The almost daily lawlessness in places like Chicago, France, and now southern California by those who choose terrorism over peace, violence over cooperation, hatred over love, all resembles a deadly virus in the body of the civilized world. Is there an ungodly connection between failed liberal policies and a political system masquerading as a peaceful religion?
Quoting Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, current ISIS leader, “Islam was never a religion of peace.” What does the promise of 72 virgins for the slaughter of innocents tell you? Yes, there are millions of peaceful Moslems, but do they know what the Koran says if they don’t understand Arabic, are illiterate to begin with, and intimidated into silence?
Have you listened to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan yelling “takbir” lately? This is nothing like what Jesus taught — a philosophy of peace and love. Christ did not play politics, he did not murder, and he did not advocate murder. He said, “Love your neighbor. Go and sin no more.”
Regardless of your politics or faith orientation, those who stand up for freedom of speech are not the bad guys! The assault on Charlie Hebdo publishers prompting remarks like “unnecessarily provocative,” “taunting,” or “hate speech” regarding the private event in Garland, Texas last spring constitute misguided commentary. Secretary of State John Kerry stuck his foot in his mouth yet again by saying the objections were “legitimate”!
What I learned in kindergarten is that sticks and stones may break my bones, but names (and cartoons) can’t hurt me. Ben Carson, Megyn Kelly, and yes, even Donald Trump were all correct. Read “Tyranny of Silence” (2014) by Flemming Rose, Danish author in defense of publishing the Mohammed cartoons, replete with dire warnings against limitations on freedom of speech.
According to Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz, “The fog of fascism is descending on college campuses,” our so-called institutions of higher learning where young people are attempting to dictate what can be spoken. We cannot be intimidated into silence over what must be protected — our 1st Amendment right to free speech, debate, religion, and peaceful assembly!
Is there a sick adolescent gang mentality gaining popularity similar to that found in “No-Go Zones” — ghettos not just in Europe, but also here where the police simply don’t go? Are many of the claims of police brutality the result of resisting arrest and defiance of authority? Any rogue cop is an anomaly best handled by an unbiased judicial system, if one exists.
Liberal author Tom Friedman ignorantly says of ISIS “…they don’t have jobs and never held a girl’s hand”, yet they spend millions on guns and bombs and they reproduce like termites.
They are bullies who prey on the vulnerable. The source of their riches is taxation through extortion, kidnapping, drugs, oil, and the rape of antiquities. Maybe they should stop destroying their neighborhoods and practice a peaceful religion!
Both radical Islam and its evil cousin here in places like Chicago and Ferguson and on many college campuses are based on scapegoating around false doctrine and policies that excuse bad behavior, keeping people in bondage or worse — deluded in a culture of drugs, violence, and the glorification of death. See Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s latest book, “Heretic”, a shocking expose of the hatred levied at anyone who dares to question Islam.
The civilized world is under attack due to a growing lack of respect for human life and law and order. Funny how history tends to repeat itself when we ignore the lessons of the past, but even Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot didn’t kill in the name of God.
This is war on our soil — anarchy that will not go away with a gun ban. In addition to a designated driver, now we all need a designated “packer”, locked and loaded.
It is also naive to talk about throwing money at mental illness when this is frequently nothing more than bad behavior by young males, and an occasional female, often recruited overseas, in our prisons, or on the Internet — angry, hateful, godless individuals full of excuses and blaming!
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love. That’s the only thing that there’s just too little of.” Peace to you and yours.
Celia Kiewit is an Encinitas resident.
4 comments
Jesus taught love and peace; Mohammed taught hate and murder.
Whoever wrote this article is herself fomenting hate by condemning an entire religion- Islam is known as a religion of peace all over the world. Why not write about right wing Christian terrorists and condemn all Christians? Just as wrong-headed. I’d suggest the writer attend a mosque and learn something about the human beings who are part of the religion rather than spew this stereotypical hate speech and hysteria.
Thank you Kate for a well worded response.
Thank you, Kate, for your thoughtful comments. Anyone claiming to act in the name of Christ is dishonest as Christ did not sanction murder. See the NEW TESTAMENT of the Bible. I know educated Iranians who defend the subjugation of women and claim Al-Jazeera is the only trustworthy news source! Can you explain that the Koran teaches killing of those who disagree with Mohammed? Finally, yes, too many killings, but as I alluded, they are often blacks killing each other. Peace.
I agree with Celia that we need to protect freedom of speech regardless of politics or faith orientation. That said, there is a big difference between having right to do something and something being right. While disrespectful cartoons on spiritual leaders (be it Jesus, Mohammed or Budha), burning of religious books or country’s country flags is legal, it is neither right nor respectful. The same could be said about using veil of freedom of speech while perpetuating and/or inflaming current phobia by portraying some of the major issues our country faces as direct correlation to the radical fraction of one single religion denounced by majority of the world.
I feel compelled to correct Celia’s comments that are factually wrong not to mention inflammatory to segments of our community.
As denounced multiple times by the POTUS, word leaders and Islamic scholars, ISIS neither represents Islamic religion/teaching nor it represents 1.8 BILLION people practicing Islam. They are a group of violent thugs and killers who are pushing deranged teaching/rhetoric and killing everyone who does not support their deranged ideology, primarily moderate, educated muslims in the Middle East. There is no shortage of hate rhetoric and bigotry from radical fraction in any religion (KKK?) but that’s not representation of the whole religion or the nation.
With re. to “do they know what the Koran says if they don’t understand Arabic, are illiterate to begin with, and intimidated into silence?”? This comment was beyond disrespectful to billion+ highly educated muslims around the world, not to mention all millions of others who had read the Qur’an. Was original Bible written in English for ease of understanding by us Americans!?!? (For the record, the King James’s Bible we current use was translated from Latin, which was in turn translated from Greek, which was translated from Aramaic) Most book stores provides books on major religions in English language (not to mention that Bible, Qur’an, Torah, etc. are available in pretty much all recognized languages). Furthermore, those that actually read the Bible know about the horrendous violence presented in it (which, btw, is common in books of all religions). I suggest Googling (or youtube) numerous street interviews where people were asked to read passages from the Bible under presumption they are reading the Qur’an. Quite shocking, right?
The terror attack in San Bernardino is heinous crime of deranged cowards against humanity that is and should be condemned by all. So is attack in Colorado Springs inspired by radical Christianity, Charleston church massacre inspired by white supremacy, shooting in community college in Oregon and 300+ mass shootings in the USA in 2015 alone – none of them inspired by Islam but nevertheless heinous, cowardly acts committed by “angry, hateful, godless individuals full of excuses and blaming” (as Celia rightfully pointed out).
For the sake of unity and peace in community and the country at large, I strongly urge all of us to condemn the hate, bigotry, racial and religious discrimination wherever it comes from and stand up to bullies who are promoting it under any pretense. Our country is built on democracy and tolerance, and we all a have a moral duty and legal obligation to defend and protect it.
Thank you.
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