's a family reunion at the expense of a loved-one's funeral, a

tornado at a mobile home park or a terrorist attack, why must it take a

disaster to pull us together and perhaps even push us in spiritual

directions? We don't know why it works that way, but we know that

9/11 didn't just happen to those on the airplanes, or in New York and

Washington, D.C. It impacted the world.

What man intends for evil, God will use for good. Jesus' death on the

cross for the good of all mankind is the greatest example of that.

The Holy Bible directs us to "Give thanks at all time." On the 6th

Anniversary of the horrible attack on America, let's all give thanks.

LET'S PRAY TOGETHER...

Father God, we give thanks to you for choosing to allow us to be

born in this great nation. We had no choice in that. Thank you for

allowing us to see ourselves as stewards of this privilege. From

those who are given much, much is required.

Thank you for giving us the grace to love our enemies as Jesus

taught us. "Love your enemies and do good to those who mistreat

you," He said. By so doing, we become a little more like Christ.

Thank you for that.

We thank you for dealing with each of us individually, and helping

us to remember to pray for those who hate this nation....and for

those who hate us personally. Thank you for giving us the grace to

forgive those as Jesus forgave our sins at the cross. Help us to take

up that cross and follow His example.

Regardless of our political party or our personal sentiments regarding

the war on terrorism, thank you, Father, for reminding us to pray for

our President and all those in authority over us, just as Jesus

commanded. We pray that you give them wisdom in liberal amounts

as they guide this nation and our troops. We pray that they learn to

seek and trust YOU in all their decisions. Thank you for reminding us

to pray for our troops, not merely declaring that were are or reminding

others to do so. We pray that they will be used, not as conquerors or

crusaders but as compassionate Christ-bearers. May every nation

who is not serving Christ become seekers of Christ once the dust of

war has settled.

Thank you that, despite so many of our people dying and being

wounded in the Middle East, the numbers could be so much worse

and aren't nearly as bad as they are here in peaceful America where

some of the war's first casualties took place from among the ranks of

Fire Fighters and police Officers. Thank you for those who live in Iraq

and Afghanistan who are glad we are there...glad enough to become

informants, warning our troops as to the whereabouts of roadside

bombs and the hiding places of our enemies, and taking up arms

alongside our military forces. Thank you for giving the Iraqis the

freedom they desire, just as you gave that freedom to our forefathers

who fought and won our own war of independence along with the help

of other nations. Thank you for allowing the Iraqi people to one day

experience the ultimate freedom - the freedom that can be theirs only

through Jesus Christ.

Father, on this anniversary of the tragic September 11th terrorist

bombing of the World Trade Center, while many of the wounds have

healed, many have not. Thank you for your Word which states, "If my

people who are called by Name will humble themselves, pray, seek My

face and turn from their wicked ways, THEN you will hear from Heaven,

forgive their sins and heal their land." Father, we need your help. We

have become too proud to humble ourselves and, therefore, require

humbling. We are too independent a people to spend much time praying;

Lord, make us a prayerful people. We don't seek your face through

relationship with you, but rarely hesitate to seek your hand of blessing

and protection. May we have relationship with You, our God, and not

settle for mere religious activities? Help our nation to receive its Savior

and the forgiveness He gained for us at the Cross. Heal our land, Father,

not only so that we may be healed, but so that we, as a people, will

become healers of the nations through Jesus Christ.

Lord, many families are still mourning, some are fearing for family

members who are fighting overseas. Thank you for comforting them,

Father. Security has visibly increased in many places and, every day, we

experience the effects of terrorism. Officials are saying that it will be a

long war and we, as Americans, are accustomed to getting things done

quickly. Thank you for maturing us through this war, causing us to grow

in grace and in our knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Father, help us to resist the urge to harbor animosity toward Muslim

people. Thank you for reminding us that Jesus died for them, too. We

pray for their salvation along with anyone else's for whom we pray.

We ask all of this in Jesus' precious Name.

Amen.

AN EXERCISE IN HEALING:

Imagine, if you will, the back side of a completed jigsaw puzzle as seen

from the underside of a glass table. What do you see? Brown, odd-shaped

pieces of cardboard, right? Nothing much to look at. But as you rise from

beneath that glass table, you see the front side - the beautiful side - of

that jigsaw puzzle. Whether it's a beautiful autumn woods scene, or a field

of flowers, maybe even a beach scene with a lighthouse and seagulls,

point is, there's another side to the puzzle; A beautiful side.

