Ibtissam Al-Bassam, Special to Arab News

PARIS — On the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks on Washington and New York, religious services will be held in different cities and different languages around the world. Worshipers will gather in mosques, churches, synagogues and temples to remember the victims of a horrific act of terrorism. The attacks were a universal tragedy. The victims belonged to many religions, many cultures and many countries. Many of us lost friends and family members in the attack. Many suffered painful injuries, some of which were permanent.

The perpetrators of the attack do not represent Muslims or Islam and the attack is not a form jihad. Nowhere in the Qu’ran does Allah instruct Muslims to kill, to promote hatred or to cause destruction. Contrary to all that is said and written about Islam in the West, jihad does not promote terrorism. It is a noble activity in which we all engage. The origin of the word “jihad” is found in the word “juhd”, which means effort or struggle. Jihad is a struggle to preserve the purity of the soul and to promote peace, prosperity, honesty, cooperation and justice in the world. Work is jihad, supporting one’s family is jihad, helping and defending the weak and the needy is jihad, keeping away from sins and sinning is the highest form of jihad. Military jihad is permissible only when waged in self-defense. Killing is an unforgivable sin.

The events of the last two years have clearly shown that terror cannot be fought with terror. Therefore, the second anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks should be an occasion for deep reflection and soul-searching. We should seize this somber opportunity to assess our past and present actions, to resolve our differences, to correct our mistakes, to resuscitate fading friendships and to promote and support an effective international strategy to fight terrorism in every corner of the world.

The international community and the Arab world are determined to fight terrorism in all its forms. Most of us are eager and ready to participate in the ongoing war on terrorism. We are sick and tired of the incessant bloodshed in the Middle East and elsewhere.

It is therefore vital that we have a common vocabulary, a single, shared vision and unified, clear, agreed-upon objectives.

We need to know where we stand and where we are heading. We need to have clear definitions of words which we are using with great flexibility and little accuracy. Precise, internationally accepted definitions of words such as “terrorists”, “freedom fighters”, “terrorism”, “state terrorism”, “extremism”, “fanaticism”, “liberation” and “occupation” will help us identify and defeat our common enemies — visible and invisible. The policy of arresting suspects and filling prisons with innocent men, women and children will always backfire. It will breed hatred, create divisions and alienate many peace-lovers. It will destroy international unity and play into the hands of terrorists and terrorism.

Sept. 11, 2003 should be an occasion for all nations and world citizens to pledge loyalty and allegiance to justice, peace, prosperity, international cooperation and the welfare of all humanity. If the blood shed in the Middle East could be preserved and recycled, blood banks would have reached saturation levels long ago. When we remember the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, we should also remember the men, women and children who lost their lives in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Israel, Chechnya, Kashmir, Liberia, Algeria, the Sudan and in many other war-ravaged countries.

We live in the modern world. We have found cures to most illnesses. Can’t we find an effective cure for the hatred and bloodshed that have engulfed our world? Can’t the international community end the vicious cycle of provocation, assassination and revenge in the Middle East? Can’t we place equal values on the victims of our wars and our folly? Our hearts bleed for Americans, Britons, Iraqis, Palestinians, Israelis who are daily killed in the unending battles in the Middle East. We mourn them with the same fervor and the same grief and we remember them with equal pain and equal sorrow. They leave behind orphaned children, heart-broken parents, siblings and widows or widowers, who deserve our sympathy and need our support and prayers.

As we prepare to remember the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, we should stop leveling unfounded accusations against each other. The somber event is our opportunity to rebuild our mutual confidence and to break the ice that has accumulated between us over the last two years.

As we search for information on world events in libraries and as we follow the news in the media, we should be careful not to fall victims to manipulation and indoctrination.

Objectivity is a virtue that is rarely observed in the presentation of world events. It is a sad truth that the reporting of many journalists is influenced by biases, prejudices, likes and dislikes. Journalists and cameramen are mortals (as the events in Iraq sadly proved). They have their weaknesses and their strength.

It is a pity that many interesting books are written by authors who are either eager to prejudice us against each other or are keen to line their pockets with hard currency. Such books are fraught with inaccuracies and falsehood.

On the second anniversary of the attacks on Washington and New York, we will meet in mosques, churches, synagogues and temples to remember the victims of a universal tragedy that touched every heart and affected every life. May our unity be ever lasting. May wisdom guide our future steps. May patience, love, tolerance and forgiveness fill our hearts.

— Dr. Ibtissam Al-Bassam is academic adviser to the assistant director-general for education, UNESCO (Paris). The views expressed are her own.

- Arab News Opinion 11 September 2003