Western Perceptions of Islam and Global Terrorism

Western Perceptions of Islam and Global Terrorism is a clarion call to Muslims by Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ahmed Qadri, a renowned scholar of Islam and its spiritual dimension of Sufism, to take the high moral Islamic ground of bearing hardship with patience. The book is also counsel to those of other faiths to not judge the deeply spiritual tradition of Islam by the acts of a misguided few who commit heinous crimes under the banner of religion. The book examines different political and religious manifestations of extremism and offers a path that can lead to a lasting peace.

Western perceptions of Islam and global terrorism is an analysis of the pathology of extremist behavior that has taken the modern world awry. Although, the word "terrorism" dates back to a couple of centuries, its modern manifestations are most disturbing in that it is paradoxically associated with the pristine tradition of Islam whose etymology as well as goal is none other than the establishment of comprehensive peace - with oneself, with one's Creator, and with the rest of His creation. Islam, the book argues, is the solution to extremism, not the cause of it.
Western Perceptions of Islam and Global Terrorism is a clarion call to Muslims to take the high moral Islamic ground of bearing hardship with patience. It is also counsel to those of other faiths to not judge the tradition of Islam by the acts of a misguided few who commit heinous crimes under the banner of religion.
The book offers a solution to the modern-day crisis in the return to Tasawwuf-based Islam. Tasawwuf or Sufism is the spiritual and essential dimension of Islam that is rooted in the love of the Divine through the love of his Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and devotion to the Noble Saints (Awliya Kiram) and scholars of the Islamic tradition who in turn produced their labors of love, devoted entirely to the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace). This unbroken chain in both the spiritual as well as intellectual dimensions, otherwise known as Tasawwuf, is the comprehensive approach that has maintained cohesion in the global Islamic community (Ummah) for the past 14 centuries. Its abandonment is a ludicrous proposition and one that has proven to be detrimental. Tasawwuf is the path that leads to both inner as well as world peace.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ahmed Qadri is the Founding Director of the Islamic Educational and Cultural Research Center based in the United States of America, Canada, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. He has served as the Vice Chancellor of Nazeer Hussain University in Karachi, Pakistan. He is also a former Dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Dean Faculty of Islamic Studies at the University of Karachi, the largest public-sector university in Pakistan with a student population of more than 42,000. As a renowned scholar from Pakistan, Dr. Qadri has taught at its local colleges, as well as, the University of Karachi, Pakistan since 1983 till now. He has expertise in modern education and traditional Islamic Sciences, having completed the Dars-e-Nizami, an 18-year traditional Islamic scholar course from Pakistan. He has also studied with scholars from Al-Azhar University, Cairo. Dr. Qadri holds certification in Intercultural Communication from the Center for Intercultural Studies, University of British Columbia, Canada. Dr. Qadri is a gold medalist from Karachi University, and has received gold medals from the Intellectual Forum of Pakistan, and the Karachi University Teachers' Society. Dr. Qadri is also the recipient of many prestigious international awards such as the Ambassador for Peace Award presented by the Universal Peace Foundation and Interreligious and International Federation for World Peace in Canada, the National Education Award presented by the Pakistan Education Forum, and the Award for Research in Social Sciences presented in Dubai. Dr. Qadri has written over 50 research articles which have been published at national and international levels regarding terrorism, extremism, political economy, comparative politics, foreign policy, Islamic political system, etc. He has also published more than 12 books, World Peace Order Towards an International State, being one of the most popular. Dr. Qadri has appeared on several television programs including Pakistan Television Corporation, QTV (Quran TV part of ARY Network), and many others. He has also made regular guest appearances on radio broadcasts in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Qadri's goal is to foster and promote the light, love, and message of peace of our beloved Leader, Prophet Muhammad (prayers and peace of Allah Almighty be upon Him) and carry on the legacy of the Saints of our tradition of unconditional service to humanity, creating a culture of world peace and tolerance.