If events such as 911 puzzle you, the only way we can even begin to

rejoice is by knowing in our hearts, by faith, that there is surely a beautiful

side to this puzzling situation. From Heaven's perspective, there IS!

Let us no longer dwell upon what happened on that terrible morning 6

years ago. Instead, let's focus on the good and turn toward the light.

Let's look in our collective "mirror," and think about three specific things:

Healing, Hope, and Community.

How is our shared experience of 9/11 affecting the way we as a nation -

as Christians - experience those three things today?

How has it affected our attitudes toward Healing?

How has it impacted our feelings regarding Hope?

How has it changed our Communities for the better?

(Faith communities, families, neighborhoods, civic groups, etc. -

anywhere people gather together).

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

A servant of God

[http://www.YouTown4Jesus.com]

team1min@our-town.com

His mission is to bring Discipleship and Encouragement to the Body of Christ. Since '99, he has broadcast nearly 700 inspirational articles to his online subscribers and a dozen booklets on subjects sure to interest the thinking Christian and accelerate the process of spiritual development. He is the founder of t.e.a.m. ministries. An Author, Pastoral Counselor and Teacher, his eMail broadcasts, known as "Your Town for Jesus" are read around the globe. Subscribe at team1min@our-town.com

September 11 from Warsaw

Therefore my intentions in writing this article are first to present my fellow Americans and those around the world with my personal view of how I saw the events. Second to tell how someone who has read what I would call an enormous amount of history books would classify this day in terms of history.

I like I have already stated was born in New York City where I was raised and spent 20 years of my life, me now being 40 years of age. By September of 2001 however I had adopted myself to live in Warsaw, Poland where I was residing with my then wife of 4 years and my daughter who was 3 years of age at the time who I might add is prominently mentioned in the story called "The Little Opera Singer". My adoption to Poland however had not been limited to having courted and eventually wed one of its many lovely ladies whom I would go on to have a child with. My adoption also included having become a fluent speaker of the Polish language as well as having opened a language school.

Perhaps to many it is rare to hear of an American immigrating out of the United States specially since most of the stories weather film or book focus on those who immigrated to the United States in search of fortune and all those things that move people from their country of birth to another. I however going against the trend made an exodus from the United States in September of 1994 to Poland where I settled down and where less then a year later met my wife to be while we were both on a short trip to another city called "Zakopane" (the name of this city meaning "buried" when translated in to English).

The day of September the 11th of the year of our lord 2001 started like any other for my family and myself. My wife going off to her place of employment while I dropped off our daughter at preschool before making my way to work where I teach English as a second language in the school I had opened the very same year of the events of this day.

I can not claim much about the day with regards to something happening to me which went outside of the ordinary. I taught the lessons which I was supposed to with nothing going particular well or badly for that matter. I remember going home when my work day was done and arriving at a little past 6 in postmeridian where upon arrival more from force of habit then expecting to hear anything of consequence turned on my TV set. After having turned the TV set on I went to the kitchen to get something to eat and drink.

When I got back to the living room I saw the images that my TV was displaying which I earnestly considered to be from one of the so many mindless action films that exhibit scenes of devastation with visual effects that seem to be creating an art out of mass destruction. I even in a slightly ironic twist of fate thought the special effects as I witnessed a plane smash in to one of the towers of "World Trade Center" to be less then convincing giving me the false impression that this was a B film of some kind which was being advertised.

Just when I was about to use my remote control to turn to another channel the announcer cried out "to nie jest film! To jest prawdziwe!" (This line meaning "This is not a movie, this is real" in Polish). These words hitting me like a flash made it that I could not take this with out seriousness as shock had replaced my prior disinterest in what I was seeing. I instinctively turned to Cable News Network (CNN) were these images which my eyes had failed to accredit the first time were being shown erasing all doubt in my mind as to their authenticity. Once I turned the channel to CNN I saw one by one how the once might towers of "The World Trade Center" fell to ground making such an impact that it would cause other buildings to either fall or have to be demolished as their structure had been weakened to the point of being a dangerous.

