Islam vs Terrorism: The Stats That Shatter 20 Years of Myths About Muslims

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Islam vs Terrorism: The Stats That Shatter 20 Years of Myths About Muslims

By Daisy Khan

Aug 05, 2025

WISE Women with Daisy Khan, host Dr. Daisy Khan sits down with human rights lawyer and author Qasim Rashid to tackle these persistent myths with facts, statistics, and personal experiences that challenge everything many Americans think they know about Islam and terrorism.

Qasim Rashid brings unique credibility as both a civil rights attorney and accomplished author dedicated to defending human rights and dispelling Islamic misconceptions. A frequent contributor to major publications and former congressional candidate, Rashid combines legal expertise with firsthand experience navigating American politics as a Muslim, positioning him perfectly to address the complex intersection of religion, politics, and national security dominating American discourse since 9/11.

The conversation reveals shocking domestic terrorism statistics, explores the historical roots of Islam-terrorism associations, and demonstrates how authentic Islamic teachings actually prohibit the very actions attributed to the faith. Most importantly, it shows how meeting ignorance with compassion rather than endless defensive explanations might finally separate extremist violence from a religion whose name literally means "peace."

The Psychological Burden Muslims Have Carried Since 9/11

The episode opens with Dr. Khan, describing what she calls the "monkey on our backs" - that collective breath-holding among Muslims every time violence occurs worldwide, hoping the perpetrator isn't Muslim. This psychological burden has become a defining feature of Muslim American life, forcing an entire community to constantly apologize for actions they never committed. According to a Brown University study, over 4.5 million people have died in post-9/11 wars across Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia - mostly Muslim civilians with no terrorism connections.

This cycle of explanation creates what Rashid describes as fundamental injustice: holding the majority accountable for individual actions. The Costs of War Project documents how this burden extends into actual life-and-death consequences for millions of innocent civilians. The study reveals approximately 3.6 to 3.7 million deaths were "indirect deaths" from economic collapse, food insecurity, destroyed health facilities, environmental contamination, and ongoing war trauma.

What makes this burden particularly cruel is that Muslims have issued over 1,000 condemnations of terrorist attacks since 9/11, yet these statements rarely receive media coverage. Khan personally tracked condemnations in her Excel spreadsheet, documenting how Muslim organizations consistently denounced every major attack. The lack of awareness about these condemnations isn't due to Muslim silence but media decisions about story priorities, leaving Americans uninformed about the Muslim community's consistent rejection of violence.

Historical Roots: How Islam Became Associated with Terrorism

The Islam-terrorism association didn't begin with 9/11 but has deeper roots in Cold War politics and American foreign policy decisions. Rashid traces this narrative to the 1990s, noting that even after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing[Source: fbi.gov] - carried out by a white Christian extremist - initial newspaper headlines asked whether it was "Islamic terrorism." This pattern reveals how Muslims became default suspects for violent acts regardless of evidence or perpetrator identity.

The most significant factor came from America's Soviet-Afghan War choices. Rashid reveals that textbooks used to radicalize Afghan youth against Soviet forces were printed at the University of Nebraska using American tax dollars. Ronald Reagan hosted Mujahideen fighters in the Oval Office, praising them as equivalent to America's founding fathers.

This context exposes how extremist ideologies now associated with Islam were actually cultivated by Western powers for geopolitical purposes. The deliberate conflation of political resistance with religious doctrine created lasting misconceptions. Additionally, right-wing evangelical movements have spent billions on campaigns specifically designed to discredit Islam as legitimate religion, instead framing it as a dangerous political ideology to advance their own political agendas.

Understanding Jihad: The Real Meaning vs Extremist Distortions

One of the most misunderstood Islamic concepts is "jihad," deliberately distorted by extremists to justify violence while opponents use these distortions to attack the faith. The word simply means "to struggle," and Prophet Muhammad distinguished between "greater jihad" and "lesser jihad." After returning from physical battle, he explained they were leaving the lesser jihad (external struggle) to engage in the greater jihad - struggle against the self that incites to evil.

Any self-improvement effort constitutes jihad in Islamic teaching. Working to quit bad habits, studying to become an engineer, striving to be a better spouse, or learning new skills all represent jihad forms. The concept encompasses the universal human experience of struggling against personal shortcomings. When extremists distort this to justify violence, they're misrepresenting Islamic teaching and contradicting the religion's core emphasis on internal spiritual development.

