ISIS needs to be renamed

ISIS needs to be renamed; "Islamic" needs to be taken out of the title

It’s been a while since I’ve actually published a blog…since India back in August I believe. I’ve written since, but they haven’t made it to blogger…Inshalla one day :)

But I can’t let this go on for too much longer. Growing up, it took many years to realize that I have strong opinions about anything. I’m an easy going person and can usually see both sides of the story and like to come up with some sort of compromise. I’ve debated this topic, with myself and with trusted friends and loved ones. It is when I think about the world in which I would like my children to be raised in, do I realize that yes, my opinions are strong, and what we say matters and can change things.

Our world has become a scary place, particularly within the last year when many of us heard the words “Boko Haram” for the first time. Canada suffered 2 fallen soldiers on our own soil. Here in Abu Dhabi, a fellow ADEC teacher was murdered for simply having the wrong colour of skin and religion. In Pakistan, a horrific attack on a school saw 150 casualties, 134 of them were children. Sydney suffered a hostage crisis seeing to the death of 2 citizens.

The latest of course being Charlie Hebdo in Paris, France. After these attacks I saw many of my Muslim friends post their frustrations in being judged based on their religion and are exhausted of trying to defend themselves. I pleaded on Facebook as well for friends and family not to associate any Muslim with these terror attacks. They are claiming to be fighting in the name of Islam, but I have to wonder if they are reading the Quar’an with today’s society in mind, or if they are reading the Islamic Holy Scriptures at all. I thank God that I’ve been given the opportunity to live in a Muslim country. The people I interact with on a daily basis are a beautiful living example of what Islam is. They are not perfect, but neither are any of us. “Who may dare to cast the first stone?”

Shortly after the attacks in Paris, Canadians in particular were threatened again. Stephen Harper has named the enemy. There was an article posted on one of the major Canadian newspapers. I apologize that I didn’t save the article nor the link…but the following made my heart shatter. It was a comment from a Canadian in response to the aforementioned news article about Prime Minister Harper’s stance on terror. Are all of the points mentioned true? I have yet to research them all, but it doesn’t change my view. Those who practice Islam, who are our neighbours, colleagues, friends and loved ones are not terrorists and should not be associated with them. ISIS and similar groups need to be renamed.

“And the common denominator is............
The Shoe Bomber was a Muslim
The Beltway Snipers were Muslims
The Fort Hood Shooter was a Muslim
The underwear Bomber was a Muslim
The U-S.S. Cole Bombers were Muslims
The Madrid Train Bombers were Muslims
The Bafi Nightclub Bombers were Muslims
The London Subway Bombers were Muslims
The Moscow Theatre Attackers were Muslims
The Boston Marathon Bombers were Muslims
The Pan-Am flight #93 Bombers were Muslims
The Air France Entebbe Hijackers were Muslims
The Iranian Embassy Takeover, was by Muslims
The Beirut U.S. Embassy bombers were Muslims
The Libyan U.S. Embassy Attack was by Musiims
The Buenos Aires Suicide Bombers were Muslims
The Israeli Olympic Team Attackers were Muslims
The Kenyan U.S, Embassy Bombers were Muslims
The Saudi, Khobar Towers Bombers were Muslims
The Beirut Marine Barracks bombers were Muslims
The Besian Russian School Attackers were Muslims
The first World Trade Center Bombers were Muslims
The Bombay & Mumbai India Attackers were Muslims
The Achille Lauro Cruise Ship Hijackers were Muslims
The September 11th 2001 Airline Hijackers were Muslims
Think of it:
Buddhists living with Hindus = No Problem
Hindus living with Christians = No Problem
Hindus living with Jews = No Problem
Christians living with Shintos = No Problem
Shintos living with Confucians = No Problem
Confusians living with Baha'is = No Problem
Baha'is living with Jews = No Problem
Jews living with Atheists = No Problem
Atheists living with Buddhists = No Problem
Buddhists living with Sikhs = No Problem
Sikhs living with Hindus = No Problem
Hindus living with Baha'is = No Problem
Baha'is living with Christians = No Problem
Christians living with Jews = No Problem
Jews living with Buddhists = No Problem
Buddhists living with Shintos = No Problem
Shintos living with Atheists = No Problem
Atheists living with Confucians = No Problem
Confusians living with Hindus = No Problem
Muslims living with Hindus = Problem
Muslims living with Buddhists = Problem
Muslims living with Christians = Problem
Muslims living with Jews = Problem
Muslims living with Sikhs = Problem
Muslims living with Baha'is = Problem
Muslims living with Shintos = Problem
Muslims living with Atheists = Problem
MUSLIMS LIVING WITH MUSLIMS = BIG PROBLEM
**********SO THIS LEADS TO *****************
They’re not happy in Gaza
They're not happy in Egypt
They're not happy in Libya
They're not happy in Morocco
They're not happy in Iran
They're not happy in Iraq
They're not happy in Yemen
They're not happy in Afghanistan
They're not happy in Pakistan
They're not happy in Syria
They're not happy in Lebanon
They're not happy in Nigeria
They're not happy in Kenya
They're not happy in Sudan
******** So, where are they happy? **********
They're happy in Australia
They're happy in England
They're happy in Belgium
They're happy in France
They're happy in Italy
They're happy in Germany
They're happy in Sweden
They're happy in the USA & Canada
They're happy in Norway & India
They're happy in almost every country that is not Islamic! And who do they blame? Not Islam... Not their leadership... Not themselves... THEY BLAME THE COUNTRIES THEY ARE HAPPY IN!!
And they want to change the countries they're happy in, to be like the countries they came from where they were unhappy and finally they will be get hammered !!!!
Islamic Jihad: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
ISIS: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Al-Qaeda: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Taliban: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Hamas: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Hezbollah: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Boko Haram: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Al-Nusra: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Abu Sayyaf: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Al-Badr: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Muslim Brotherhood: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Lashkar-e-Taiba: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Palestine Liberation Front: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Ansaru: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Jemaah Islamiyah: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
Abdullah Azzam Brigades: AN ISLAMIC TERROR ORGANIZATION
AND A LOT MORE!!!!!!!”

