The atrocious murder of Nick Berg, an American civilian, was a crime that has gone to the hearts of all people, regardless of what country they are from or what religion they follow. Slowly decapitating a fellow human being is heinous, and it is cowardly. On top of this, the perpetrators, claiming to be Muslim, have gone completely against Islam’s fundamentals and teachings. Nicholas Berg was an innocent civilian, in Iraq to help the country, yet he was abducted, held captive, and beheaded for the world to see. In Sharia—Islamic law—it is forbidden to be cruel to prisoners of war. However, what these monsters did was a crime beyond cruelty. In war, Muslims are not even allowed to ruin crops or cut down trees, much less kill non-combatants. In any condition, war or peace, Muslims are not permitted to kill innocent people. The Qur’an says, “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, be he rich or poor…” (4:135). It shames me that some people claiming to be Muslims have defaced a multitude of people through their injustice and lack of regard for human life. Those who committed this atrocious crime cannot be regarded as Muslims due to their complete misunderstanding of Muslim law and way of life. If they think that murdering an innocent American under the guise of jihad will get them to heaven, they are deeply mistaken, for in my opinion, their act will result in the opposite. It hurts me to see a fellow American killed in such a vile manner, yet it hurts me more that the perpetrators of this crime have defaced a noble and peaceful religion in doing so.
