Fighting The "War On Terror" With Education, Not Violence.
@danishcanadian (28953)
Canada
April 26, 2013 2:06pm CST
In the nearby town of Kitchener, I have had a number of great opportunities to befriend a large group of Muslim women. I have attended various educational events on Islam, and a few fund-raising dinners. A portion of the profits from the food we ordered went to their organization, and ONLY their organization, so that they might plan future events.
I am not interested in converting, just learning. I am a Presbyterian, and very comfortable in my church.
Anyway, yesterday's event was geared towaards Muslim women, so that they might be able to recognize a "hate related incident" if they saw one, or experienced one, or heard about one. They also talked about where to go for help, and so on, and so forth. The final speaker was a local Imam, and what he had to say was extremely interesting.
He talked about not meeting violence with violence, but rather reporting crimes to the properly authorities. He talked about not just standing idly by either. It is our duty as human beings to stand up against hate, but at the same time, we should not take the law into our own hands either, so that we may remain safe.
What I found interesting was that this Imam spoke, from a Muslim point of view, in a way that I'd hear in any other church, or religious organization. Filter the hate-related crap out of a religion, and just leave the good stuff.
So, what does this have to do with "fighting a war on terror?"
Think about it! 10 days after the Bostom bombing, and I, a Danish-Canadian Christian, EXTREMELY OPPOSED to what the bombers did, was sitting in a room full of Muslims, listening to an Imam speak, and getting something out of the talk, too.
I had the chance to chat with him afterwords, and we both concluded that the BEST way to fight terror is to learn about a religion rather than fearing it. Listen to an Imam, and know that there are moderate and radical Imams, just like there are moderate and radical ministers, priests, rabbis, or anyone else in religion. Not all Priests are child molesters. Not all Imams are hate-preachers. Not all Christians are affiliated with the Westborrow Baptist church. Personally, the few priests that molest ought to be de-frocked, and the WBC folks aren't Christians.
Getting back to the Boston Bombers, those men were SELF RADICALIZED. What they were practicing was NOT Islam. It was a baztardized version of somethong only loosly based on what they THOUGHT Islam was all about. Don't judge Islam by them!!
Your thoughts? If you're a Non-Muslim, have you ever had the chance to talk to an Imam? Non-Christians, have you had the chance to talk to one of our pastors, or priests? Non Jews, have you ever spoken to a rabbi or cantor? What did you get from the experience?
2 people like this
9 responses
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
26 Apr 13
Not trying to be argumentative or bust chops, but those people who pervert religion--could be Islam, could be Judaism, etc--are going to say the same thing back to you: What you practice is NOT the true religion X; it's a bastardization of that religion.
Everyone who believes in religion believes their religion is the right religion and that the way they practice it is the right way, and they subsequently think everyone else has the wrong way. So, not for nothing, but you saying that these bombers weren't really Muslims and not Islam means nothing to me. And nothing to them or the people who act the same way.
Sure, not all religious groups are hateful. But if there's a Christian that kills an abortion doctor and claims it was their religion that drove them to do it, per the way they practice it, I can't say that his religion is false and the people who don't kill have the right idea. I believe that the ones who don't kill are closer to being sane, but since I don't subscribe to any religion, I don't know who's right and who's wrong. For all I know, it's the terrorists practicing the right stuff and the peaceful people on the wrong path.
It really doesn't matter, in my opinion. Maybe it matters to religious people. And if this were in the Religion section, I probably wouldn't respond. But to the world at large, I don't believe there's this blurring of the line; I don't believe that many people (save competing religions) view the whole of Islam as radical.
But how do I know that this isn't Islam? Because one guy says yes and one says no -- which way do I go?
1 person likes this
@matersfish (6306)
• United States
26 Apr 13
Though I was still as respectful as I could be, I brought them up because they were in the politics section. In the religious section, I would let it slide, because I'm familiar with how a worshiper qualifies what's "accurate" in religion -- being the way that they particularly worship.
1 person likes this
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
27 Apr 13
I like how you put that, and yes, you were respectful.
Here's my take on it.
Islamists USE religion, pretty much like middle ages rulers did, as an excuse to gain MORE POLITICAL POWER. They can point to abuses by the 'others' and claim a 'right' to kill.
The soldiers of Islam used this reasoning to take over N.Africa, the mid east, and southern Europe. (spain, Turkey)
IN turn, the Europeans used Islamic violence to wage the bloody Crusades. Now, the Crusades are an excuse to wage jihad on the West.
In all cases religious reasons are used to rally the troops.
Is it then the religion itself, or the practitioners who are at fault? I could cite for you all the 'religious' reasons Islam is a false religion. YOu would not be swayed because you in turn do not agree with MY reasoning.
