A Historical Perspective : Major Wars Genocides and Crimes Were Not Committed by Muslims

In the modern media narrative, Islam and Muslims are often associated with violence and conflict. However, a careful and objective reading of world history reveals that the most destructive wars, genocides, and crimes against humanity were not perpetrated by Muslims. Rather, they were primarily driven by political, imperial, racial, or ideological motives—often led by non-Muslim states or regimes.

1. The Two World Wars

• World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945) were the deadliest conflicts in human history, leading to over 100 million deaths combined. These wars were primarily fought by European powers—such as Germany, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union.
• The motivations were territorial ambition, nationalism, and political alliances—not religion.
• The Holocaust, during World War II, was carried out by the Nazi regime, resulting in the systematic murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others including Roma, disabled people, and political dissidents.

📚 Reference: Gilbert, Martin. “The Second World War: A Complete History.”

2. Colonialism and Imperial Atrocities

• The Belgian occupation of the Congo (1885–1908) under King Leopold II led to the deaths of over 10 million Africans due to forced labor, starvation, and execution.
• The British Empire, at its height, controlled one-quarter of the world’s population, often through violent repression and economic exploitation.
  • The Bengal Famine of 1943, under British colonial rule in India, resulted in up to 3 million deaths, exacerbated by wartime policies.

📚 Reference: Hochschild, Adam. “King Leopold’s Ghost”; Mukerjee, Madhusree. “Churchill’s Secret War.”

3. The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

• In 1945, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, instantly killing over 200,000 civilians and causing long-term suffering due to radiation exposure.
• This marked the first and only use of nuclear weapons in war.

📚 Reference: Dower, John W. “War Without Mercy: Race and Power in the Pacific War.”

4. Genocides in the Modern Era

• The Rwandan Genocide (1994): Over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred in just 100 days by Hutu extremists. Rwanda is a predominantly Christian country, and religion was not the main driver of this atrocity.
• The Bosnian Genocide (1992–1995): Muslim Bosniaks were the victims of ethnic cleansing by Serbian forces in Europe, notably in Srebrenica, where over 8,000 men and boys were executed.

📚 Reference: Gourevitch, Philip. “We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families”; Power, Samantha. “A Problem from Hell.”

5. The Transatlantic Slave Trade

• The transatlantic slave trade, conducted mainly by European colonial powers such as Britain, Portugal, France, and Spain, resulted in the forced migration of over 12 million Africans to the Americas.
• Slavery was institutionalized and justified by economic gain and racial ideologies—not by Islam.

📚 Reference: Davis, David Brion. “Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World.”

Islamic History: A Contrast

While Muslims, like any other group, are not without fault, Islamic history shows a comparatively lower level of mass atrocities:

• The Islamic Golden Age (8th–14th centuries) was marked by scientific advancement, religious tolerance, and cultural exchange.
• In Al-Andalus (Muslim Spain), Jews, Christians, and Muslims coexisted for centuries under Muslim rule—something rare in medieval Europe.

📚 Reference: Firas Alkhateeb. “Lost Islamic History.”

Conclusion: Reclaiming Historical Balance

Blaming an entire religion for modern violence ignores the complexity of global history. The deadliest and most destructive events in the last few centuries were largely caused by nationalist, imperialist, or ideological regimes—not by Muslims or Islamic teachings.

Understanding history through facts, not fear, is essential in building a just and inclusive global perspective.