People misled by radical clerics and scholars have done and still doing much to defame the religion of Islam. The West perception of Islam that has evolved over the past few decades stands against what it actually is. Like other religions, peace is basic concept in Islam. Islam is in fact a religion that promotes peace and understanding among people of all faiths, and it strongly prohibits all forms of violence and aggression against all people regardless of their faith or race. Islam has stressed over settlement of conflicts and disputes through peaceful means.

Afghanistan, being an Islamic country, has faced the worst kinds of violence due to Islamic radicalism. Taliban who claim to be the soldiers and protectors of Islam are causing the most harm to peace and stability in Afghanistan and the image of Islam by practicing various forms of terror that are anti-Islam and anti-human. The Taliban have established that they are not the protectors of Islam but its enemies.

At the current scenario, the Islamic scholars and Ulema can play a key role to counter the growing radicalism in Islamic countries, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They must come forward and boldly speak out against the suicide attacks and others forms of terrorism in which civilians are killed.

An important international conference of prominent religious scholars from 24 Islamic countries on ‘Islam and Peace’ was held in Kabul on September, 24. The Afghanistan High Peace Council (HPC) urged the participants of this OIC-supported gathering to cooperate with Afghans in reaching to peace and stability. Certain Islamic scholars who spoke at the event pronounced the ongoing war as against the teachings of Islam. It was stressed in the conference that solution to the Afghan conflict should be sought in negotiation as war offers not solution.

Such conferences are needed to be held more frequently not only in Afghanistan but also in other Muslim countries. Terrorists are destructing the image of Islam and Islam is not the religion of Afghans only but it pertains to more than 2 billion people around the world. Terrorism and extremism are the greatest challenges facing the Muslim Ummah today and therefore it becomes the responsibility of the Islamic thinkers, scholars and Ulema to counter those wrong interpretation and misuse of Islamic codes.

The Afghan Ulema too can play a pivotal role in moving Afghanistan towards long-lasting peace and stability by condemning suicide attacks and other forms of terrorism that cause loss of civilian lives. A Fetwa must be issue to declare suicide attacks as Haram.