Former Dean of Islamic Law at Qatar University 'Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari: We Instill Love of Death, Not Love of Life, in Our Youth

The following are excerpts from an interview with former Dean of Islamic Law at Qatar University, 'Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari, aired by UAE TV on April 2, 2005.

Interviewer: Someone who carries out a bombing and blows himself up – is this a psychological state? Is such a person sane? We discussed this on the previous show, but it's okay to say it again.

'Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari: Is he sane? Yes, he is. We cannot accuse him of being insane. I also don't agree with those who claim that this person was misguided or enticed. No! Nor do I agree with those who claim that these people are young and ignorant. On the contrary. They quote texts, and they have counter-arguments to any argument. But I say that they have a deviant way of thought, because of extremism.

We have not succeeded in making our children love life. We have taught them how to die for the sake of Allah, but we haven't taught them how to live for the sake of Allah, how to build, be productive, create, and invent for the sake of Allah, how to highlight the values of Islam and be tolerant for the sake of Allah. This is the problem. They understood Jihad the wrong way. They understood "the duty to do good and change evil" the wrong way. Moreover, we have made them hate life. The truth is that we have made them hate life by saying that everything is forbidden. We did this with excessive extremism. Excessive extremism is a path that leads a person to hate life. If a person hates life, he will soon look for the gate of suicide and bombing, which leads, in his opinion, to paradise and to its black-eyed virgins. He wants to rid himself of this world's troubles and to reach the relief of the world to come. Our duty is to make our youth love life.

Interviewer: How?

'Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari: With tolerance, religious pluralism, and diverse religious thought.

A preacher in not allowed to impose his opinion in a controversial issue, whether religious or political. He is not allowed to become a military general and declare Jihad. Declaring Jihad is the prerogative of the ruler. A preacher is not allowed to turn his sermon into a political news bulletin.