The thought of who was responsible had not even occurred to me yet when the picture changed to Washington D.C. where the Pentagon was shown to have been struck. The image of the Pentagon however was not on for long as it was soon replaced with the one of what would have been a fourth airplane which had crashed somewhere in Pennsylvania.

My usual active and imaginative mind had come to a halt and as I looked up at the screen still in astonishment as I heard the words "America under Attack" which created the illusion in me that we were under attack by another country. But which country would be capable of carrying out a blatant act of war against the United States? I had not heard of any diplomatic fall outs in the media that the United States was mixed up in at the time so who could it be? If this had occurred during the "cold war" I would have naturally assumed it was the "C.C.C.P." or "U.S.S.R." who was behind it but the cold war was over.

Eventually it would be unveiled to all that terrorism, which in and of itself is the act of carrying out acts of violence in order to achieve political objectives was behind it all. This option I must confess did not enter my mind as from what I knew from experience, this was out of the scope of its activities. Terrorism's acts I believed where limited to car bombs and little else that went beyond placing explosives were innocent civilians would fall pray to people whose political agendas could not be fulfilled peacefully.

My familiarity with terrorism coming during the time I spent in Lima, Peru from 1991 to 1993 in which "Cendero Lumuniso" (Shining Path) and the "M.R.T.A" were putting bombs all over the city after having terrorized the rest of the country in the same manner. It was there where I witnessed what my mind will never rid itself of which were images created by an act of terrorism in the distract of Lima, Peru called "Miraflores" in the month of August in the year 1992. The sight of those bombs blowing up cars and ripping through the air leaving 27 dead and a lot of damaged buildings in a place where I had been less then 5 minutes before was something as gruesome to me as it was incredulous. As one can imagine it would be as I had never seen till then the body of a dead person other then on TV or in a photograph. The panic, the chaos, the sight of corpses that I saw from the window of my friend's house (which fortunately was not broken from the sound wave) that day was something that nothing I had been through or learned could have ever prepared me for leaving me to wonder what if I had not entered my friend's house when I did.

As one can see in my case it was not that I had not seen violent death in front of my own eyes before not that what was being presented to me on that day was being done in such a way but it was the originality of this act (if such a name can ever be given to an act of terrorism) that flabbergasted me. I had even witnessed an earthquake in South America which went on to form the strongest imagery of my infancy. It taking place when I was 3 years of age (same age as my daughter at the time of 9/11) that I saw the house where I was residing at the time with my grandparents fall to the ground. It might be said that all these events in my life helped to make me immune to what my TV was forcing me to watch which it did but only in a limited way as the magnitude of it all was something surrealistic even to me who had witnessed so much mayhem.

By then the initial stun in me had subsided at least long enough to call my wife over to the TV. My wife who was in our daughter's room felt alarm by the way my voice called to her at the time, came to the part of the house where I found myself in. Hers was an impression of distress as she also never imagined that something like what she was seeing on the screen might be real.

With regards to the day that followed September the 11th? This day in my mind sticks out for all that it had connected to what happened the previous day. My friends at my favorite bar telling me how great their sorrow was for what had taken place in my country and last but not least there was the phone call I received from my Spanish friend who like me was living in Warsaw at the time. It was this lady from Madrid who had been a friend of mine for over a year and was the only one who actually called me with a word of consolation that made me see that people did care. This however would turn out to be a word of consolation which in a very unfortunate turn of events I would have to return when in 2004 it was her hometown that suffered at the hands of terrorists when the "Atocha" train station was hit by bombs costing over 200 people their lives.

As for my personal feelings toward the "World Trade Center" (a.k.a. Twin Towers) I can not claim to have been an admirer of these buildings as they architecturally speaking were not to my liking in matters of aesthetics. However these buildings though not among my favorites were a part of the New York I knew and lived in as they were across the street from the building that for two years was my place of work. The building I am referring to for the curiosity of those who care to know is the lesser known "World Financial Center" which like the "World Trade Center" was located on Liberty Street.

It was during those two years of 1993 and 1994 that I took the subway to the "World Trade Center" whose underground passages and covered Bridge allowed me to get to my place of work without the need of going outdoors. This being a benefit on rainy days.

