Why the terrorist will fail!
Recent events have been
dreadful, certain factions of certain religious persuasions have brought fear
and concern to our streets and no one feels safe.
But look deeper and see that beside everything that the terrorists want, in reality the opposite is happening. Please do not get me wrong, there is no excuse for this type of behaviour. It is never acceptable and I do not condone it with my whole being.
I just want to give you an insight to what I’m seeing out of all this hate and carnage. This is my personal view.
I am a Muslim and a proud one, I was born in Manchester and am proud to be of this nation. Great Britain. My parents came over to this country in the late 50's early 60's and settled here. I know my father worked very hard, and he was proud to be here. But the then society wasn’t so kind to him, I often heard stories and actually saw my father being racially and physically abused when I was five years old. Perhaps this is why they gathered together and decided to live in specific areas, for self-protection. That and the lack of services helping them to integrate, all which in the long run has caused so much contention over the years. It saddens me to see, years later this same aspect happening with the Eastern European migrants. The country economically wants these labourers to come and work, but do very little to help them integrate with society.
Thus in such societies the second generation or third generation eventually feel trapped and lash out. I saw it in the riots in the 80's and 90's and 00's. It is therefore my theory that this is the loop that allows terrorist organisations to play on the minds of the disenchanted youths within such communities to commit such awful deeds. Your second class, they don’t except you. You will never be one of them...
It’s a bit of a puzzle to me, as I grew up in one of these areas, I was lucky to have had excellent Islamic teachers, and what I was taught in my very early days, always left me slightly confused as to the siege mentality the neighbourhood took, over what I was taught.
I was taught when early Muslims migrated, the way they behaved, looked and treated the people of the country they landed in, led many people to question why these people behaved in this way? Why they showed such compassion, purity and kindness. This is the Islam I was taught about, not with a sword or as a jihadi but through goodness and deed. I was taught that if you go to another country, you swear a covenant that you will follow the rules of the country. I was taught if there ever was a battle even against another Muslim country, it was my duty to fight for the country of my adoption and where I lived.
But look deeper and see that beside everything that the terrorists want, in reality the opposite is happening. Please do not get me wrong, there is no excuse for this type of behaviour. It is never acceptable and I do not condone it with my whole being.
I just want to give you an insight to what I’m seeing out of all this hate and carnage. This is my personal view.
I am a Muslim and a proud one, I was born in Manchester and am proud to be of this nation. Great Britain. My parents came over to this country in the late 50's early 60's and settled here. I know my father worked very hard, and he was proud to be here. But the then society wasn’t so kind to him, I often heard stories and actually saw my father being racially and physically abused when I was five years old. Perhaps this is why they gathered together and decided to live in specific areas, for self-protection. That and the lack of services helping them to integrate, all which in the long run has caused so much contention over the years. It saddens me to see, years later this same aspect happening with the Eastern European migrants. The country economically wants these labourers to come and work, but do very little to help them integrate with society.
Thus in such societies the second generation or third generation eventually feel trapped and lash out. I saw it in the riots in the 80's and 90's and 00's. It is therefore my theory that this is the loop that allows terrorist organisations to play on the minds of the disenchanted youths within such communities to commit such awful deeds. Your second class, they don’t except you. You will never be one of them...
It’s a bit of a puzzle to me, as I grew up in one of these areas, I was lucky to have had excellent Islamic teachers, and what I was taught in my very early days, always left me slightly confused as to the siege mentality the neighbourhood took, over what I was taught.
I was taught when early Muslims migrated, the way they behaved, looked and treated the people of the country they landed in, led many people to question why these people behaved in this way? Why they showed such compassion, purity and kindness. This is the Islam I was taught about, not with a sword or as a jihadi but through goodness and deed. I was taught that if you go to another country, you swear a covenant that you will follow the rules of the country. I was taught if there ever was a battle even against another Muslim country, it was my duty to fight for the country of my adoption and where I lived.
I was brought up with
stories of the, promises made to Christians and other faiths for them to be
treated with respect. When a delegation of Christians came to visit our prophet
(pbuh) he decreed that they be given a part of the mosque where they could
carry on their own worship.
At times in the early days of Islam, food was short, yet when guests came they were to be treated and cared for. When one family had a guest for a meal, and they had little food. The husband told his wife to dim the lights in the dining area, and when the food was brought out the husband would mime he was eating with the guest. So the guest was looked after. These are the stories of Islam I grew up with and was taught, integration, kindness, hospitality, charity. Not fear, war or force.
Alas I feel that perhaps the circumstances over the years have led Muslims to forget these attributes in this country and in building their private society’s out of self-preservation they have put up walls so that the outside see very little of the true religion of Islam.
However things are changing and it is the catalyst of the terror that is causing the change. Not a bad change but a good change. I have had more people than ever ask me why this is happening. What does it mean to be a Muslim? I also read and see every day with great joy that finally Muslim communities are opening the doors to their mosques and homes, they are inviting those that oppose them for tea and biscuits (how British is that!). Finally the Muslim communities are coming out to show what they are really about. Sharing, kind, generous and concerned citizens, everything that speaks to me off what my religion is all about. I see even in this holy month of Ramadan, when most Muslims are fasting and the last thing on their mind is food. They are giving out food to the communities, the homeless and the hungry. Charity which is an important tenant of Islam is being shown not through just financial donations but through acts of kindness. Finally the true face of Islam is being seen.
So don’t let the armed police on the street worry you. Or the fear of what might happen, stop you from doing things. Your Muslim communities, families and friends are there showing you, opening their doors and joining you in showing that terrorism can never win. In fact it’s doing the opposite. It’s bringing a lot of us much closer together. It is down to this togetherness that the terrorists will fail.
At times in the early days of Islam, food was short, yet when guests came they were to be treated and cared for. When one family had a guest for a meal, and they had little food. The husband told his wife to dim the lights in the dining area, and when the food was brought out the husband would mime he was eating with the guest. So the guest was looked after. These are the stories of Islam I grew up with and was taught, integration, kindness, hospitality, charity. Not fear, war or force.
Alas I feel that perhaps the circumstances over the years have led Muslims to forget these attributes in this country and in building their private society’s out of self-preservation they have put up walls so that the outside see very little of the true religion of Islam.
However things are changing and it is the catalyst of the terror that is causing the change. Not a bad change but a good change. I have had more people than ever ask me why this is happening. What does it mean to be a Muslim? I also read and see every day with great joy that finally Muslim communities are opening the doors to their mosques and homes, they are inviting those that oppose them for tea and biscuits (how British is that!). Finally the Muslim communities are coming out to show what they are really about. Sharing, kind, generous and concerned citizens, everything that speaks to me off what my religion is all about. I see even in this holy month of Ramadan, when most Muslims are fasting and the last thing on their mind is food. They are giving out food to the communities, the homeless and the hungry. Charity which is an important tenant of Islam is being shown not through just financial donations but through acts of kindness. Finally the true face of Islam is being seen.
So don’t let the armed police on the street worry you. Or the fear of what might happen, stop you from doing things. Your Muslim communities, families and friends are there showing you, opening their doors and joining you in showing that terrorism can never win. In fact it’s doing the opposite. It’s bringing a lot of us much closer together. It is down to this togetherness that the terrorists will fail.
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