All I can say is religion gets used by INDIVIDUALS and political movements to gain power. In my opinion, that does not make religion the culprit, it makes evil human beings the culprit. I still contend though, that Islam is not just a religion, but a political ideology intent on making the world submit. Even at it's very beginning, the sword was used to conquer and convert. Far cry from the peaceful beginnings of the Christian religion, which did not use the sword until after the Roman emperors saw it as a way to gain more power.
@robspeakman (1700)
•
26 Apr 13
I did try to avoid mentioning some of the points you made...
I have come to realise that the religious folk on here can be a tad touchy
1 person likes this
@dagami (1158)
• Rome, Italy
26 Apr 13
the only solution to this problem is to stop mentioning the religious denominations of the terrorists. they are terrorists and mass murderers... STOP let's not add the religion. most believers do not condone the actions of these terrorists but they suffer from the onset of prejudice against them that resulted from the pairing of islamic/muslim to the word terrorist.
P.S. (for the record, i am not muslim.)
i have plenty of friends from the islam faith. whenever news reaches us about bombings and other terroristic attacks, i have never heard of any of them saying words other than that of condemning the incident.
most people in the world, whether they be muslims, hindus, buddhists, christians, baha'is, jews, etc. are so wrapped up in their own daily lives and problems and they do not care much about the ideas that these radical groups are espousing.
most of us just want to be given a chance to live our own peaceful life. we just want to be with our families, to get on with our day to day routines. we do not want to be bothered by these terrorists. we do not care for their wars.
if i am a muslim, i would wonder why my religion has been coupled by some with the word terrorist. like you and the rest of the people i know, i want just want to live my life peacefully.
1 person likes this
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
27 Apr 13
Well said. I guess there are times when a minority does the bad hings but the everyone reaps the results. There are also some people who don't help any misunderstanding or miscommunication because they are firm and insistent on their belief on what is right and justifiable.
Any religion has its won violent past (dunno for Buddhism) and violent sectors.
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
27 Apr 13
Islam is the most disputed and confused religion in the world. Living among the muslims in Malaysia where the official religion is Islam have taught me to respect this religion as the muslims here practiced their true faith which doesn't use violence to champion their religion and their exemplary practice of Islam is nothing like the barbarism of Islam we hear today that could send shiver down our spines. Islam like all other religions of the world teaches godly and goodly teachings to their followers. There is no such thing as killing of non believers for a one way ticket to heaven. How violence suddenly become associated with this peaceful religion must be started by muslim fanatics who distorted the true teachings of their holy book.
1 person likes this
@CatsandDogs (13963)
• United States
27 Apr 13
That had to be really interesting to go to! Like you, I'm a Christian as well but from the USA and believe that there are different types of Christians as well as Muslims, Jews and so on. My mom and I loved to learn about different religions and the hows or whys things were done even though we weren't interested in converting just learning the ins and outs of how things were done. Good for you for being brave enough to go to this! I'd be afraid to because would they accept my wanting to be there and learn or would they judge me thinking I'd be a part of a hate crime thing.... ?
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 Apr 13
The other best way to fight terror is to get our governments (especially mine) out of other countries' business...
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
26 Apr 13
Hello Danishcanadian, Maybe the entire Moslem Community should have their own governing body that gives strict compliance and test to whomever joins the religion instead of just simply recruiting and recruiting like some guy in the networking business. that's the problem anyways, some would brag about the religion and some would think that USA is the ultimate goal for false jihad crap blowing other places up. i know most of them are religion of peace, or just simple businessman who sells cheap and broken Cellphones
Have a nice day
Have a nice day@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
27 Apr 13
I thought picking a religion that suits us best is part of our freedoms. Then, again I know people who would stick to the religion they grew up when asked on a form but don't really practice it or practice it less than what people thought they should.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
28 Apr 13
Great post. I agree 100%. When 911 happened I went out of my way to say Hi to every female child Of Islam I saw.I still do!My favorite time was smiling to a wife who was covered in black. Only her eyes showed but I could tell she was smiling back! They are just people, fellow American Citizens!Any person who murders in the name of their G-d has got the message wrong.
@lampar (7584)
• United States
26 Apr 13
It is just no truth saying that western countries are out there right now fighting the war on terror with violence, most of these countries are fighting back terror with their security/military forces and with the proper channel, they are not going after Muslims or Islam, except terrorists in their war on terror except it is distorted constantly by the extremists propaganda machine. al-Queda and its affiliates recruitment centers are hyping up all these lies about the 'war on terror as a war on Islam to all Muslims. Majority of the people of faiths understand war on terror is not war on Islam except some radicalized elements with personal/organizational agenda continually to claim otherwise to distort the truth.
@RAJASB (109)
• India
27 Apr 13
It's a great thought to end terrorism with awareness and not through violence. Every child should mandatorily made go through education and should be taught with moral value along with formal education. People should be taught how to love each other, every human being as good as you and he has emotions, he gets pain just like you. If each and every soul thinks the same way, then you do not need any heaven.
