To the young man who has fallen into extremism,
Perhaps you had long grieved over the sufferings of those affected by terrorism worldwide.
“Why did innocent people have to die at the hands of these people, God?”
Within you, the sense of injustice and the desire to make things right churned.
“Why did You not intervene, O Lord?” you silently questioned. “If You are an all-powerful God, why does evil prevail?”
Perhaps the live-streamed video of the New Zealand mosques shootings provided a solution. The attacker’s online manifesto intrigued you.
“Finally! A way to right this wrong once and for all.”
A few clicks of the mouse showed that you were not alone. Others across the globe have struggled with questions like yours.
“The terrorists must not prevail!”
So you went about planning how to nip terrorism in its bud. The anonymity of the internet shielded you, for a time. It is a cause worth dying for.
Until the security agencies intercepted you.
Young man, we condemn your actions. But we do this in love.
What terrorist organisations like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) had done should not be condoned. Radical ideologies have polarised societies, broken up families and taken countless lives.
Just last week, suicide bombings had killed 32 people and injured 73 others in Baghdad.
In the region, the arrests of 17 Jemaah Islamiyah members in Indonesia uncovered the plot to attack ethnic Chinese shop owners.
Reading such news makes us feel powerless against evil forces in the world.
The threat of terrorism is a real and present one. As believers, we should certainly stand up to the destruction brought about by violent extremists.
Yet, beware of the dangers of political idolatry. In his book Counterfeit Gods, American apologist Timothy Keller pointed out that people tend to “elevate some finite value or object to be The Answer.”
The result is the sense that we are the only ones who can right things and those opposing us are mistaken, even evil.
Scripture cautions believers against taking an eye for an eye. Romans 12:17 says that: “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.”
Moreover, the general Muslim population does not support acts of terror.
Singapore’s Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) is a group of volunteer Islamic religious scholars and teachers who are concerned about extremism and dedicate their time to rehabilitate terrorist detainees.
There are many other Muslims who are similarly peace-minded.
Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone.
Finally, we do not condemn you.
“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.” (John 8:7, ESV). Jesus once said this to the religious leaders and teachers of the law bent on punishing a woman caught in adultery.
In the same spirit, we urge you: “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Instead, we call on you to extend love, even towards those who do not deserve it.
Reverend Keith Lai, President of the National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) said, “As Christians, we are directed by our Lord Jesus Christ, who commanded us to ‘love your neighbour as yourself'”.
Know that “God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed” (Ecclesiastes 3:17).
