Ladies and gentlemen, I am not your typical conservative. See, for the most part, with politics, if you are on either side, you generally have specific views on topics. Muslims, according to most folks on the right, are the enemy. Though I agree that groups like ISIS present a grave threat to America and our allies, I don’t lump all Muslims in with ISIS.
The part that I am struggling with, especially after James Foley’s death, is determining who is a friend, and who is a foe. The man who beheaded this journalist had a British accent. This means he spent a long time in England, and somehow he ended up on a video, cutting off the head of an American. That is some scary stuff my friends. I was watching a vice news report, and one of the speakers said the following, “I lived in England for 15 years, and I’m glad to be here. I can breathe.” All this was being said while the man held what appeared to be a Russian made rifle.
My point is that ISIS members are not only coming from the Middle East, but also from other countries, including Europe, and possibly the United States. These guys could be someone you work with, someone you grew up with, only God knows. That’s what I find terrifying. As a human being, I believe that all groups of people have the potential for good and bad. I have never condemned any one group based on the acts of others. However, after the Foley murder, I am on high alert.
This morning I entered the train; a Muslim man in full Islamic attire was seated reading under his breath from a book. He noticed me and glanced in my direction. I looked back at him. The expression on his face was a cause for concern. Immediately I wondered, is this guy looking forward to killing me and all like me? Is he looking at me that way because he sensed my apprehension when I looked at him first? I’m a reasonable human being. I recognize cause and effect. I know that either scenario could be true.
The problem is that others may not be as calm and collected as I am. This guy, or someone else could have easily started a fight over the standard, “What the f*ck you looking at?” Why? Well, because groups like ISIS are scaring the crap out of us. They are no fools, showing us what they are doing, kids training with automatic weapons. Beheadings on video, even going as far as threatening to “liberate” Istanbul, Turkey if they don’t let the water flow from the Euphrates. These guys are a definitely a threat to the world as we know it.
An enemy that embeds itself within society and assimilates the ways of a people is the most dangerous. Under the guise of civil rights, many of those who would seek to destroy America have implemented campaigns for Muslim rule within America and Europe. Some have even embedded themselves into the highest positions of our government chambers. The question, and the biggest concern that I have, are: how do we tell them apart?
Don’t blame me, or others like me for reacting this way. If you are a Muslim who wishes to live in peace with the rest of the world, then stand with us, and rise up against this powerful enemy. The silence coming from your community is deafening, as such, you all suffer due to these general public reactions. Again, how can we tell you apart?
Image: http://www.chronicwriter.com/2012/01/498-all-about-windows.html
