Europe

Keep Victims in Your Heart and Your Brain on The Ball

Published

March 22, 2016

Guests

By Ahmed Rehab

Unfortunately, once again we wake up to scenes of chaos and mayhem, this time in Brussels, as major attacks kill 26 and wound 130 at the airport and on the subway, with the fatalities expected to rise.

No one has claimed responsibility yet, but even if ISIS, it is likely by way of the Molenbeek cartel in Brussels that was responsible for the recent similar attacks in Paris and that was the subject of police raids a couple of days ago.

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My heart and prayers go out to the people of Belgium and Brussels, a city I visit often and maintain many friends in.

In America, today and over the next few days/weeks, you can expect the attacks to be politicized to the domestic elections with plenty of voices from the GOP, including Cruz, coming out to blame Obama for “not calling the threat by its name” and that is Radical “Islam.” Though it’s more like radical dumbasses.

We Can No Longer Surrender to the Enemy Through Political Corr…Today radical Islamic terrorists targeted the men and women of Brussels as they went to work on a spring morning. In a series of co-ordinated attacks they murdered and maimed dozens of innocent commuters at subway stations and travelers at the airport. For the terrorists, the identities of the victims were irrelevant. They –we—are all part of an intolerable culture that they have vowed to destroy. For years, the west has tried to deny this enemy exists out of a combination of political correctness and fear. We can no longer afford either. Our European allies are now seeing what comes of a toxic mix of migrants who have been infiltrated by terrorists and isolated, radical Muslim neighborhoods. We will do what we can to help them fight this scourge, and redouble our efforts to make sure it does not happen here. We need to immediately halt the flow of refugees from countries with a significant al Qaida or ISIS presence. We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized. We need to secure the southern border to prevent terrorist infiltration.And we need to execute a coherent campaign to utterly destroy ISIS. The days of the United States voluntarily surrendering to the enemy to show how progressive and enlightened we can be are at an end. Our country is at stake.

Posted by Ted Cruz on Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Nevermind that A) The Molenbeek cartel members made their headquarters at a bar in Molenbeek where they were known to drink, smoke pot and other drugs. Acquaintances said they are not religious. Disaffected and radical, certainly.

Or that B) Istanbul and Ankara where dozens of people were recently killed in similar attacks – absent the wall to wall daylong coverage on CNN and other media with the caption “Terror Strikes” – are Muslim cities with most of those killed belonging to the Islamic faith. (And of course, ISIS terrorism – as well as Baathist state terrorism – kills Muslims in Syria every single day for years now).

Terrorism is a tactic of violence strategically aimed at amplifying limited power, employed for political purposes, period. Obviously, no religion demands it or ever has. Even as some perpetrators attempt to cloak it in religion (or nationalism in the case of Turkey and Spain) as propaganda for justification and a sense of purpose (which disaffected, lost souls always seek).

Again, keep the victims in your hearts, and keep your brain on the ball and do not fall for the political exploiters of tragedy who will come out of the woodwork to implicate me and my family by simplistically blaming Islam in one fell swoop of generalization and reductionism – even as the overwhelming majority of Muslims condemn the tactic of terrorism (Al Azhar already condemned) and indeed, many die in its throngs.

‪#‎BrusselsAttack‬

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Related Topics:Belgium Brussels Islam muslims Terrorism

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3 Comments

Mahmud

March 22, 2016 at 2:48 PM

Good, balanced response.

Reply
- Stardusty Psyche
  
  March 31, 2016 at 12:42 AM
  
  Brother Mahmud, I must disagree with you. The article lacks the balance of recognizing many historical facts of, not only Islam, but other religions as well.
  
  Brother Ahmed does not mention the very serious issue of takfir. He recounts instances of “members of the Islamic faith” being the victims of attacks. But those perpetrating the attacks say the victims are apostates and not Muslims at all. Takfir.
  
  Brother Ahmed goes on to contend that no religion “ever has” demanded terrorism. This is a historically factually incorrect statement on the part of the author. Simply open any Christian bible to the first 5 books and you can easily read that Judaism invoked both terrorism and genocide to take the lands they call Israel from the indigenous peoples of those lands.
  
  Nor is anybody blaming Brother Ahmed or his family for any violent attacks. But I do say that his blanket denial of the factually major role of religion in such attacks only serves to provide support to the likes of Trump and Cruz in their prejudiced rhetoric.
  
  Reply
Virgo2014

April 5, 2016 at 5:08 AM

Khawarij
Savage sect of Islam – Extremely puritanical, lop sided superficial piety, misinterprets Islam, denigrates religious scholars.
Holier than thou attitude: Infamous trait of declaring Muslims as ‘Kuffar’ (Unbelievers) and justify killing of Muslims who oppose their innovation.
Lack Rahmah : Speech is impressive but their actions are abhorrent. Motivated by anger, vengeance and hate rather than conscience, humanity, and tolerance.
Religious sanction to oppose Khawarij and restore glory of Islam.

Reply