As the terror attacks unfolded in Paris Nov. 13, the depressingly familiar knee-jerk reaction of blaming Muslims began.
While the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) has since made online claims taking responsibility for the deadliest attack on France since World War II, what we have to remember is ISIS is an extremist group and does not speak or act for the majority of Muslims.
The March 2015 edition of The Atlantic Magazine, an article titled What ISIS really wants describes ISIS beliefs as aiding in the end of the world.
“We can gather that their state rejects peace as a matter of principle; that it hungers for genocide; that its religious views make it constitutionally incapable of certain types of change, even if that change might ensure its survival; and that it considers itself a harbinger of – and headline player in – the imminent end of the world.”
The article went on to say, “Following takfiri doctrine, the Islamic State is committed to purifying the world by killing vast numbers of people.”
“Murder, the most horrendous act of terrorism, is strictly forbidden in Islam,” said Dr Ali Selim in a statement representing the Irish Council of Imams. “In a deterring way, Allah states that the murder of one person is as evil as killing all people.”
Terrorism has no religion. This attack that left 129 dead and 350 injured is not really about religion. ISIS and its followers use religion to justify their need for power, a power it gains through fear and destruction. Not unlike the Crusaders used religion to justify colonialism and monetary gains.
When asked by CNN if Muslims are inherently violent, historian Reza Aslan had the most level-headed response I have come across.
“Islam doesn’t promote violence or peace,” he said. “Islam is just a religion and like every religion in the world it depends on what you bring to it. If you’re a violent person, your Islam, your Judaism, your Christianity, your Hinduism is gonna be violent. There are marauding Buddhist monks in Myanmar slaughtering women and children. Does Buddhism promote violence? Of course not. People are violent or peaceful and that depends on their politics, their social world, the ways that they see their communities.”
News that a (likely fake) Syrian passport was linked to one of the terror suspects only added fuel to the fire.
On. Nov. 16, five US states (Texas, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana and Mississippi) announced they would close their doors to Syrian refugees because they are “too dangerous.”
My own husband started ranting about how Canada is just asking for trouble by allowing 25,000 Syrian refugees into “our” country. I countered by highlighting how research has shown time and again immigration helps the economy, creates jobs and leads to innovation. (See Ten ways immigrants help build and strengthen our economy on whitehouse.gov blog).
Our Public Safety Minister has said European nations are in a completely different boat than Canada, and have been overwhelmed by the sheer number of refugees coming into those countries. He said our screening and security investigations “will not be compromised.”
While it is easy to want to point the finger and blame after a horrible event like that in Paris, we must not forget terrorism is not a religion and hate begets hate.