My having worked so close to it and having passed it everyday make it hard for me to think of its destruction and not imagine the realistic possibility that I might have been there on 9/11 as I on many occasions during my lunch break ate in its many restaurants. I even speculate from time to time as I can not help but do such that perhaps several of the people I worked with at "John Hancock Clearing Corporation" might have been unfortunate enough to have found themselves at the wrong time and place like so many others that day.

In a personal observation from the historical point of view I would like to remark that strangely enough the "World Trade Center" will most likely be remembered in the centuries to follow not for having been the tallest building in the world at one moment in time (till "The Sears Tower" in Chicago replaced it), nor for having been the place were huge deals of globe's money passed through but for having been destroyed in the spectacular manner in which it was. For in many ways The World Trade Center's destruction like that of Pompeii reserved it a place in the pages of history. A place that it has obtained arguably for all the wrong reasons but a place that it might not have had if it had gone on to be demolished like any other building. This view from a historical perspective is not rare as is not Pompeii mostly remembered for having been destroyed by a volcano then the developed or promiscuous society it was?

I am the author of many an article to be found on the internet along with the book "New York's Opera Society". My works also include the books "What Should Not Matter", "Love Your Sister" and several others which still remain unpublished though I am presently looking to change this.

Elección de esperanza - reflexiones sobre el terrorismo del 11 de septiembre

I'll elaborate on the information I received a few months ago, which was that we were in the middle of a huge shift (that started sometime in mid to late May). Many people who are sensitive to the general energy sensed some sort of shift then. At the time, it was as if we were in the inhalation phase of the shift and everything felt suspended, as if people were figuratively holding their breath. I got that the exhalation would come slowly and gradually beginning in August or September, with it culminating around that time (Sept.?). I further got that the shift had to do with reaching critical mass on this planet of people realizing what needed to be done for world healing, that many people had been in denial or with their heads figuratively in the sand, but would suddenly realize both the significance of world healing and what needed to be done. The "world healing" I was getting had to do with healing of the earth, the environment. The above represents what I got at the time. In addition, I'd like to share some other thoughts with you.

The Terrorism of September 11, 2001

In light of the above, how do I reconcile the above? (As I mentioned before, I did not at all foresee the terror of Tuesday.) Healing of the environment and personal healing, I feel, are related. With respect to geophysical healing, it's obvious that the continual exponential growth of our human population has been a major factor in degrading the environment and increasingly reducing habitat -- from destroying more and more of the global habitat to make room for more humans, to pollution, to extinction of species, to deforestation. We degrade the world in which we live when we see ourselves as separate and apart from it. Conversely, it is in realizing that we are a part of the whole and connected to the smallest creature that the realization dawns that the destruction/loss of vital links in that chain of life will ultimately impact humans. It goes back to whether we see ourselves as stewards or dominators

Personal healing in the sense of peace, on the other hand, also goes back to individual responsibility and starts on the personal level. I heard one local minister on the local news coverage say in the prayer service she was conducting that, "we are now realizing that if one person does not have peace, no one can have peace." We are parts of the whole and both contribute to and are affected by that whole. Put another way, world peace starts on the personal level. The lack of peace refers to not just peace in the sense of absence of military conflict, but also inner peace.

Terrorism

Clearly terrorists do not have inner peace. We all have our "stuff" to varying degrees. In some, the degree of "stuff" is so great that fear, hatred, and anger may outweigh love, kindness, tolerance, etc. I have felt for many, many years that, to be overly simplistic, there are two major energies -- one that attracts/pulls together and one that repels/pushes apart. Love and hate. Kindness and cruelty. Faith/trust and fear. To be a terrorist, I feel, is to be in the grips of fear, hate, judgment, and negativity. Fanatics usually also have mind sets and beliefs so firmly and tightly in place that they cannot perceive clearly, a form perhaps of self-induced brain-washing. Indeed, many of us have beliefs and mind-sets that color our perceptions so that we do not see things clearly and objectively. Fear, hate, negativity, judgment, closed-down attitudes -- these contribute greatly to a lack of personal peace and acting out these negativities, as we saw on Tuesday. This is why personal healing is so very important -- to transmute the negative with the positive and the clear, so that we may see and act clearly and positively.

