Terrorism has no face. But those faceless faces, who implant terror by killing the innocent, have given a contour to their crime. On a trivial level, it is like Nicholas Cage - the villain - getting the face of John Travolta - the good guy - in a face-off surgery. Now the good guy gets the blame for all the bad deeds done by the villain. This simile expands to what is happening today. The face, which earned respect earlier, is looked with suspicion today. People with Islamic beard and headgear were looked up as role models for their honesty and uprightness. Their advice was sought on important issues and their intervention solved many a dispute. But today the mere presence of such a face in the crowd makes the people restless and apprehensive. Those who project the true image of Islam are still pious, honest and upright. They have not changed. What has changed is the people's perception. They don't realize that Nicholas Cage is committing crimes behind the face of John Travolta. Wherever a terror-linked blast takes place, the needle of suspicion in each case points toward the Muslims. Are Muslims involved in these acts of terror? No. Islam does not allow its followers to kill the innocent. The Holy Qur'an says in Chapter 5, verse 31: “Whoever kills a human being, unless it be for murder or corruption on earth, it is as though he had killed all mankind, and whoever saves a life it is as though he had saved the life of all mankind.” The Prophet had clear-cut instructions to be followed even in the battlefield: “Don't kill any non-combatant,” “Don't kill a woman, a child, an elderly person, or a monk in his monastery etc.” “Don't kill an animal except for food, don't destroy a building.” What terrorists are doing in the name of Islam is entirely opposite. So, the perception of the governments and the people has to change. They have to identify the Nicholas Cages behind the face of John Travoltas. The good guy must not bear the consequences of the crimes committed by the villain. Generalization is worse than terrorism. If a group of people commits a crime, the blame should not be put on the entire community. Identifying terrorists as Muslims is one of the worst crimes of generalization we have committed. A terrorist is a terrorist, whatever mask he puts on or whatever identity he wears on his sleeve. __
