Why are most of the Muslims terrorists?

The word 'terrorist' literally means a person who causes terror. Whether that terror is justified or unjustified determines whether the label is fair.

A policeman is a terrorist for criminals — and that is a positive role. When a country's army fights against invaders, they are 'terrorists' to the enemy. The label depends entirely on perspective and who controls the narrative.

History provides powerful examples of how the same activity receives contradictory labels depending on the viewpoint:

Before India gained independence in 1947, Indians who fought for freedom were called 'terrorists' and 'militants' by the British Government — yet every Indian calls them 'patriots' and 'freedom fighters.' Same people, same activity, two completely different labels based on two different perspectives.

The British Empire also labeled George Washington and the American revolutionaries as 'Terrorist No. 1.' After independence, the same man became the first President of the United States and is celebrated as a hero.

Nelson Mandela was called a 'militant' and a 'terrorist' by the White Apartheid regime of South Africa and was imprisoned on Robben Island for over 25 years. The criterion used by that regime was skin color, which Islam categorically rejects. The Qur'an states: 'O mankind, indeed We have created you from a male and a female, and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you' (49:13). Mandela later won the Nobel Peace Prize — the 'terrorist' of yesterday became the Nobel Prize winner of today.

Perhaps even more striking: Menachim Begin, the former Prime Minister of Israel, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1978 despite being responsible for the killing of thousands of Palestinians. The media that labeled Mandela a terrorist gave Begin a peace prize.

The media plays a major role in the formation of impressions, viewpoints, and perspectives. It can make black into white, turn day into night, convert a hero into a villain and a villain into a hero. The Qur'an addresses this directly, commanding Muslims to verify any information before believing or acting upon it: 'O you who believe, if a wicked person comes to you with any news, verify it' (49:6).

Islam condemns the killing of innocent people in the strongest terms — equating the murder of one person with the murder of all humanity (5:32). Every Muslim should be a force for good against antisocial elements — robbers, criminals, oppressors — just as a policeman should be a deterrent for lawbreakers. Before giving any label to any individual, one should first ascertain the reason for which that person is striving.