In this important video presentation by Bridges Foundation, director Fadel Soliman delivers a thorough, evidence-based response to the anti-Islam propaganda film “Obsession.” In Part 2 of this series, the discussion focuses on the critical distinction between violence and terrorism, the conditions under which Islam permits armed defense, and why comparing Islam to Nazism is both intellectually dishonest and historically inaccurate.
Understanding Jihad, Violence, and Terrorism
Fadel Soliman makes a crucial distinction that is often deliberately blurred in anti-Islam media: violence between two combatants is fundamentally different from terrorism, which targets the weak and defenseless. The Quran explicitly commands Muslims to fight in defense of the oppressed — men, women, and children who cannot defend themselves. Jihad, properly understood, is not terrorism but rather the opposite: it is war against terrorism, conducted under strict ethical guidelines established 1,400 years before the Geneva Convention.
“The word Jihad does not equal terrorism. The word Jihad equals war on terrorism — the real war on terrorism. Without killing civilians, without bombing cities. Jihad means just war. Going to fight for oil, for example, is not considered Jihad.”
Islam’s Stance on Key Controversial Topics
- Revenge vs. Forgiveness: While Islam permits taking proportionate retribution, the Quran explicitly recommends patience and forgiveness as the higher path
- Islam and Racism: The very first sin in Islamic theology was Satan’s racist refusal to bow to Adam, claiming superiority based on his creation from fire. God expelled him from Paradise for this — racists have no place in Paradise
- Suicide Bombing: Research by Robert Pape in “Dying to Win” proves that suicide bombing is driven by occupation, not religion — the Hindu Tamil Tigers committed as many attacks as Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad combined
- Holy War: The term “holy war” comes from the Crusades, not Islam. The Quran acknowledges that Muslims hate war, and God considers a peace treaty a “Manifest Victory”
“God Almighty said in the Quran: ‘So if they withdraw from you and fight not against you and offer you peace, then Allah has opened no way for you against them.’ Islam is a religion of justice — and to establish peace, justice must prevail first.”
This presentation is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand Islam’s actual teachings on conflict, justice, and peace — as opposed to the distorted narrative pushed by propaganda films designed to foster fear rather than understanding.
