THE only antidote to the act of terrorism is for the powers- that-be to be just and truthful in their dealing with others, even as Muslims have been urged to have a true understanding of Islam with a view to practising the religion as it ought to be done.

These were the submission of discussants at the symposium held last Sunday at the House of Chiefs, in Ibadan organised by the Al-Burhan Islamic Organisation, with the theme: “Terrorism and other Crises in the Islamic World”.

Speaking at the event, the chairman of National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Oyo State chapter, Alhaji Bashir Olanrewaju, said that terrorism would continue so far there was no truth and justice in the world, adding, however, that the act was not restricted to suicide bombing only but also included psychological and structural terrorism.

He stated that it was not Muslims alone that were involved in the act, noting that non-Muslims too were involved.

“The greatest terrorist in the world today is the self-appointed world police. Terrorism will continue in the world if truth and justice are not pursued by the world,” Olanrewaju submitted.

While tracing  terrorism to the cold war between the defunct USSR and USA, Dr Abdul Wahab Tijani, the Chief Imam of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, noted that the Americans now termed those it supported and sponsored against the USSR as terrorists because they did not have any other assignments for them.

“When America was using them against the USSR then, they were freedom fighters but now that it has no use for them, it calls them terrorists. It is a case of giving a dog a bad name so as to hang it,” Dr Tijani said.