I'll try to explain the schizophrenic online reactions of muslims on the attacks.
A lot of muslims (myself included to an extent) are having a conscious or subconscious struggle with holding on to their identity, and reconciling their beliefs with the fact that a growing chunk of fringe muslims are carrying out violent attacks on innocent people in certain parts of the world. So when a muslim is confronted with whatever new atrocity has been carried out in the name of Islam, he digs his heels in and brings up current Arab casualties, the conflicts in the past 2 decades, the colonial past, a global conspiracy, and when all else fails, probably the Jews too. Sometimes a spade is a spade, though.
Some of these are legitimate and valid points. The most frequent casualties of Daesh attacks are other muslims themselves, and in astronomic proportions. So, since Daesh is very much the direct enemy of muslims living in the Middle East and North Africa, many of us would like to see them as someone "other" and "foreign" even though its recruits mostly come from the same cultural background.
But having this brought up as a deflection tactic when addressing the terror attacks in Paris (or elsewhere) is shameful and provocative to the victims and their loved ones, and some (muslim) people who post kneejerk comments online fail to grasp that. I think the primary focus of people's attention at the moment should be the victims of the Paris attacks, as well as the concurrent ones in Beirut and Baghdad.
Although I think there are a lot of underlying factors that lead to France tragically being the most popular target for Islamic extremist attacks, a root cause analysis that involves criticizing the French themselves is tactless and unhelpful. I'd offer more condolences but I don't personally know anyone from France. It should go without saying that the attacks are unforgivable and unjustifiable.
People don't realize that Daesh executed more muslims than any other subset in the middle east.
On July 17th this year, an ice cream truck lured people in hot weather close to it. Then ISIS exploded a bomb in it. Around 130 people were killed in it. No one in the world put up colorful support or called it an attack on freedom. Most people in the west will have no knowledge at all of this incident.
Only if we understand the real roots of the problem, and look with empathy to any victim, can we fight this danger. Only if we follow the money to analyze what happens, transparently revealing just why we sell arms and support to extremist nations like Saudia Arabia, or why we build up the "good" rebel group of the day, or the "good" dictactors (like Saddam once was to the US), can we have a discussion of solutions.
A lot of muslims (myself included to an extent) are having a conscious or subconscious struggle with holding on to their identity, and reconciling their beliefs with the fact that a growing chunk of fringe muslims are carrying out violent attacks on innocent people in certain parts of the world. So when a muslim is confronted with whatever new atrocity has been carried out in the name of Islam, he digs his heels in and brings up current Arab casualties, the conflicts in the past 2 decades, the colonial past, a global conspiracy, and when all else fails, probably the Jews too. Sometimes a spade is a spade, though.
Some of these are legitimate and valid points. The most frequent casualties of Daesh attacks are other muslims themselves, and in astronomic proportions. So, since Daesh is very much the direct enemy of muslims living in the Middle East and North Africa, many of us would like to see them as someone "other" and "foreign" even though its recruits mostly come from the same cultural background.
But having this brought up as a deflection tactic when addressing the terror attacks in Paris (or elsewhere) is shameful and provocative to the victims and their loved ones, and some (muslim) people who post kneejerk comments online fail to grasp that. I think the primary focus of people's attention at the moment should be the victims of the Paris attacks, as well as the concurrent ones in Beirut and Baghdad.
Although I think there are a lot of underlying factors that lead to France tragically being the most popular target for Islamic extremist attacks, a root cause analysis that involves criticizing the French themselves is tactless and unhelpful. I'd offer more condolences but I don't personally know anyone from France. It should go without saying that the attacks are unforgivable and unjustifiable.
People don't realize that Daesh executed more muslims than any other subset in the middle east.
On July 17th this year, an ice cream truck lured people in hot weather close to it. Then ISIS exploded a bomb in it. Around 130 people were killed in it. No one in the world put up colorful support or called it an attack on freedom. Most people in the west will have no knowledge at all of this incident.
Only if we understand the real roots of the problem, and look with empathy to any victim, can we fight this danger. Only if we follow the money to analyze what happens, transparently revealing just why we sell arms and support to extremist nations like Saudia Arabia, or why we build up the "good" rebel group of the day, or the "good" dictactors (like Saddam once was to the US), can we have a discussion of solutions.
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