Courtesy Telegraph UK
This week’s savage attack of a British soldier by a maniac identifying himself as a Muslim rocked the western world for a number of reasons. With the Boston bombing still somewhat fresh in the minds of the media, yesterday’s attack in Woolwich, SE London has left people wondering what is going on in the world these days. There seems to be no dearth of angry people with home-made weapons from pressure cookers to meat cleavers, and law enforcement is understandably having a hard time guessing who will strike next, where and how. As I read the news reports coming out from the UK the day of the attack, both on social media and news channels, the usual song and dance of Islamophobic blame followed by the Muslim apologies and condemnations made me weary. Here we go again.
How long will we continue to condemn and apologize for the actions of the deranged, as if one, ten or even a couple of million can represent 1.6 billion Muslims? When a white shooter kills elementary school kids, or a pastor burns the Quran, Christians everywhere don’t scramble to apologize publicly for the actions of individuals or fringe group. This discussion isn’t new, and yet the world in general doesn’t seem to have learned that divide and conquer has always been the best military/political strategy of all time. And so with the blame game, the terrorists win again.
Perhaps more interesting to me was the fact that recent attacks seems to be different from your average, garden variety “jihadi” terrorist attacks. First of all, starting with the Boston bombing, a new representation of so-called Islamic extremism is emerging: not Arab, not Middle-Eastern, not Pakistani, not even brown. The Woolwich attacker was Nigerian, those in Boston were Chechens. Both also were very clear on the reason for their actions, the Woolwich attacker going as far as to record his statement for cameras. People’s frustrations over western foreign policy including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have reached a boiling point. While killing innocents is never an acceptable form of protest, the reasons for these horrific actions are as clear as the drones used to kill one criminal and hundreds of civilians.
This, then, is the sad and unfortunate truth of the new generation of terrorist attacks: political statements that just happen to be intertwined with an Islamic extremist agenda because those under duress happen to be Muslim – an entirely different animal than 9/11. The pressing question is what can be done about it, how can we stop pointing fingers and demanding apologies and try to find solutions? Just like Adam Lanza’s murder spree gave rise to serious debate over gun control and mental illness (even the violent nature of video games), the attacks in Woolwich and Boston should be a cause for serious debate about foreign policy that results in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians and leaves people so stark raving mad with anger and helplessness that they come out in the streets in revenge. We have to do something different, start asking tough questions of our leaders and demand accountability. Because otherwise this new breed of political terrorists will continue to strike in creative ways bound to leave us reeling.
Thank you Saadia for this very timely article. It should raise some serious questions among all people of conscience. As a Muslim I agree and realize that there is a fringe group of Muslims who are totally misinterpreting the Quran and the peaceful religion of Islam. I am fortunate to belong to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community which is led by a spiritual leader whom we call the Khalifa. It is under his leadership that we are united and stick to one interpretation of Islam. It is unfortunate that other Muslims have decided to reject the Messiah whose advent was foretold by the Prophet of Islam.
When you immigrate to a new country, you are entering into a contract with the community in your new home. That home, where it is the UK, US or France, is more than likely safer and better than your previous one. Otherwise, why would you choose to move? If you do not like the policies of the government of you new hoe, yo protest peacefully, write letter to your representative, go to meetings and vote.
The 2 Chechan boys arrived in the US as Political refugees for their war torn region.They were offered a new start, a opportunity for an education in a top university and a bright future. What do they do? they blow up their hosts.
Somehow I read into your blog that somehow there is justification for the actions i Woolrich and Boston. Well guess what you have become part of the problem. Somehow we have to react to the anger of our new citizens. I have news for you, for all the ill actions we took i Vietnam, the Vietnamese boat people did nt turn to terrorism.They are thankful to have fund a new home an a new start.
