My visa application for my visit to the United Kingdom was ready. All papers in place, photograph taken and visa appointment fixed. It was then that I heard about the latest attack in London, where a van mounted the pavement of London Bridge and drove into pedestrians. Another attack by “Islamic terrorist”. Even though I was keen to go ahead with my visit, my girlfriend wasn’t that convinced and we decided to call it off. A plan that became the victim of fear. The fear of terrorism.

I hate Muslims–yes I hate them, and I say it as a Muslim myself. I hate those Muslims that kill in the name of Islam and I hate those that keep quiet while the fringe takes over the narrative. I hate the blood that is being shed in the name of Allah who is all benevolent and merciful. I hate the crimes being committed all over the world calling out his name and I hate those that keep quiet and don’t speak up enough for their voices to be heard. And so I am speaking up, maybe a lone voice, or maybe a part of a larger group who wants to tell everyone that Islam does not propagate killing and killing in the name of Allah is not what Islam stands for.

Every time there is a killing anywhere in the world carried out in the name of Islam, I hear voices from within the Islamic community cry out saying “They are not Muslims”, but unfortunately they are, they are part of the Islamic faith and they carry out the killing in the name of Allah. They are misguided, radicalised youth but to deny that they are Muslims is not the solution. They are victims of circumstances and are radicalised to carry out killings in the name of Islam and once they do, it provides easy fodder for the media and the powers to be to carry out another tirade against Islam and continue with their fear mongering. But is terrorism simply about Islam?

A common definition of terrorism is the systematic or threatened use of violence in order to intimidate a population or government and thereby affect political, religious, or ideological change. Would it surprise you if I told you that before Britain invaded Iraq, there was NONE and I mean NO act or terror by an “Islamic” terrorist on British soil. America has seen assassinations and the use of bombs as a part of their history since forever. From the Gnadenhutten massacre (1782) in Pennsylvania, where militia rounded up and executed 96 unarmed pacifist Christian Delaware (Lenape) Indians, including 69 women and children, to the 70’s when the most active perpetrators of terrorism in New York City were Fuerzas Armadas de Liberacion Nacional, a Puerto Rican separatist group, responsible for 40 NYC attacks through the decade. The USA has seen it fair share of terrorist attacks. But the first sign of “Islamic” terrorism happened only in the 90’s when on February 26, 1993, Islamic terrorists detonated a massive truck bomb under the World Trade Center, killing six people and injuring over 1000 in an effort to collapse the towers.

It happened just two years after the First Gulf War. A war where the US invaded Iraq. Right now as well, acts of terror being carried out in Europe and in Britain are a direct result of wars being waged in Syria and the fallout of the wars being waged in the Middle East. War is a business and a business that runs the world. Arms merchants, oil tycoons and corporations the world over thrive on the business of war, and when you invade a country, they will hit back and hit back in any form that they can. I am not getting into the history of the formation of the ISIS and AL Qaeda and how the US and western powers are responsible for their formation, but the point I am trying to make here is that when the media says an “Islamic” terrorist bombed Paris, or Berlin or London. It is a wrong narrative. It is a “Syrian” or an “Iraqi” or a “Palestinian” who is hitting back at a government that he believes has wronged him, not a “Muslim” terrorist. But why does he kill in the name of Allah?  The question many would ask: because that’s the way he is radicalised and made to believe that the infidels are carrying out a war against Islam, that the “Christian” west is waging a war against the “Islamic” holy land. Why is there no terrorist from Jordan or Indonesia or Kuwait or Qatar and why only from Iraq, Afghanistan or Syria? We are living in a time where terrorism has become the new age art of guerilla warfare, and if conventional war is something that is not possible, then these are acts of retaliation. Terrorism has nothing to do with religion.

The responsibility of ensuring radicals don’t take over the community also lies within the community. Until when will we keep quiet and only let them control the narrative? Doesn’t the responsibility of standing up for the true teachings of Islam lie with us–the educated liberal Muslims? These are troubled times and in troubled times responsibility has to be taken up by everyone. I hate the oft-repeated ‘they are not Muslims’ line. Let’s raise our voice to drown out the voices of radicals. Let’s not be scared of being ostracised and let people see that Muslims are rational modern and sane people, not just the images that are flooding TV screens every day. Unless the peaceful majority of Islam doesn’t stand up, the violent minority will control the narrative within and outside the religion.

I speak up and say….#NOTINMYNAME….not now, not ever.

The author can be contacted on Twitter @samarmumbaikhan.