So, I just finished reading "We are a Muslim, please" by Zaiba Malik, and I have to say, I think it's one of the most important books I've ever read.
The book describes the early to early-ish life of the now-renowned journalist, Malik, as both a Brit and a Muslim. How she had to deal with two apparently completely separate identities. How she had to straddle two communities which were just beginning to hate each other.
I've said quite a lot about Islamophobia in the West during the course of this blogging melarkey. But I haven't said enough. In fact, I don't think you can ever say enough to condemn the blind hatred which is bouncing back and forth between the white and Muslim extremists in Britain, Europe and the West.
I tend to focus on anti-Muslim sentiment, and that's the sentiment which comes from my side of the rift, so I feel the most responsible for it, in a way. But I do acknowledge that there is a lot of bile streaming from the other side, as well. I'm not going to go into the details, because you all know them. But what I am going to do is make it clear that no one demographic group is responsible for the horrific violence we have witnessed in recent years between religious and ethnic groups.
The enemy of the West is not Islam, and the enemy of Islam is not the West. The enemy of both Islam and the West, of all of humanity, is the stubborn hatred and refusal to understand in regard to anything different.
For as long as we respond to hatred with hatred, nothing will be solved. The problem will only escalate.
For as long as we respond to the invasion of Muslim nations by bombing Western cities, those invasions will become more inflamed and gather more support.
For as long as we respond to the burning of anti-Muslim books with petrol bombs of our own, the more common the book-burning Muslim will become.
We have to stop using aggression and violence to divide the different ethnic and religious sections of British society. We have to stop viewing everything different from us as a threat to what we are. In the words of the Koran- "to you be your religion, and to me, mine".
I am tired, as I'm sure so many of us are, of the argument that because the other side are hateful and intolerant, we get the right to be hateful and intolerant towards them. Sure. If you want to encourage them in the activities you despise to much, if you want to alienate people for generations to come, if you want to see more and more bombings of innocent people everywhere, you go right ahead. But if you actually want to change what's going on, you might want to try a different tack. Here's a lesson from the real world: fighting fire with fire only leads to, well, more fire. That's the simple truth.
The segregation between whites and blacks, Juedo-Christians/secularists and Muslims, Westerners and Asians does not exist simply because [X-party] are such very bad people. It exists because there are people from every side who refuse to co-operate, and are ruining it for all those who do. Please, don't join in.
That's about all I have for now. Except that I really, really recommend that book.
Turrah!
The book describes the early to early-ish life of the now-renowned journalist, Malik, as both a Brit and a Muslim. How she had to deal with two apparently completely separate identities. How she had to straddle two communities which were just beginning to hate each other.
I've said quite a lot about Islamophobia in the West during the course of this blogging melarkey. But I haven't said enough. In fact, I don't think you can ever say enough to condemn the blind hatred which is bouncing back and forth between the white and Muslim extremists in Britain, Europe and the West.
I tend to focus on anti-Muslim sentiment, and that's the sentiment which comes from my side of the rift, so I feel the most responsible for it, in a way. But I do acknowledge that there is a lot of bile streaming from the other side, as well. I'm not going to go into the details, because you all know them. But what I am going to do is make it clear that no one demographic group is responsible for the horrific violence we have witnessed in recent years between religious and ethnic groups.
The enemy of the West is not Islam, and the enemy of Islam is not the West. The enemy of both Islam and the West, of all of humanity, is the stubborn hatred and refusal to understand in regard to anything different.
For as long as we respond to hatred with hatred, nothing will be solved. The problem will only escalate.
For as long as we respond to the invasion of Muslim nations by bombing Western cities, those invasions will become more inflamed and gather more support.
For as long as we respond to the burning of anti-Muslim books with petrol bombs of our own, the more common the book-burning Muslim will become.
We have to stop using aggression and violence to divide the different ethnic and religious sections of British society. We have to stop viewing everything different from us as a threat to what we are. In the words of the Koran- "to you be your religion, and to me, mine".
I am tired, as I'm sure so many of us are, of the argument that because the other side are hateful and intolerant, we get the right to be hateful and intolerant towards them. Sure. If you want to encourage them in the activities you despise to much, if you want to alienate people for generations to come, if you want to see more and more bombings of innocent people everywhere, you go right ahead. But if you actually want to change what's going on, you might want to try a different tack. Here's a lesson from the real world: fighting fire with fire only leads to, well, more fire. That's the simple truth.
The segregation between whites and blacks, Juedo-Christians/secularists and Muslims, Westerners and Asians does not exist simply because [X-party] are such very bad people. It exists because there are people from every side who refuse to co-operate, and are ruining it for all those who do. Please, don't join in.
That's about all I have for now. Except that I really, really recommend that book.
Turrah!
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