II. Fallacy

We live in a time when war is not a rare thing. As we speak, war is happening in many countries. In discussing these matters, I often hear from those who are not directly affected say, “If there was no religion, there would be no wars, and we would be at peace with each other.” This is a common statement from those who do not follow religion. But this could not be further from the truth.

There is proof that life without religion would not bring peace. We see it in governments and among those in the higher hierarchy: without religion, they are corrupt, committing acts so devilish that they go against not only religion, but against humanity itself. Look at the secular regimes of the past century the dictatorships, the genocides, the wars fought over land and power. None of those were caused by religion. They were caused by men who put themselves above everyone else. So when people say religion is the problem, they ignore the fact that some of the worst atrocities in history happened without religion playing any part at all.

Religion does not exist to divide us; it is actually there to help us live in peace. Religion teaches us that not everyone is the same, and the beauty of it is that we can all live together regardless of our faith. In Islam, for example, we are taught that diversity is part of God’s plan. The Quran says that God created us into different nations and tribes so that we may come to know one another, not so that we may fight. That is the foundation of peace.

Those who see religion as a weapon, rather than something that can bring us closer as mankind, tend to be people who are lost and choose to focus on the negativity in religion. When you try to educate them, they continue to hold onto false information because they want to believe that religion is the cause of all things. And I understand that religion can be twisted by people to justify bad things. That happens. But that is not the fault of the religion itself. That is the fault of humans who corrupt what is good for their own purposes.

In reality, it is the government that is the cause of these wars. They are the reason countries are failing, as they have put their own selfishness above creating a better world for everyone. They start conflicts over resources, over money, over power. And when people ask why the world is the way it is, instead of taking responsibility, they place the blame on religion. And the one religion that is commonly targeted with hate is Islam.

If you look into Islam, you’ll see that it’s a religion rooted in justice, kindness, respect, and peaceful coexistence. Muslims believe Islam is the true faith, but that doesn’t mean they should mistreat people of other beliefs. They’re taught to honor the dignity of every person and live peacefully with those who don’t oppose them. The problem is not the faith. The problem is those who misuse it, and those who blame it for things they do not understand.