I Don’t Want To Fear You

Cross posted to The Autonomist

September 1, 2007

In a recent article from CNN, a Muslim woman asked, "Do I look like a terrorist to you?" Apparently some one nearby was singing ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas,’ allegedly with “insulting lyrics about terrorism and Osama Bin Laden.” Along with the story is a photo of an attractive Muslim looking woman in her hijab with a spiritually serene look on her face.

The question may be answered, “Just what does a Terrorist look like?” Given the number of radical Jihadist attacks against Western Society for so many years now, just how can we tell if you are a “Religion of Peace” Muslim or one with explosives strapped on under your garments?

Reading the article we see that the purpose is to instill guilt in us for our feelings towards Muslims in general since 9/11. CNN might have served their readers and viewers better had they instead delved into the ‘why’ of Americans feeling fear towards so many Muslims.

We Americans have ancestral roots from all over, including many Muslim Countries. We even have several American’s that are Muslim or that are sympathetic to Islam. We don’t know a whole lot about your belief, being that we are a nation of many beliefs, but yours is one that leaves us confused and since September 11, 2001, a bit frightened.

You say you are a “Religion of Peace” and I want to believe that. But, were the 19 men who high-jacked 4 Commercial Airliners with innocent people on them and flew them into our buildings, killing over 3,000 of our citizens, as well as citizens from other nations inside the buildings, also “peaceful” members of Islam?

Time and again we have seen videos of Muslims either beheading or mutilating Americans or even other Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. We read stories of young women being stoned to death for little more than falling in love with the ‘wrong’ man or for even being raped. According to other Muslims, that is called an “Honor Killing.”

We are told that the Qu’Ran doesn’t permit such a thing, but still we see and hear of it happening in the Middle East and somewhat in Europe, today!

We fully realize that not every Muslim is a terrorist. But terrorist continue to come out of sects of your religion. How do we determine ‘peaceful’ Muslims from ‘terrorists’ prior to them blowing themselves up, high jacking aircraft to fly into buildings, driving explosive laden vehicles next to buildings of innocent people or poisoning reservoirs or food stocks? What distinguishing factor is apparent so we may differentiate between you?

While terrorists have mostly been men, we have seen women strapping bombs to their bodies and entering wedding parties in Jordan or restaurants in Israel. Woman’s role in suicide bombings seems to be growing. That frightens us as we have traditionally in America viewed women as the caretakers of life, the nurturers and peaceful mothers taking care of families.

I am sure the singing of ‘the Twelve Days of Christmas’ with “insulting lyrics about terrorism and Bin Laden” displeased you, but I have to ask why? Why would insults to terrorism be considered an insult to you?

I am of the belief that people often try to mask their fear with actions you ascribe to an unidentified fellow shopper. We men especially, don’t like to admit fear so we mask it. Even if it is a wholesome fear that makes us aware more so of what goes on around us, we don’t like others to realize we may have any fear. So, we mask it with words or songs that you may not appreciate. A wholesome fear as that kept many of us alive through previous wars.

September 11 frightened us. We saw what many of “the Religion of Peace” desire for us. Those Muslims don’t desire co-existence; they desire domination or death for “infidels.” 9/11 taught us that those from your midst do not wear uniforms. Palestinian suicide bombings in Israel shows us that terror comes without warning from those you may not suspect.

If you are an expectant mother, how do we know you really are pregnant and not hiding explosives disguised as a swollen womb? How do we know whether or not you have fallen in with the radical Jihadists that desire to strike terror into others to force them into submission?

How can you expect us not to feel fear whenever we see you out in public when so many of your fellow Muslims take no action to out those from within your midst that do follow the radical teachings of the radical Jihadists?

What are we to think and feel when the major organization that claims to support you opposes any measure to discover terrorists in your midst? When they jump at any act of a Muslim being questioned over suspicious conduct and activity on commercial aircraft? When they tell us we are overreacting, but we continue discovering plans to attack us associated with followers of Islam?

Why do you not demand those representing you cooperate with the authorities to purge the radicals from your groups?

There are Muslims fighting the Jihadists in Afghanistan and Iraq and several Muslims from America are in our Military’s fighting terror, but what of the rest of you? What stand do you take? How do we know where your loyalty is when you act as if nothing has been going on for so long as radical Muslim Jihadists continue to terrorize citizens worldwide and kill innocent civilians to subdue others to their radical views?

It has been said that Radical Christianity is just as dangerous as Radical Islam. Need I remind you that Christianity’s dark and bloody days are centuries in the past? We grew and progressed and have rejected or marginalized those that interpret our Holy Book wrongfully to harm others. Radical Islam is here and now!

Tell us all, how do we not fear you when we cannot tell whether or not you are with them, with us or sitting on the sidelines acting like nothing is wrong?

My apologies, but my life and the lives of my family matter more to me than your feelings. We don’t want to fear you, but you leave us no choice. You give us no indication one way or the other until you either walk away, this time, or blow yourself up, when it is too late for us to save our loved ones and stop you. We don’t like having those feelings, but what choice do we have?

When in Viet Nam, Vietnamese civilians had a habit of carrying their straw conical hats, the Nón lá, in front of them, hiding their hands. They adapted to sliding it off their heads and onto their backs when approaching or passing U.S. Forces. Why, you ask? We could not tell if they were innocents or Viet Cong carrying grenades or guns to harm us and would draw our M-16s on them in a heartbeat until we saw their hands. We didn’t mean to disrespect them or their culture, but our lives meant more to us, as did the lives of other Vietnamese nearby.

Until those of you within your community take a stand in opposing terrorists and take an active part in combating terrorists, outing the radicals and countering the radical archaic interpretation of your Qu’Ran, we will continue to fear you. Not a debilitating fear, mind you, but a wholesome fear that makes us more aware of our surroundings and ready to pounce and yes, we may make untoward comments to mask that fear from time to time.

If doing so helps me stop a suicide bomber before they detonate themselves, it just might possibly be your life or one of your loved ones life that is saved along with my own.

Lew

UPDATE: Until more Muslims take a stand top help curb terror from within their midst, the American Public will remain frightened. Flight delayed after she feared 7 were terrorists. Muslims, we need to see and know you are with us. We need the help of all of you, not just a handful. Radical Jihadists won't accept a middle ground, how can you expect us to?