Personal Response

As to the traumatic events themselves, how do we respond? Obviously, we must all respond in our own way -- from prayer, to visualizing peace and healing, to donating blood, and, yes, even to anger. It is perfectly natural and human to feel anger. The question, though, is whether we act on that anger or stay stuck in that anger. I feel that the human, emotional side of us may feel anger alongside the compassion, sadness, and sympathy. On the other hand, the more spiritual and aware side of us may feel a sense of greater purpose to what happened --- i.e., understanding. (In other words, that what so tragically unfolded must have some purpose.

My point is that, as humans, we exist on those two very different levels: the human emotional one and the higher, spiritually aware one. It is navigating those rocky shoals and synthesizing those two levels that may be challenging. As you know, I feel that everything happens for a reason and I trust that good can come out of pain and difficulty. I trust that good can come out of this horror (a divided country pulling together, for example, a realization of what is important in life, or even possibly a stimulation of the economy). To see that there is a greater purpose can enable us to see that we are often actors playing our roles in the greater drama (while at the same time not minimizing the human component and pain). And yet we can still feel conflicted.

So how do we respond? Do we stay stuck on our human angry level? Do we become xenophobic and label all "foreigners" or Muslims as terrorists? Or do we see the individual faces of terrorism, along with the seeds of fear and discontent that humankind may share?

When we are clear, we realize that we see the same forces of negativity and divisiveness -- anger, fear, hate, judgment, etc. -- in all extremists, whether Bible fundamentalists, Islamic extremists, terrorists, etc. Just as it is true that not all Christians or Jews are terrorists because we see some Christian or Jewish extremists, so is it true that not all Muslims are terrorists. Terrorism is a perversion of a belief in God or a Divine who is benevolent. The common denominator among all extremists and terrorists, whether Islamic, Christian, or Jewish, is the anger/fear/judgment/lack of peace within. As we understand these things, our understanding may guide our response.

World Healing

Thus, the understanding, spiritually perceptive part of us may see that underlying issue -- the need to heal our own stuff. (And perhaps not to run out and "rescue the world" but to start on ourselves.) So, is this one of the issues that these events are highlighting? Are we starting to see more clearly what is needed for world healing? Could it be that world healing (both geophysical and attitudinal) starts on the personal level? Can there be a greater purpose to what transpired other than general mayhem? Can we pray for those affected and the situation and visualize healing (in more than one sense of the word)? However we choose to respond is our choice and in Divine order.

Nostradamus

On Tuesday, I thought I remembered that Nostradamus had alluded to something taking place in New York. If you're not terribly familiar with him, please note that Nostradamus lived in the 16th Century in France, was a physician and astrologer, was born Jewish but brought up Catholic after his family converted, and is considered to be one of the best-known prophets or seers over the centuries. Many, many years ago (a good 15-25+ years) I read his quatrains in the original French (I was a French major and used to be fluent). His prophecies were written in quatrains (4-line verses), 100 quatrains to a group (called a "century"), with a total of 10 centuries (10 centuries of 100 quatrains each)

Many people quote Nostradamus. Having read his prophecies in the original French, I can say the he's often misquoted and misinterpreted. First of all, he wrote in Middle French, not modern French. The first important step in understanding his work is a correct translation. Secondly, he cloaked what he wrote in symbols, so if you translate correctly what he wrote, you then have to interpret the symbols. Nostradamus' prophecies are highly dependent upon proper translation and then interpretation of the symbols.

Nostradamus also made the reader work to understand his prophecies by splitting up quatrains on the same subject and putting them in different centuries. He may have exerted these efforts to cloak and obscure his messages partly because of the Inquisition. Having said that, I have three quatrains that I feel pertain to New York (that Nostradamus referred to as "cité neufue," "new city"). I'll include them here in English translation:

I - 87

Earthshaken fire from the center of the earth

Will make things tremble around the tower of the new city

Two big rocks will make war for a long time

Then Arethusa will redden a new river.

("Arethusa" is a Greek nymph from mythology who changed into a stream. There may be another arcane meaning to this word. The second line may also be translated as "will make things tremble around the new city." The "two big rocks" may be nations warring. However, please note that this quatrain is not saying warring against each other. They may be joined in their efforts. This one has been widely misquoted, especially in the past few days. No mention of steel birds or two brothers.)