After reading this, I turned to a dear friend back home in confusion and frustration. I knew that I needed to be grounded…after this comment, as I said, my heart was shattered for my friends and for myself in trying the fight against the horrific generalizations. My friend had very wise words for me. Are they all 100% true? Maybe not but the right questions are raised. Research could have been done, but I chose not to edit his words. They are amazing in and of themselves:

“Don't give up on defending Muslims based on this. They need Westerners who know better. The first section is not a fair sampling of bizarre violent acts. Jim Jones, the Unabomber, shooters from Columbine and other schools are all Western and not Muslim at all. One could easily come up with a list of Canadians who as bad, if the techniques are different (Paul Bernardo, the black Donnelies, etc etc). Statistically, crime rates are LOWER in Muslim countries.

Further, understand there is a war going on. It shows in a thousand different ways. We call these things acts of Terrorism, but if we were the less powerful force, we would use similar tactics. When we do use bombs, we get Dresden, Hiroshima and Nagasaki - acts of violence on a civilian population to cause terror.

The things these Muslims have done are horrible. But we could match them with a list as long of our own horrors.

The "no problem" list is just plain wrong. Hindus and Sikhs have had many many bloody battles. Hindus have persecuted Christians and atheists in India. Christians are of course innocent - if you exclude the genocide we attempted through residential schools. And we always get along - except in Ireland.

You have lived in and visited Muslim countries. Are they really unhappy? That's not the impression I get from you. If they are, is it by chance economic? Are they less happier than Christians living in Harlem?

There is a list of a little over a dozen Islamic "Terrorist organizations". How many Muslim countries are there? How many Christian denominations? How many Western nations with standing armies? How many Christian missionary organizations doing spreading the gospel - some with respect, some as a form of spiritual Colonialism.

You would know better, than me, but take a look around you. You are surrounded by Muslims. Are they friendly to the West? Do they love the U.S.? Do they have issues with Western politics or culture? I am sure many of them do. Understanding people who are different is hard. We don't do any better at it. Why should we expect them to love and understand us when most of us have a hard time loving and understanding them?

But what are they like as a people? Do they care about each other? Do they love other people? Do they care about the suffering of others? You can look in the eyes of the people around you. They may express anger differently etc., but are they violent, hateful people?”

Thank goodness for friends like this! I am a product of my environment, and thank God for that. I share in the Western view of terrorists. What many may be missing, is that most Muslims share in that despising view as well.

When I first came home after living abroad, more than one person mentioned to me that they had a fear that I would convert to Islam. It’s sad to have this fear. Most of my friends attend mosque and pray 5 times a day…many Christian friends including myself could only wish they placed God above all else so faithfully. It was a bit of a culture shock to first hear the Imam come over the loud speakers of a local mosque with the call to prayer. I didn’t feel that it was only calling Muslims to pray…it was calling all of us for our own submission to the Supreme Being. This is the Islam I know. ISIS needs to be renamed...take Islam out of it.

Where do I go from here? How do I identify myself? Am I still a Catholic, still a Christian? Have I embraced Islam? Born and raised in the Catholic Church, I will always have the Christian mindset to begin with. I take my Christian values and truly respect the 5 pillars of Islam. If I had to choose a religion now as an adult, I don’t think I could. I choose Humanity, and so do our Muslim loved ones.