It is perfectly obvious that fascism has only ever meant blood and suffering for mankind. The history of the 20th century can be seen as proof of this. But despite this fact there are still people in many parts of the world who are sympathetic towards fascism, or antisemitism, its standard-bearer. Fascist movements in our own time are rapidly spreading under the name of neo-Nazis or hooligans. Jews face anti-semitic attacks, and Muslims and other minorities are harassed and murdered, or their homes are set on fire.

Legal measures taken against these fascist gangs are ineffective, and such powerful governments as Great Britain and Germany are unable to suppress them. This is because they use inefficient methods. It is impossible to restrain and bring into line people who have been brought up with no knowledge of religion and to be utterly irresponsible, uncontrolled and aggressive. The only way to stop this aggression and terrorism that still persists in many countries today is to inoculate people with the morality taught by religion instead of pagan or atheistic ideologies that are at the root of fascism.

Fascism opposes peace, friendship, brotherhood, compromise and tolerance. The essence of religion, however, is good morality. So fascism is an ideology completely at variance with religion.

Islam Opposes Racism

• " Fascism approves of racism. Fascists have always claimed that their own race or nation are superior to others, and have used this claim as an excuse to seize other nations' lands and goods. This racist claim ends in countless wars, killings, and 'ethnic cleansing.' Whereas, as we have seen, the Qur'an teaches that superiority does not lie in race, color or any other feature, but in closeness to God and living by faith and morals. The Qur'an states this truth:

Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in God's sight is that one of you who best performs his duty. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (The Qur'an , 49:13)

In another holy verse, God describes racism as the "fanatical rage of the Time of Ignorance", and reveals to believers that He will protect them against this provocative ideology:

Those who disbelieve filled their hearts with fanatical rage - the fanatical rage of the Time of Ignorance - and God sent down serenity to His Messenger and to the believers, and obliged them to respect the formula of heedfulness which they had most right to and were most entitled to. God has knowledge of all things. (The Qur'an , 48:26)

As the verse makes clear, God has divided people into different races and ethnic groups so that they can get to know one another and live in peace, brotherhood and tolerance. In other words, contrary to what fascists think, different races and ethnic groups are not a tool for Social Darwinist conflict and 'struggle for survival.' There can be no question of biological superiority among different races and ethnic groups. God ascribes the only 'superiority' among human beings to closeness to Him, and living in faith and morality. In a condition where people adhere to the Qur'an , therefore, there will be no conflict of race, color or tribe, and claims of superiority on these grounds will never be able to find fertile ground to grow in.

"Fanatical Rage" Is A Pagan Attitude

• " History reveals that 'fanatical rage' is a sickness belonging to pagan or atheist societies, in which claims based on the superiority of a race, ethnic origin or tribe, and the conflict that results from them, have always existed. These people have always sought 'superiority' in physical features such as those. The Qur'an however says, 'All might belongs to God.' (The Qur'an , 10:65) Human beings are created by God with no distinction between race or skin color, but as helpless creatures utterly dependent on God. They all have to die. So nobody has the right to claim that he is superior to any other individual or society. These senseless claims will disappear in death. A holy verse on the subject of the Day of Judgement reveals this fact:

Then when the Trumpet is blown, no ties of kinship will exist between them on that day, nor may they question one another. (The Qur'an , 23:101)

TODAY'S FASCISTS: NEO-NAZIS Since the beginning of 1990's, fascist groups like skinheads and neo-Nazis have escalated their acts of terrorism. The "ethic" that these groups is the direct opposite of the morality of the monotheistic religions. Instead of mercy, love and modesty, they prefer cruelty, hate and arrogance.

As the verse makes clear, at the moment of death, the Day of Judgement or in the hereafter, concepts such as race, color and ethnic origin will be unimportant. The only thing of any importance then will be closeness to God and whether a person has won His mercy. On that day, nobody will be in a position to ask anyone about his race or ethnicity. Those people who are now passionate on the subject of their ethnicity, who kill other people and even burn them alive, will understand how helpless and dependant they are, no matter what their race.

Violence is Not An Islamic Method

• " Another distinguishing feature of fascism is its tendency to violence. Fascists see violence, the use of brute force, war and conflict as sacred concepts. That is not possible for someone who lives by the Qur'an . God wants the faithful to live by good morals. And the Qur'an describes this morality. For instance, a Muslim is charged with returning good for evil. God says this in one of the holy verses on the subject,

A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he will be like a bosom friend. (The Qur'an , 41:34)

It is out of the question for a person who behaves in accordance with the above verse to feel any sympathy for fascist logic and methods, or to show even the slightest tendency towards fascism.