Most Americans would be shocked that Islam contains the world's most comprehensive and compassionate warfare rules - more detailed and humane than any other religious system. These 1,400-year-old rules prohibit killing non-combatants, harming religious figures, cutting trees, poisoning wells, or destroying property. Islamic warfare rules categorically reject collateral damage and require treating prisoners with dignity. When the Red Cross founder witnessed Muslim armies treating prisoners with such kindness, he incorporated these principles into what became the Geneva Convention, where a bust of Amir Abdul Qadir now stands alongside the organization's founder.

The Real Terrorism Statistics: White Supremacists vs Muslims

While politicians and media focus on Islamic terrorism as America's primary threat, FBI statistics reveal a different reality. According to the FBI's congressional testimony, white supremacists and far-right extremists represent "the most significant domestic terrorism threat facing the United States." A 2019 CSIS analysis found far-right extremists responsible for 76% of extremist-related fatalities between 2009 and 2018.

Mass shooter demographics further contradict popular assumptions. According to the National Institute of Justice database tracking shooters from 1966 to 2019, white men represent 52% of mass shooters while comprising only 31% of the U.S. population. A recent analytical report by Cassandra McBride, featured on Ammo.com, states, white men committed 51% of all mass shootings since 1966, with 97.7% of all mass shooters being male. The Anti-Defamation League documented that over 90% of antisemitic hate crimes came from the right, with zero documented cases from American Muslims.

Despite these statistics, resource allocation remains backwards. Congressional testimony revealed that while far-right extremism caused 73% of extremist murders and Islamic extremism 23%, the FBI allocates 80% of field agents to international terrorism and only 20% to domestic terrorism. This occurs while FBI domestic terrorism investigations tripled from 850 to 2,700 cases, mostly targeting far-right extremists.

Key Statistics That Challenge Terrorism Misconceptions:

White supremacists commit 76% of extremist-related fatalities according to CSIS analysis
White men represent 52% of mass shooters while being 31% of the population
4.5 million people died in post-9/11 wars, mostly Muslim civilians unconnected to terrorism
90% of antisemitic hate crimes come from the right, with zero documented cases from American Muslims
FBI allocates 80% of counter-terrorism resources to international threats despite domestic terrorism being more deadly

Transforming Hearts Through Authentic Values

The most inspiring part comes when Rashid shares his response to Islamophobic hate mail during his congressional campaign. After discovering his attacker was raising money for his seriously ill wife's medical treatment, Rashid donated $60 and tweeted about it, explaining his faith called him to serve all humanity regardless of treatment. Within 24 hours, followers had funded the entire $25,000 medical campaign, demonstrating authentic Islamic values in action.

This generated over 10,000 messages, with 99% from people saying they had never met a Muslim but now understood what Islam teaches. Many pledged to stand against Islamophobia for life. Rashid's approach proved more effective than theological debates - he lived his values authentically and let people draw conclusions. This mirrors Prophet Muhammad's example, who won a woman's respect by carrying her heavy load for miles without revealing his identity, creating change through service rather than argument.

The episode demonstrates that meeting ignorance with compassion creates more lasting change than endless apologetics. When Muslims focus on living values rather than defending them, others see authentic Islam in action. Americans consistently prove fair-minded when presented with accurate information and genuine connection. Khan's experience with a right-wing group illustrates this - hostile questioning about Sharia law ended with the group asking why more Muslims don't engage in these conversations, transformed through honest dialogue rather than debate.

Take Action: Building Understanding in Your Community

The conversation between Khan and Rashid provides a blueprint for moving beyond exhausting Muslim apologetics toward authentic engagement that changes hearts and minds. Every American can play a role in creating a more informed and inclusive society by taking concrete steps to combat religious prejudice and misinformation.

Start by educating yourself about actual terrorism statistics and sharing factual information with friends and family influenced by fear-based narratives. Support local interfaith initiatives that bring communities together around shared values. Contact media outlets when you encounter biased coverage promoting stereotypes instead of factual reporting, and amplify voices like Rashid's who provide educated perspectives on complex issues.

Most importantly, judge political candidates and community leaders by their character, policies, and qualifications rather than religious affiliation. American religious freedom only becomes real when extended fully to all communities, including those whose traditions we may not understand. By choosing substance over sensationalism and inclusion over fear, we can ensure future generations grow up in a country that lives up to its highest ideals.

This episode of WISE Women with Daisy Khan demonstrates that the path forward lies not in endless explanation but in authentic action - showing rather than telling what true religious values look like in practice.

#WISEWomen #TruthAboutJihad #Islamophobia #AntiHate #JihadExplained #Islammisunderstood #StandUpToHate #Islamiceducation #AmericanMuslims #ReligiousFreedom #TruthMatters

Connect with Dr Daisy Khan:

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Connect with Qasim Rashid:
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