I know this is probably gonna cause plenty of stones to be thrown my way, but here goes: I don't trust Muslims.*
I don't know how much more evidence we need before we admit there is a serious schism within the Islamic faith. The PC position is that the overwhelming majority of Muslims "are just like us". They go to school, go to work, raise their families, and harm no one. Fair enough. I wish them well.
But increasingly, as evidenced by repeated international surveys, Muslims have no allegiance to any particular country, and by inference, those countries values. How many times have you heard of the movement within predominately Muslim areas to supplant the established law of the land with Sharia law? It's all about values.
Granted, I'm sure it's a tiny minority of Muslims who actively plot/take up arms against our society, but all too often after an atrocity such as the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris we hear ordinary Muslims on the street say "I can't condemn killing in the name of Allah." Really? *red flag*
I don't advocate discrimination against Muslims here in America....that would be against our sacred national values. Of course they can eat at any restaurant, shop at any store, go to any public school, worship at the place of their choice, etc. But for my part, I'm going to keep an eye on those around me. 'Course, I'll keep a close eye on white people wearing sheets or members of the Westboro Baptist Church, too.
I'll still smile at them, hold a door open for them, help their kids where I can, help them if they're in danger, and extend food to them from our food bank if they've fallen on hard times. By my values they're still God's children. But I'm going to keep an eye on them. I think there has been enough violence committed by extreme Muslims against peaceful innocents (and the frequency seems to be increasing) that my wariness is justified.
Agree....disagree....I don't care. I try to keep myself in Condition Yellow, "aware of what's going on around me at all times." Call it vigilance if that sounds less threatening. Have a nice day.
S
* I'm speaking of the average "man on the street" encounters. For those people known to me....neighbors, co-workers, childhood friends, etc, regardless of labels, my wariness meter relaxes considerably.
I sure don't know the answer but I suspect that, the more the Muslims remain silent when it comes to the slaughter of innocents, (Because drawing cartoons makes you culpable?) the less they deserve in terms of "breathing room". Can't wait for the backlash in France. Having a peaceful vigil is just the shimmering smooth surface that belies a quagmire of resentment. Just you wait.
ReplyDeleteExtending your logic, the same could apply to survivalists, fundamentalists, rednecks, racial minorities, and so on. Granted, the exception you articulate is the degree of violence, however it is still a matter of perspective. I fear the gun toting radical packing a concealed weapon in McDonald's or the grocery store just the same. In fact I'm more concerned about some gun rights extremist whipping out a concealed weapon and getting in his/her crossfire than I am about a muslim terrorist.
ReplyDeleteHave any of those groups you mentioned shown repeatedly they will harm those who don't think like they do? That's the critical difference here.
DeleteI have to disagree with you here Scott, I am surprised at your lack of empathy and your profile mentality.
ReplyDeleteI choose to just stick my head in the sand and equate people whose ideology gives them no problem cutting off heads of cartoonists with the mentally ill.
France has long had a problem assimilating its Muslim immigrants. My fear is that this attack was orchestrated to create a massive backlash on the rest of French Muslims so they will become radicalized jihadists. I've been very supportive over the years with moderate Muslims, the type I've met during my travels, but the time is rapidly approaching where there will be a religious war between East and West if moderate Muslims don't recapture their religion from those who would use it to serve a political agenda.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I understand what the statistics at the top of your post are trying to say - or what you are trying to show with it. Most active, born-again, church-going Christians that I know all say, "first God, then country, then family." So that statistic about religion first and a particular nationality second would apply to them, too.
ReplyDeleteOK - so you say you don't trust Muslims. And then you qualify your statement with For those people known to me....neighbors, co-workers, childhood friends, etc, regardless of labels, my wariness meter relaxes considerably. So what you are really saying is that you are just wary of strangers. Fair enough.
If I encounter a male person in a dark alley, I'm careful, too. I'll keep a close eye on him. And of course, if I realize the person walking in the dark alley is my next-door neighbor or a co-worker, I'm relaxing considerably, too.
I think Stephen is right - moderate Muslims need to show the rest of the world that their religion is not about violence and intolerance.
Betina, what I mean is that the most ardent of Muslim extremists follow customs that might be part of their religion, but are contrary to the rules of our country's civil behavior. That's what the chart was meant to show. For example, if someone insults their Deity, they kill the person who insulted. That is not acceptable in a society that practices free speech. We expect them to put aside their extreme religious customs and follow the laws of the land.
DeleteWary of strangers....I suppose, but with varying degrees of wariness. If I see a small group of Indians, I'm not at high alert because Indians (Hindus) are know to be a very docile people. A group of Hispanics or Caucasians, as long as they don't seem to be acting in a gang-like manner, don't concern me. But a small group that I can identify as Muslims....I'm going to watch them more closely. Why? Because they have a history of doing great harm to others. Even those who don't directly engage in violence are slow to condemn those who do because they put their barbaric ancient customs ahead of the rules of civilized society. If a Saudi Arabian moved to the US, and if that person caught someone stealing things from his garage, he would NOT be justified in cutting off the thief's hands.
And I, too, agree with Stephen. If moderate Muslims would take the lead and aggressively pursue the extremists among them, it would show to me at least they they are a responsible people willing to live peacefully as good neighbors. Right now I'm not seeing that.
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