Killing Innocent People is a Great Sin

• " Another feature of fascist morality is that it is quite capable of sacrificing thousands of innocent people without turning a hair for the sake of those aims that it perceives to be 'sacred,' and seeing that as a virtue. Fascists, who think that 'the end justifies the means,' actually carry out all kinds of brutality for an end that is in itself utterly unjustifiable. However, the Qur'an says that attacking people unjustly and killing the innocent is a great crime. According to fascism, human life is worth nothing, whereas religion sees the life of even one person as being of the utmost importance. God commands:

&if someone kills another person - unless it is in retaliation for someone else or for causing corruption in the earth - it is as if he had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, it is as if he had given life to all mankind& (The Qur'an , 5:32)

Bearing in mind that killing an innocent person is like murdering all mankind, it is clear what a great sin all the killings, murders and genocide carried out by fascists are. God reveals what awaits the cruel nature of the fascists in the hereafter:

There are only grounds against those who wrong people and act as tyrants in the earth without any right to do so. Such people will have a painful punishment. (The Qur'an , 42:42)

Islamic Morality Excludes "Rage"

• " Fascists have an exceedingly emotional make-up, for which reason they can easily be provoked, angered and incited to violence. Fascist groups tend to operate in the form of street gangs, become consumed with anger at even the slightest incident and immediately start fighting. Naturally, this emotional violence is completely contrary to what the Qur'an commands. The Qur'an speaks of intelligent, mild and moderate people who can restrain themselves when they grow angry. Nothing that happens makes them aggressive or angry:

Those who give in times of both ease and hardship, those who control their rage and pardon other people - God loves the good-doers - (The Qur'an , 3:134)

Islam Necessitates Reason and Calmness

" Another tendency possessed by fascists is the collective hysterical mentality. Many unintelligent and ignorant young people in fascist groups, who do not even know why they do what they do, get carried away by a kind of hysterical emotion under the effect of crowds, slogans and martial songs. They get carried away by the herd mentality and involved in group crimes that they would never carry out of their own free will. They can attack a foreigner for no reason, or pillage a workplace& Most people who engage in such actions do so because they have become part of the 'herd,' just one part of the psychology of the group, because their wills and consciences are weak. But God warns people against the deviancy of the majority:

If you obeyed most of those on earth, they would misguide you from God's Way. They follow nothing but conjecture. They are only guessing. (The Qur'an , 6:116)

Do not pursue what you have no knowledge of. Hearing, sight and hearts will all be questioned. (The Qur'an , 17:36)

Islam Supports Peace and Conformity

• " Another point where religion parts ways with fascism is the Qur'an 's recommendation of peace and compromise. These concepts are the exact opposite of fascism, which approves of aggression, conquest, war, brute force and oppression. The Qur'an views all of these things as cruelty, and God disapproves of them. On the contrary, God commands people to live according to what is good and with good relations between each other.

There is no good in much of their secret talk, except in the case of those who enjoin charity, or what is right, or putting things right between people. If anyone does that, seeking the pleasure of God, We will give him an immense reward. (The Qur'an , 4:114)

Conclusion

In conclusion, when we examine the fascist character, we see a system of ethics that is the exact opposite of such virtues as love, affection, compassion, humility, and cooperation that religion brings with it. Of course this system of ethics has existed throughout history, but fascism is a school of thought that supports it in a systematic manner and which under the influence of Darwinism portrays it as a 'scientific' and rational approach. The concept of 'cruelty,' that has always been condemned by religion, is systematically praised and justified by fascism.

This cruel and ruthless ideology lies behind the genocide carried out by Hitler against the Jews, Mussolini's ruthless conquests, the bloody civil war waged by Franco, Pinochet's brutalities, Saddam Hussein's killing of 5,000 civilians with nerve gas, the inhumane savagery meted out to the Bosnians and Albanians by Milosevic, and many other contemporary fascist killings.

Fascist ideology plays a role not just in political violence such as the above, but also in instances of violence one can see in daily life. The stabbing, beating or killing of people because of a simple misunderstanding are the product of a culture that sees and portrays violence as a kind of heroism. And at the root of this culture are the influences of the 'struggle for survival' of such ideologues as Darwin and Nietzsche.

The root cause of this sickness is that these people have no religion. They may claim to be religious if asked perhaps, but they have not the slightest awareness of the beauty and nobility that religion bestows on people. And for the same reason, the cure for the sickness is for people to learn the true meaning of, understand and live by Koranic morality.