Again, the Terrorist Is Muslim. Yet We’re Told: “Terrorism Has No Religion”

Remember the much-discussed dialogue from Shah Rukh Khan’s My Name Is Khan the repeated idea that being Muslim does not make someone a terrorist? The same narrative also appeared in New York, where the story went a step further, portraying Muslims primarily through the lens of victimhood and reinforcing the message that there is no inherent connection between Islam and terrorism. Across both films, the central narrative was clear: separate the identity of ordinary Muslims from the actions of terrorists, while presenting the Muslim community largely as victims of suspicion and discrimination.


Whenever a terrorist attack takes place, some voices are quick to shift the focus away from the attacker and towards portraying Muslims as victims. Downplaying the religious angle has often been part of this narrative.

Yesterday, a 9/11-like plane crash was thwarted due to the bravery of the Indian pilot. The incident unfolded on Tel Aviv-bound Flydubai flight (FZ1073) when an Omani based sunni muslim pilot attacked his indian co-pilot Captain Smit Machchhar and tried to hijack the plane. However, despite his injuries, Captain Machchhar fought back, and with the courageous intervention of crew members and passengers who managed to break into the cockpit, the co-pilot was successfully subdued.

 

Also Read: ‘Seva Paramo Dharma’: How Indian Sanskar navigated Captain Smit Machchhar as he averted a mid-air Jihadist Terror Attack

According to accounts from some passengers, the Omani co-pilot was heard shouting “Allahu Akbar” during the violent confrontation in the cockpit. The flight, FZ1073, was carrying around 174–180 passengers, most of them Israeli, and was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv.

 

 

Even when everything is clear, BBC is not calling this an "Islamic terrorist attack".

The terrorist pilot is an Omani muslim, while the flight captain he stabbed is an Indian Hindu.

BBC didn't spew a word on this information.
Do you still think BBC is fair media? pic.twitter.com/aYNDdEV9Ti

— Sagar STORM🔳 (@AlexAllone1) October 1, 2026

Even after what was a serious and potentially terror-related attack, some Western media reports downplayed the incident, describing it simply as an “incident” or focusing mainly on the flight diversion. Some reports did not mention that the co-pilot was Omani or discuss his religious background. To those who see a pattern in such coverage, this fits into the familiar “terrorism has no religion” narrative. Don’t be surprised if people like Arfa Khanum, Rajdeep Saidesai or Dhruv Rathee start posting about it on social media.

Also Read:  

CNN said ‘Altercation’, BBC said ‘Fight’: How western media framed the Flydubai incident

Many international influencers have already started it .. Look at the audacity they have.

It should be noted that this issue needs to be viewed in a global context, not only from an Indian perspective. Look at some of the major terrorist attacks of the past two decades: 9/11, the 2005 London bombings, the November 2015 Paris attacks, the 2016 Brussels bombings, the July 2016 Normandy church attack, and the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. Several of these attacks were carried out by Islamist extremist organisations or individuals claiming an Islamist ideology.

Muslims committed 64,600 global terror attacks. pic.twitter.com/Boa5HM7NgO

— Marishay (@marishayone) September 27, 2026

 

According to Fondapol, a French think tank focused on European integration and free-market economics, 66,872 Islamist terrorist attacks were recorded worldwide between 1979 and April 2024, resulting in at least 249,941 deaths. Within the European Union, France was the country most affected by Islamist terrorism, with 85 attacks committed on its soil between 1979 and April 2024. At least 334 people were killed in these attacks.There are 4,000 religions in the world. 1 is responsible for 96% of terror attacks.

If the data shows a significant concentration of terrorism among Islamist extremist groups, why do some sections of the left-leaning media appear reluctant to discuss the religious and ideological dimension?

Whenever a terrorist is arrested, some coverage shifts attention from the alleged crime to the person’s personal story. A militant may be described primarily through labels such as “teacher” or “student,” while the circumstances that led him to take up arms receive extensive emotional focus. Burhan Wani, for instance, was often described in reports as a young student-turned-militant, with coverage examining his background and personal journey. Why does humanity become the headline only when a terrorist is killed, but disappear when his victims are the ones facing the gun?

Even Zohran Mamdani has downplayed the religious dimension of 9/11 while shifting the focus towards Muslims as victims. He spoke about his aunt, saying she stopped taking the subway after 9/11 because she felt unsafe wearing a hijab.

Unfortunately, this does not stop at downplaying the crime. There have also been petitions and late-night legal interventions in cases involving terrorists such as Ajmal Kasab, Afzal Guru and Tiger Memon. Those accused or convicted in deadly attacks became the subject of urgent appeals and midnight courtroom proceedings.

Even now as well, the identity of the Omani co-pilot accused of attacking the captain has not been publicly disclosed. Reports have identified him as an Omani national, but his name and other personal details remain undisclosed while the investigation continues.Some newspapers have refused to call him a terrorist. Why?

It should be noted that one cannot deny that Terrorism and religion remain deeply connected, with Islamist extremism accounting for a significant share of major terrorist attacks worldwide. Islamic scripture contains verses discussing warfare against “kafirs” (non-believers), and Islamist extremist groups have repeatedly cited such passages to justify violence. And that is the ultimate truth. 

And let’s thank that Indian pilot. Had something worse happened, the Western media and sections of the Indian Left would have left no stone unturned to blame India, blame Indians, and run stories that painted the country in a negative light. Remember how they pinned “saffron terror”. Thankfully, the pilot fought back, the crew intervened, and a potential disaster was averted.