Thank you for clarifying for us that yo think the actions in Woolrich and Boston are justified. Do us al a favor and don’t call yourself a persons of peace. that would make your a a hypocrite
As for our foreign policy, NATO troops are in the last months of their struggle with the Afghan army to prevent the return of the Taliban. just imagine an Afghanistan with the Taliban back in power.. That would be the return of the very dark times for Afghans, especially woman
.On this upcoming Memorial Day, , I suggest yo just say thank you to al those troops who sacrificed their lives to help bring in a new era for Afghanistan.The alternative is to go on a continue to hate America I am sure your friends will chime in
Sammy, you seemed to have missed Saadia’s denunciation of this type of “political statement.” She wrote “…killing innocents is never an acceptable form of protest…”
She, as well as so many other Muslim writers routinely, and strongly condemn such acts of barbarism and terror. What she seems to be stressing here is solutions. Whether you want to admit it or not, the rise in these terror attacks is directly proportional to the the rise in death toll of the CIVILIAN Muslim population in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is not “justifying” anything, but explaining that actions have likely and unlikely consequences. If person A shoots the family of person B, and person B then shoots the family of person A in revenge, person B was of course wrong and should be tried for murder, but person A was also at fault for provocation…and if I love my family, I’ll do everything to eliminate risking their lives…and that is what the author is suggesting.
You are right, that taking out the Taliban was a good thing. But the U.S. drones have been very unscrupulous and unmerciful in their attacks, and as this articles points out, taking out one militant along with a 100 civilians is not justifiable. It certainly would never be tolerated in the West. This is what the anger is about. Life of a Muslim means nothing. A country like the U.S. unjustifiably went into Iraq, admitted later it’s info was all false, yet no consequences for the U.S. while Iraq has been set ablaze. The rate at which people are killed and maimed there is a 1000 times or worse than the Boston attacks, but we don’t shed a single tear or feel any outrage over that inhumanity that goes on daily because of our military actions.
You are 100% correct in saying that anyone who comes to live in another country has entered into a contract to live according to the laws. Islam lays the utmost importance of fulfilling contracts. And this is also what needs to be stressed to Muslim community that the protests must be in accordance with the laws. If Muslims are actually frustrated by the foreign policy they must raise their voices, not weapons. And they will find that in this peaceful protest they’ll have the support of so many other citizens of different faiths who agree with them and support them in their cause.
And if there are still people who feel they need to raise weapons, then they should leave the western countries that have given them protection and join any country they wish that wants to fight.
Spot On. Your article poses difficult but important questions. Like Yeats’ poem, “The Second Coming”
…The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity…
My prayers are for the victims of this “blood-dimmed tide” and that all humanity (fellow muslims included) realize that religion is about love for our common Creator & compassion for others. As an Ahmadi Muslim I believe that extremist violence is the antithesis of faith.
Your friend Saadia seems to justify the anger and violence of immigrants in te new home
I will reiterate what I have written in my article: there is always a reason for why people do things. Even when those reasons don’t make sense or lead to horrible actions like killing others, we cannot and should not ignore the reasons. This is called common sense, not justification.
I suggest you take a closer look at the perpetrator who decide to take such actions. Yu always go on about how we shod remain civil when thee is discourse,
I will repeat that you,Saadia Faruki,justify terrorist actions lives to send a political message. That is for e posing yourself and your true attitudes. The US gives a refugee a new home and you think it is fine to blow it up.
I want to remind you that the attack in London was NOT by an immigrant but by some one who was born in UK. Similarly, in the chechnian war USA is on the side of Chechnia. In the world that we live in geographical borders have no significance, its the idealogical boundaries that are defining people’s actions. This war cannot be won by attacking a new country every every time a deranged person explodes a pressure cooker but by reviewing the policies that have turned some people into living pressure cookers regardless of their country of origin. This is not a justification for their actions just a common sense observation.
When you are offered a new with great opportunities, you don’t it up. You want to examined the country’s policies rather than the perpetrator who blew up his new country. When American Jews were burning mad over the lack of allied military actions to disrupt rail transport to death camps during WW 2, yhd held a massive rally. They did not engage in terrorism to express their anger.
Saadia baji, very well written and conceived. You have managed to justly and rightly explain, and have reasonably put forth the sentiments of the Muslim population across the world, and of the various religious entities.