VI - 97

At 45 degrees the sky will burn,

Fire to approach from the new city,

Instantly a large scattered flame will jump

When one will want the Normans to make proof.

(This one has been widely misquoted and misinterpreted as well. NYC is at 45 degrees and "new city" is mentioned again. Please note that the fire is "to approach from the new city," not approach the new city. What I find very significant about this quatrain is the last line. "Normans" is usually interpreted as the French. Given the French colonization and subsequent and contemporary involvement in Arabic countries, do they have intelligence or proof to share? France has continued to have involvement in Arabic countries and has not always supported U. S. efforts in the Middle East. Perhaps they have information to bear on this event.)

Indeed, just five days after the terrorism we saw two icons of American religious negativity, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, speak out divisively in an attempt to

further poison people's minds and spread the mankind-phobic madness. They were clearly showing us that the seeds of madness, ethnocentricity, and hatred are in all of us and are definitely homegrown in America as well.

Clearly, terrorism cannot be countenanced and the fragility of the world cannot afford acts of terrorism and destruction. It is clear to me that we have a choice in how we respond to this week's events. We can be agents of positive change or contribute to the polarizing negativity. However, just pointing the finger at other cultures, ethnicities, religions, or differences from how we are will only exacerbate the difficulty. Perhaps it is a time to transcend our narrowly held views of ourselves and others and embrace our commonality.

I would like to move from seeing myself as solely an American to seeing myself as a member of the world community. I'd like to pledge allegiance to the World.

I'd like to pledge allegiance to a flag that transcends national borders, national identity, religious affiliation, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.

I'd like to pledge allegiance to the greater totality of which I am but a small, yet hopefully contributing, part.

I'd like to pledge allegiance to a loving, benign, accepting, and safe world.

May we all live to the day when we may embrace the greater Whole of which we are all but a small part and be able to see the face of the Divine in everybody else's face, no matter what their nationality, religion, culture, or color.

Diane Brandon is the Host of "Living Your Power" on the Health & Wellness Channel of VoiceAmerica.com and the new show, "Vibrant Living" debuting late May 2008 on Webtalkradio.net, as well as an Intuition Expert & Teacher, Integrative Intuitive Counselor, and Speaker. She is the author of "Invisible Blueprints" and several articles on personal growth topics, as well as a contributing author to "Speaking Out" and "The Long Way Around: How 34 Women Found the Lives They Love." Her private work with individuals focuses on personal growth, working with dreams, and personal empowerment, and she has done corporate seminars on intuition, creativity, and listening skills. More information may be found on her websites, http://www.dianebrandon.com and http://www.dianebrandon.net She may be contacted at diane@dianebrandon.com

Britain's "11 September"

Thursday, July 7, 2005, will be remembered all over the world as the date when a series of bomb attacks took place in the British capital, London. These barbaric attacks left behind them dozens of dead and hundreds of injured, and went down in history as causing terrible material and psychological damage.

The events in London were referred to as "Islamic terror," in a manner that deeply wounds the entire Islamic world. However, shedding the blood of innocent people, including women and children, by the use of such ruthless methods, cannot be accounted for in any religious terms. Even the term "Islamic terror" creates severe distress in the hearts of sincere believers, and lays blame on a community numbering more than 1 billion.

The events have absolutely nothing to do with the true Islam commanded by God in the Qur'an. There is no room for the concept of terror in true Islam. Violence is not permitted in any of the divine religions. When we look at the Qur'an, the sole source of Islam, and at the practices of all Muslim rulers throughout the history of the world, beginning with our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace), we can see the truth of this in all clarity.

Terrorism is a terrible plague that has infected the world for hundreds of years. Even though actions may differ from country to country, all terrorist organizations aim at defenseless civilians and send their messages by way of these people.

In the terrorist attack in Oklahoma in the USA 167 people were savagely slaughtered, 19 of them children.

A fanatical Jew who opened a hail of fire on Muslims praying in a mosque in Palestine caused the deaths of 29 people.

Thousands of people have lost their lives in attacks against Muslims in India over the years.

Terrorist attacks both great and small have for years been perpetrated in France, Spain, the Philippines, Japan and Ireland.

