I saw a meme today and I don’t usually react to memes. This one affected me. The fact that it had such an impact made me realize it had a grain of truth. Here it is:
There is a slice of truth in this. I believe most liberals would feel repulsed by both acts and yet obviously one was way more shocking.
I would also like to point out that it is not a competition who can treat gay people the worst.
One is a case of discrimination; the other blatant, murderous terror.
It is true that some people hold back on criticism of Islam because of fear. This silence is not intended as respect for extremists, it is based on one of two things.
1. Fear of retribution
2. Not wanting to sum up a whole group of people (I sincerely take the point that this is at times how Christians are dealt with and agree there is a double standard).
Yes, there are Muslims with extreme and conservative views. Sam Harris argues that ISIS is merely following a plausible interpretation of the Qur’a. Sam is careful to critique Islam the religion and not people (knowing they are different) as can be seen in this misunderstanding with Ben Affleck.
Famed ex-Muslim Ayaan Hirsi Ali also encourages reform, so that the religion actually reflects what the majority of peace-loving Muslims believe. Here she is speaking about the diversity within the faith.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYkfUtmXXBw
The majority of Muslims do not interpret Islam and the Qur’an in a violent way. The extremists are in the minority, but they are loud, they do a lot of damage. They gain media attention and they are demonizing their own religion.
People are too scared to speak out.
This is the world we live in.
Author Salmon Rushdie had to hide for years because he wrote a work of fiction, Satanic Verses: A Novel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Ouvgk1Btc
The Charlie Hebdo mass killing, which involved a terrorist attack on a French satirical publication that ran a cartoon that insulted Allah, is another prime example of why people are scared to openly criticize Islam.
Holding back on critiquing Islam is often based on fear.
I am a liberal and I can admit all of this.
However, do not confuse Donald Trump’s “banning all Muslims” policy with bravery. Unless that is, you consider Adolf Hitler to be brave, too. He believed in banning a whole group of people based on their belief system. The world has never been the same since.
Both ISIS and right-wing groups want us to become divided. They want it to be us against them. They want moderate Muslims to become extreme and they want the West to believe that all Muslims are extreme, too. A neat divided line. A battle line.
But that is the most dangerous way it can go.
Just as all Christians do not have the same beliefs, neither do all Muslims.
Muhammad Ali showed his spiritual side when he converted to Islam. He embraced the faith with humanism and Sufi-inspired wisdom. His peaceful interpretation clearly showed when he objected to the Vietnam war. His recent death showed us how much he was loved and admired.
Ex-extremist and moderate Muslim, Maajid Nawaz constantly encourages reform of Islam and speaks out against terrorism and violence, in an effort to achieve peace. He also distinguishes between Islam and Islamism. He believes extremists should be named and shamed.
He also once tweeted:
Like alcoholics, we Muslims blame everyone else for our own problems. Judeo-Zio-Indian-British-American-Quilliam-illuminati…but *never* us
— Maajid – (Mājid) [maːʤɪd] ماجد (@MaajidNawaz) July 4, 2016
Lesbian Muslim Irshad Manji also interprets her faith peacefully and pushes for reform.
She recently tweeted:
Reminder from God… pic.twitter.com/9wzrQyyjKR
— Irshad (@IrshadManji) February 9, 2016
Former Turkish journalist Sevgi Akarcesme, who left Turkey before the recent mayhem, tweeted:
I, for one, unequivocally reject any violent interpretation of Islam.
Muslim scholars should speak out against this cancer within our faith.— Sevgi Akarcesme (@SevgiAkarcesme) June 12, 2016
So here are just a few of a long list of Muslims who challenge violent interpretations of Islam. These are brave, clever, smart, liberal people who refuse to let the violent, loud extremists own their faith. Like these thinkers, liberals in the West also want peace and harmony, not division. The last thing that should happen to these people is for them to be ‘banned’ from the West.
These are the people who have the best chance at challenging extremism.
These liberals understand the complexity of the problem and are actually trying to change attitudes. Minds are changed through reason, conversation, and understanding.
Let’s have the conversation and leave all of the bigotry out.
Leave it to Bernie’s tweet.
There is hatred being generated against immigrants in this country. We've got to stand together and reject that hate.
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) July 31, 2016
Featured image via Twitter
