Sittin' here this morning watching the morning news shows, and I see a report about mosques in Auckland, New Zealand, being vandalized in response to the bombings in London. I think that is wrong. The vandals have assumed that all Muslims are terrorists, and that is not the case. I believe that, logically speaking, it's a slippery slope from 'All Muslims are terrorists,' to, 'All Jews are vermin to be exterminated.' I believe it's the same thinking.
Having said that, I find myself increasingly frustrated by, what I see, as the lack of response, in regards to protest against acts like these, from the Muslim community. I understand that many in the Muslim community have a sense of being 'damned if they do and damned if they don't.' Damned if they do protest because that would make them a target of those same extremists, and damned if they don't because they fall under the condemnation of the rest of society. That's not a good place to be. The problem is that there are plenty of people here in the west who are more than willing to turn this into a cultural or religious war. West vs. East, Judeao-Christian vs. Islam. "Kill 'em all and let god sort 'em out."
What must be done then? I believe that a huge part of the responsibility belongs with the good, law-abiding Muslim community. Muslims in the west need to be seen and heard speaking out against terrorist attacks. I do not say they need to apologize for the attacks. Good, law-abiding people have nothing to apologize for, but it seems to me that by not speaking out much louder than they have, they allow the 'all Muslims are terrorists' mind-set to foster and spread.
I believe that the Muslim community absolutely must be more vocal and visible in speaking out against terrorist extremists. Where are the 'Not In Our Name' Muslims?
Having said that, I find myself increasingly frustrated by, what I see, as the lack of response, in regards to protest against acts like these, from the Muslim community. I understand that many in the Muslim community have a sense of being 'damned if they do and damned if they don't.' Damned if they do protest because that would make them a target of those same extremists, and damned if they don't because they fall under the condemnation of the rest of society. That's not a good place to be. The problem is that there are plenty of people here in the west who are more than willing to turn this into a cultural or religious war. West vs. East, Judeao-Christian vs. Islam. "Kill 'em all and let god sort 'em out."
What must be done then? I believe that a huge part of the responsibility belongs with the good, law-abiding Muslim community. Muslims in the west need to be seen and heard speaking out against terrorist attacks. I do not say they need to apologize for the attacks. Good, law-abiding people have nothing to apologize for, but it seems to me that by not speaking out much louder than they have, they allow the 'all Muslims are terrorists' mind-set to foster and spread.
I believe that the Muslim community absolutely must be more vocal and visible in speaking out against terrorist extremists. Where are the 'Not In Our Name' Muslims?
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