One could go on. However, the entire world came face to face with terror in 2001. In the wake of the attacks against two major cities in the USA which led to the deaths and injuries of thousands of people, the concept of "terrorism" began to be debated once again. That was because that attack had been carried out at an unexpected time, against a country regarded as the world's only superpower, and in a totally unforeseen manner. The attack created an air of fear and panic all over the world, especially in America.

Following the attacks, the USA embarked on a major fight against terror. Many countries have lined up alongside America in this struggle, and lent their support to it. The series of bombings in Istanbul, just when it was thought that the forces of terror had been brought under control, again reminded people of terrorism's dark face: first synagogues, then the British Consulate, then the HSBC General Directorate building ...

The Saturday prayer, which had been performed for centuries, was interrupted by the bombs exploded on November 15th. Twenty-four people were killed in the explosions at the Neva Shalom synagogue at Beyoglu Kuledibi and the Beth Israel synagogue at Sisli, and 300 were injured.

Dozens of more people lost their lives in the explosions at the British Consulate and the HSBC building, and hundreds were injured. Images similar to those which followed the September 11 attacks began appearing on our television screens. Ruined buildings, people fleeing in panic, burned out busses, corpses lying in the streets ...

Following the events in Istanbul, terror began to strike at Europe. The first target was Spain, which played host to Muslims for hundreds of years. The bombs that exploded in three large train stations in Madrid caused the deaths of 199 people, and another 1,247 people to be injured. What remained after this terrorist act was dead bodies, the injured, and fear, anger and hatred that left all the Muslims of Europe under an accusation...

And now the bombs that exploded in the London Underground and buses, both means of public transport, a city full of the dead and injured...The point we wish to emphasize in this article is that Islam opposes terror attacks and the killing of the innocent. All forms of terrorist attack are roundly condemned in Islam. According to the Qur'an, it is a great sin to kill an innocent person, and anyone who does so will suffer great torment in the Hereafter:

... If someone kills another person-unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth-it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to all mankind. Our messengers came to them with clear signs, but even after that, many of them committed outrages in the earth. (Qur'an, 5:32)

This verse equals the killing of one innocent to slaughtering all of humanity. Another verse expresses the importance of human life:

Those who do not appeal to any other deity besides God [alone]; nor kill any soul whom God has forbidden [them to] except with the right to do so; nor fornicate. Anyone who does so will incur a penalty. (Qur'an, 25:68)

Any Muslim who believes in God with a sincere heart, who scrupulously abides by His verses and fears suffering in the Hereafter, will avoid harming even one other person. He knows that the Lord of Infinite Justice will suitably reward him for all his deeds. In one of the hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) listed the kinds of people who are not pleasing to God:

"Those who act cruelly and unjustly in the sacred lands, those who yearn for the ways of the ignorant, and those who wrongly shed human blood." (Sahih Bukhari Hadith)

Terror Will Disappear When People Come to Live by the Moral Values of Islam

In the Qur'an (32:9), God reveals that He has breathed His Spirit into man, His creation, and that man is His representative on Earth (Qur'an, 6:165). One of the most important differences between man and the animals is that man was created with both earthly desires and with a conscience. Every person possesses desires that incite him to evil, along with a conscience that inspires him to avoid it. Alongside such pleasing moral attributes inspired by that conscience-love, sacrifice, compassion, humility, affection, honesty, loyalty and kindness-he also possesses destructive and undesirable tendencies, stemming from his earthly desires. Thanks to his conscience, however, the believer can distinguish between right and wrong and opt for what is morally right. Strong belief in and fear of God, faith in the Hereafter, powerful fear of the endless torments of Hell and a yearning for Paradise all keep the temptations of his earthly desires at bay. Therefore, he always behaves well towards people, is forgiving, responds to wickedness with good, assists those in need, and shows compassion, love, affection and tolerance.

Terrorists, on the other hand, listen to their earthly desire for violence instead of their consciences, and can easily turn to all forms of wickedness. They become loveless, aggressive people who easily hurt others without the slightest pang of conscience. Having no fear of God, they do not practice the morality of religion. Nothing can stop them from committing crimes.

