The Islamic Center of America (ICA) strongly and unequivocally condemns the recent wave of terrorist attacks carried out by ISIS and other terrorist organizations. The ICA offers its sincere condolences to the families of the innocent victims of the recent heinous attacks in Belgium on March 22 and in Grand-Bassam, Ivory Coast on March 13, Ankara, Turkey on March 13, Mastaba, Yemen on March 15, Maiduguri, Nigeria on March 16, Istanbul, Turkey on March 19.

While these attacks have come at a nightmarish pace in recent weeks the shock and the devastation they inflict each time should never be accepted as routine or the “new normal reality” as some would suggest. The extremists behind these attacks have devastated the lives of thousands of families with callous disregard for the blood of innocents in the name of some twisted interpretation of faith. We weep along with the mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers of all the victims in their inconsolable grief at the loss of their loved ones.

The recent horrific attacks in Brussels, like the other recent attacks, are not just against one country, one city or religion. In fact the wave of terrorist violence has no regard for the religion of its victims though they profess to embrace Islam and its tenets. Nowhere in the teachings of Islam are the murders of innocent victims condoned and in fact it is one of the greatest sins and assures the damnation of the perpetrators.

Of course greater vigilance and appropriate responses are a part of combating the campaign of extremism but our leaders must recognize the provocation for what it is; a campaign to divide and conquer. By creating chaos our enemies believe they can sow division amongst us that will lead to self-doubt and eventually self-destructive policies. The ICA believes the most effective solution to combat and win this war of extremism is to fight it with our greatest weapons which are the ideas and actions that reflect who we are; societies that embrace individual rights like liberty, free speech, religious freedom, freedom to assemble and a free and open press. Extremists have no room for these ideas because they believe the diversity they naturally create jeopardizes their ambition for ultimate authoritarian control based on their extremist world views.

As violently horrendous as these events are, in reality their primary purpose is not a battlefield strategy; it is a devious political strategy. Responding with ideas such as “scorched earth”, torture, and even “neighborhood patrols” are not only naïve but counterproductive. Any response or idea that diminishes our commitment to the values that have made our societies great brings us ever closer to the precipice our enemies are pushing us towards. Extremists on all sides who dream of a glorious Armageddon should be called out for what they are; thugs, murderers and charlatans who are selfishly pursuing a dead end dream with no glory and no reward in accordance with any faith.