Bollywood actor Aamir Khan tried to whitewash the Jihadi reality of the Pahalgam Attack by stating that “no religion teaches violence.” To sound noble, this Urduwood actor forgets the reality of the attack. Khatna or Kalma were the key to survival for the victims of Pahalgam.
Despite living in a world marred by Islamic terrorism, Aamir Khan wants the world to believe his naive and incoherent statement.
While most religious followers live peacefully, it is also true that Islamic extremists and Jihadist terrorists claim scriptural legitimacy for their actions. They quote verses from the One-Book to support war, beheadings, and suicide bombings. So, is Aamir Khan’s view idealistic blind or a dangerous distortion of reality?
How Jihadists Weaponize Quranic Verses
Radical Islamic groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram frequently quote the One-Book to justify their atrocities. Their propaganda videos, online manifestos, and speeches reference specific verses. Many ex-Muslims state outrightly that Terrorism is a direct consequence of Islamic theology! Hardliner clerics interpret One-Book verses, literally rather than historically, to propel Jihadi action using the lens of medieval war jurisprudence.
Quran 9:5 – “Slay the unbelievers wherever you find them”
This well-known verse is called “ayat al-sayf” or the “Verse of the Sword”. It targets polytheists and non-believers. This 7th-century text is used by modern Islamists to put a target on the heads of all non-Muslims. For groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hindu murti-puja epitomizes shirk or polytheism. Thus, making Hindus prime targets of their hatred and guns. ISIS and the Muslim Brotherhood use this verse as a call to kill non-Muslims – when in historical context, it refers to a specific treaty-breaking group in 7th-century Arabia.
Quran 8:12 – “….cast horror into the hearts of the disbelievers….. strike their necks and strike their fingertips”
This particular verse promises Allah’s love to believers while asking them to instill fear in his name in the hearts and minds of non-believers. This verse is often cited by terrorists to justify beheadings and shootings.
Quran 2.191 – “Kill them wherever you come upon them.”
The verse asks One-Book believers to slaughter non-believers. Thereafter, it urges them to force them from their homes and promises great rewards in return. The verse guides the hand of violence in the world and helps terrorists disguise their hatred under a cloak of religious righteousness.
These interpretations are taught as Islamic thought without specifying that they were probably meant for 7th-century Arabia. Any Muslim scholar emphasizing that these verses were contextual to specific historical battles and not commands for all time – finds their voices drowned among the others that clamor for the blood of non-Muslimism. Jihadists use these, and others like them, to promote violence as a religious duty.
The Global Cost of Aamir Khan ‘s Denials
When celebrities like Aamir Khan say “No religion teaches violence,” they inadvertently create a moral blind spot. He refuses to acknowledge how a religious text, verse after verse, is dedicated to killing non-Muslims. Moreover, he refuses to accept that due to the rigidity of religion, these verses are not taught in context but as divine commandments.
Islamists and Jihadists use quotes from Aamir Khan and others to weaken the case for countering radical Islamic ideology.
Security agencies across the world—from India to France—document how young minds are radicalized through manipulated theology. Even Pakistani madrasa textbooks and terrorist recruitment manuals cite violent Quranic verses without context. Barelivi and other sects present war, mayhem, and martyrdom as the pinnacle of the Islamic faith. Does Aamir Khan not realize that denying this encourages “peacefulness” in the world? Does he believe his ostrich method removes this murderous reality from the world?
To counter Islamists and Jihadists, a more honest conversation is needed: one that demands reform in a religion stuck in the 7th century and also confronts how terrorists exploit religious sentiment.
Nuance Over Naivete – Aamir Khan Must Face “Peaceful” Reality
India has seen waves of Islamic terror – from 1946 Direct Action Day to partition to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. From bombings in Hyderabad and Delhi to Pahalgam – the Jihadist mentality towards non-Muslims guides each incident. In many cases, arrested terrorists cited Quranic justifications – for example, Kasab’s beliefs after the 2008 Mumbai Attacks.
Aamir Khan must understand that ignoring Jihadist’s worldview does not help de-radicalize future recruits.
Instead, exposing reality is essential to dismantling their ideological base.
Ironically, Muslim-majority nations like Egypt, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia have begun issuing fatwas and reforms to discourage literalist readings of the Quran. Shouldn’t public intellectuals in India, like Aamir Khan, support these progressive moves rather than deny the problem exists?
Bollywood actor Aamir Khan’s statement was a way to ask people to look beyond his religion and probably a way to promote his production house of upcoming movies. However, his words are naive at best and dangerously dismissive at worst. The reality is more complex. Islam’s verses inherently promote violence against non-Muslims. Jihadist terrorists systematically use this to justify their wars, violence, and killings.
Dear Aamir Khan – To defeat the radicalism that caused the Pahalgam Attack, we must first be willing to name it – even when it wears the cloak of faith.