Last night as I watched the news I saw statements flying, today I hear more of it defending and attacking. I put my thoughts out there, not w
anting to be “in your face” but just sharing my perspective. I decided to share here since the rhetoric is getting more heated.
I just watched the news and am issuing my own statement.
I want my Muslim friends and strangers who may have a different faith than I grew up with to understand that the rhetoric about religion & immigration that is going on these days does not in anyway represent any of my thoughts or feelings. It may be good for folks who grew up similarly to me to know too I guess.
Throughout my adult life, I have been lucky enough to have many friends of different faiths welcome me into their homes and places of worship including beautiful mosques like this one in Kuala Lumpur during the religious observance of ramadan.
Perhaps having had those experiences, perhaps getting to know so many people with incredible hearts makes paying attention to people more than labels easier than it is for some other people.
My facebook feed shows something very different than the news just showed. Me and many like me in the U.S. are standing up for what we think is right. We will continue to work for an inclusive future. We will not let the fear of a few horrible people let us reject a whole crowd of people…. that can be said of several groups these days. I have to hope the silent majority of good people is beginning to find their voices.
And yes, I know that I have friends and family who will disagree with what I have said here and that’s fine. Please respect me and my other family and friends enough to disagree respectfully just as I’m trying to be respectful in the way I speak my mind.
Hi Janice,
Massacres of “infidels” is a common event in the Middle East. It is the product of cruel and barbaric reality of Sharia Law, which is slowly becoming a reality in western nations.
The fact that public hangings of thousands of “unbelievers” draw stadium size crowds in Muslim nations, is the sickening effect of indoctrination. Sadly it is intentionally ignored by most liberals, since it contains the magic word; faith.
I’m constantly amazed at how American liberals condemn religious-based violence, but are most unwilling tho condemn the Scriptural source, from which such violence is inspired.
What is the cost of this political correctness to future generations? How long should this continue?
With all due respect, the beautiful mosques, churches and temples visited by you, do not erase the long trail of blood left by religion on the short history of mankind on our planet.
Political correctness is not the solution to religious-based violence.
Keeping religion out of the reach of children is.
How irrational to anticipate change, while the applied ingredients remain the same.
Sorry if it seems I was glossing over some of the things that happen in the name of religion. I know lots of people have suffered in brutal ways in the name of religion. I think the scriptures themselves can be interpreted in a variety of ways…. that’s what my experience shows.
I didn’t intend to make any of this sound easy but I also think some of the rhetoric around immigration is incredibly oversimplified. I have friends who immigrated here from Syria, like your family did, to get away from that brutality. They are valuable contributors to our communities now. To flat out say there should be no Muslims entering the country is counterproductive because it polarizes the reasonable people who may follow Islam.
Well stated, Janice. To ban any one group because of their religion, ethnicity, etc., goes against what our country has come to stand for. Just as I don’t believe strict gun control regulations will stop gun crimes (criminals tend not to follow laws), I don’t understand how laws to restrict Muslim immigration will keep out those who mean to do us harm. Again, bad folks don’t follow rules. Meanwhile, you’re punishing the 99.9 percent of good people who will benefit society. Knee-jerk politically motivated responses almost always make things worse, not better.
To prevent Muslims from enetering U.S is not only “counterproductive”, its also unconstitutional. It will never happen, just as Trump will never win presidency.
I agree that interpretations of Scriptures vary, and this is exactly the historic problem that continues today. Multiple interpretations of multiple scriptures have divided people for generations. Some have very specific descriptions of the “enemy” and detailed methods of destroying them. In Koran, much more than Old Testament, many verses don’t need interpretations. Beheadings are not unique to ISIS. The method is clearly promoted, regardless of interpretation. Death as punishment for apostasy is not a matter of context.
The fact that your Syrian friends are not fundamentalists, nor hostile to non-muslims is wonderful, but not a good reason to underestimate the power of faith in ordinary religious folks. The San Bernardino shooters were described by coworkers as “friendly”.
The gorgeous mosques you so admire, are often the place where big groups come together on Fridays to define their mission and identity. Attacks on minorities are often the immediate aftermath, once the holy juices get flowing.
Stats show that Friday is the bloodiest day of the week in muslim nations.
Since 1980, the Islamic courts in Iran have executed between 60,000 to 84,000 Iranians (around 20% of which were under the age of 19) The majority were simply accused of being an “enemy of Islam”. This is all it takes for a Sharia court to make a decision. Iran has among the highest voter turnouts in support of its Islamic government in all of Middle Eastern nations. Faith is the most powerful tool to herd the religious.
People’s unconditional respect for faith, together with the liberal’s obsessions with political correctness, will continue to ease the implementation of barbaric Sharia laws in more communities.
As long as kids are indoctrinated, future generations have little hope.
Judging Islam’s religious culture based on a few open minded members, especially ones living in the west, is like judging the KKK organization based on one member’s donations to charity.
It is with reason and evidence, that the most civilized and peace-loving nations in the world, also happen to be the least religious.