Islamic State violates teachings

The anti-Islam terrorist group ISIS/ISIL continues to spread horror, killing innocents while using and abusing the name of Islam - the world's second-largest religious tradition after Christianity.

These outlaws are spreading death, destruction, and fear, in complete opposition to Islam's fundamental principles and teachings. By imposing their distorted and inhumane vision of religious practice, ISIS is also violating the core Quranic teaching on religious freedom that 'there shall be no compulsion in matters of faith” (2:256).

The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) President Salam Al-Marayati wrote this week in an op-ed published on the Huffington Post, 'For the most part, groups like ISIS have lost that understanding by eroding their connection to their own history and religion and thus corrupting their Muslim identity.”

MPAC and all Muslims of good faith strongly and unequivocally condemn the extreme, repugnant principles, and actions of ISIS. Their rise and rapid expansion in Iraq and Syria is an imminent threat to local civilians, regional, and to international stability.

The well-documented and horrific struggles of Christians in Irbil and of the Yazidis chased onto Iraqi remote mountains remind us all that true evil exists on earth. The resulting refugee crisis is overwhelming and growing. The critical question for the U.S. and the International community is what to do and how best to stop this menacing cancer.

U.S. bombing strikes are well underway in Iraq in a military mission that President Barack Obama said could go on for months. U.S. military planes have also been delivering vital humanitarian assistance to civilians fleeing the violence.

But the U.S. must exercise extreme caution in our unilateral intervention in this crisis. Experts warn that U.S. military force in the region only tends to create more problems, including the risk of terrorist retaliation and unintended suffering and death of innocent civilians.

President Barack Obama has said that there is no military solution to the crisis in Iraq and that there can only be 'an Iraqi solution.”

That crisis was born out of corrupt and one-sided inept leaderships in Iraq and Syria. The U.S. must garner international and U.N. support in this well-intended fight against ISIS.

' Shams Ghoneim is coordinator of the Muslim Public Affairs Council's Iowa chapter. Contact: shamsghoneim@mchsi.com.