In restraining its citizens, society's prevailing rules can go only so far. Thanks to its law enforcement units, the state may be able to partially protect streets and public spaces, and-thanks to a powerful system of justice-may be able to take necessary means to ensure public order and ensure that the crime rate drops. But since it's impossible to keep watch on every individual, 24 hours a day, it's essential that people act by their conscience. Someone who doesn't heed the voice of his conscience can easily turn to crime when on his own, or surrounded by people of like mind. That being the case, a model of society emerges which is composed of individuals who lie when necessary, have no hesitation about making unjust profits, and feel no unease about oppressing the weak. It is clear that physical precautions and measures will bear no fruit in a society which has no fear of God and which has lost its spiritual values. Religious moral values, on the other hand, command a person to refrain from evil, even if he is all alone, even if nobody will punish him for his evil deeds. It is evident that a person who knows that he will be called to account in the presence of God for his every deed, his every decision and his every word, and that he will be suitably rewarded for these in the eternal life of the Hereafter, will scrupulously avoid committing evil.

Terrorist organizations can't possibly have any place in a society whose people avoid evil of their own free will. Where religion's morality prevails, problems that give rise to organizations supporting the use of violence will disappear naturally. If the whole society possesses superior virtues like honesty, sacrifice, love and justice, there can be no place for such things as poverty, unequal distribution of income, injustice, the oppression of the weak, or limitations on freedoms. On the contrary, a social order will emerge that meets the wants of the needy; where the wealthy protect the poor and the strong, the weak; where everyone can enjoy the very best health care, education, and transport systems. There, tolerance and understanding will dominate the relationships between different ethnic groups, religions and cultures.

For these reasons, proper morality is the key to solving so many social problems. The source of that key, in turn, is the Qur'an, which God has revealed as a guide for mankind.

It must not be forgotten that unless necessary measures are taken, unless deep-rooted solutions are brought in, the 21st century will continue to be a time of terror and violence, just as the 20th was before it. The homes of innocent people will be bombed, and women and children will be slaughtered. The intellectual fight against terrorism, therefore, must be started with great urgency, to include very great numbers of people.

This fight will be fought on the level of ideas-between people who believe in God, who are loving, forgiving, compassionate and in full possession of their conscience; and those terrorists who draw their strength from ignorance and violence. In one verse, our Lord reveals,

"Why were there not people with good sense among the generations of those who came before you, who forbade corruption in the earth..." (Qur'an, 11:116). Believers should possess the good sense that God describes in the verses. While terrorists hope to achieve their aims by violence, believers know that true success can be achieved only by clinging tightly to the religion of God, and acting accordingly. Jews, Christians, and Muslims will join together in that struggle, in a spirit of respect for all beliefs and ideas and, by the will of God, enjoy definitive success. This is God's promise to all His believing servants, which will definitely come true.

At this point, a great responsibility falls on all true believers, no matter what their religion. Jews must not ignore Old Testament statements calling mankind to peace and tolerance, and they must call on all other Jews to oppose terrorism. So should Christians call on all other Christians, taking as their guide the morality most pleasing to God. One should not forget that terrorism stems from wrong ideas and the basic struggle against terrorism should be on the level of ideas. Believers must explain that these ideas are wrong, and that no idea can prevail by means of violence, oppression and cruelty; and despotism can never bring about beauty.

Terrorist ideology is built on sand. Its foundations can easily be swept away by mobilizing a proper education campaign. Sincere believers in all parts of the world can help end the ignorance that breeds terrorism by searching for solutions, writing books and articles, promoting educational activities and disseminating their own cultural heritage. The prevalence of tolerance, peace and security on the Earth, as commanded by God, will make terrorism disappear into the pages of history forever. Adopting a defeatist, pessimistic attitude in the face of terror is unacceptable. Our hope is that this suffering will not be repeated, and that all measures will be adopted to that end.

May God have mercy on those who died in those hateful attacks, and may He heal the injured. Our sincere condolences to all mankind.

, HARUN YAHYA
Born in Ankara in 1956, Adnan Oktar writes his books under the pen name of Harun Yahya. The works of Harun Yahya have been translated into 41 languages. To date, his books have been purchased by 8 million people, and an equal number have been provided free to readers by various newspapers and magazines. You can read, free of charge, 250 books Adnan Oktar has written under the pen name Harun Yahya, watch 180 documentary films and visit 56 web pages on this websites: http://www.harunyahya.com

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