America, defined and set precedence by its own founders, stands as the sole torch of global liberty, freedom of expression, independence and equality for all irrespective of one’s caste, creed, color, race, and faith. Sammy, we respect and acknowledge your right of having a different opinion but I feel, should be done in a civil manner and true to the purpose of an interfaith dialogue. With what I have gathered is that you’re perhaps, not fully aware of the origins and reasons of the birth of these fanatic organizations such as the Taliban, Al Qaeda, LeT and their entire 3 decade conflict history between the once allies and partners i.e: the minor terrorists oraganizations and the West . A famous adage goes by” Ignorance is a bliss”, sadly, is and has proved to be very true and costlier to the entire mankind since its very inception, and more so in the present times.
Hoping you’d be able to accept and understand our point of view and that we all succeed in reaching a neutral middle ground amicably.
🙂
I m quite fully aware of the origins of the Taliban. They were inserted into power with the help of Pakistan’s ISI because they were brother Pashtuns. Prior to that they have been part of a coalition known as the Mujahadeen. Do you at all have a different narrative?
There are nonviolent ways to express anger in an open society such as the US. Write letters, organize protests, vote. That I’d a lesson learned when accepting citizenship, yet you seem to want to explain or justify the use of violence by immigrants given a fresh start in a new home. You, on the other hand want to justify the use of terrorism by me Americans. Your blog smells like gun powder and burning flesh
Please read my response to your original critique. This article seems to desperately want to remove the stench of gun powder and burning flesh from the world by pointing out that it can only happen if we practice universal justice…where life of a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, or an American, a British, an Iraqi or Afghan etc, etc, etc, are held equally valuable. One cannot achieve peace without emphasizing and practicing values of universal justice…otherwise we’re merely paying lip service to those who fall at the hands of terrorists as in the Woolwich tragedy.
You might want to look at events in the Arab world when exploring universal justice. In the mean time j don’t want to hear a ” explanation”of why our new citizens are angry. I support actions that will prevent the return of the Taliban to Afghanistan.
Angry Chechen refugees given a new life. The blow up their new country and the questions we have to ask is why the SU government os to blame. This is a sad message being sent by the faux peace loving Saadia
This is how western civilization ends. Not with a bang but with a whimper
I agree entirely with the perspective here, but if I see one more article using the phrase “the blame game” or claiming that if such-and-such happens “the terrorists win”, I will cry. Enough with hackneyed and politically correct phrases that have been used 89 trillion times and have lost all journalistic freshness.
think that both Sammy and the Muslim people have valid points to make. There’s too much media coddling of Muslim extremism-in the news and media, and has been, since it began. Sammy is right. Wonder what people would do if one of the Bible Belters went out and cleaved up a non-Christian. Or if G-d forbid, a Jewess went off and shot off a Muslim’s testicles? This coddling of Muslim violence in the Western World that they proclaim to hate, but live or flee to, doesn’t make sense either.
It is a good point to notice that the drones that are killing people by direct order of our government-collateral damage-doesn’t stand up, that Muslim lives are less important than a Western life, that’s valid criticism. That men young men may not be given validity and a ‘place’ in the current world, outside of being killers, that’s a good point to notice too. My opinion personally-which may not be worth much or valid or political, is that the Muslim world should be left to be-and with it’s oil and mineral reserves, with it’s male supremacy, etc., if that’s what they want, and its plain that they do. And that the Western world should concentrate on our stuff and getting our act together without the exploitation of peoples across the globe.
It’s funny, the efforts now in Afghanistan is focused o securing the country from a return of the Taliban. The leadership of the Taliban represented oppression at its very worst, denying the very basic rights of 50% of its population ( woman). I would think the this would be important to the Tikkun crowd. Granted we did enter Afghanistan because of 911, but it lent itself to the removal of the vile Taliban regime. I think that’s a good thing for all those championing woman’s rights
RE: oil. It is funny how so many focus on the Western world’s hunger for oil. They seem to leave out the country with the 2nd largest economy in the world, China. But the fact of te matter is, the Muslim world sitting on that oil wants to sell it. It maintain their high an mighty life style. 100% of the economy depends on oil. Personally I would love to abandon l as a primary source of energy, Oil serves to empower tha corner of the world too much.