Islam is a religion – an idea and a philosophy that should be held to the greatest degrees of scrutiny.
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“These attacks are odious, we must unite to face this evil”. Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of those killed and injured and with all of France. I know we are better than the actions we are presently pursuing based on fear.
All of these quotes also came from Muslims. “We are part of associations to act for the common good, and here the student one”. This decision, clearly, is not about denouncing the acts of violence: they require nothing less than a patent renunciation. Due to the French concept of Laïcité (the separation of church and state) the wearing of hijabs and burkas in a public space was made illegal, restricting Muslim women’s right to practice their faith.
In opposition to what some like Franklin Graham insist, this is not a false dichotomy.
The Paris attacks of November 13 came as a shock to French citizens as well as many of us around the world. “It’s not only important for us to condemn terrorism, but I would say it’s obligatory”. “Because [ISIS] can now send a bunch of messages to people about how the West is against Muslims and against Syrians”. I am grateful there have always been Christian voices speaking against this attempted hijacking of the Christian faith.
“A few individuals who did what they did, they don’t represent 1.6 billion Muslims”, said Faisal Naeem, a board member for the Islamic center. It’s easy to become inward-looking, fearful and intolerant of people who don’t look like us, who don’t follow our cultural customs, who follow a different god.
Muslim condemnation of the terrorist attacks was not limited to France. Writing in the American Spectator, for instance, Aaron Goldstein observed, “Let me sum up the term radical Islam this way”.
Many of these expressions of renunciation have been posted online with the hashtag #notinmyname. I’ve played this three times and still can’t believe I’m watching an ad from the Democratic Party pointing at George W. Bush as a role model on how to think about terrorism.
Secured to my backpack is a pin with the invitation: “I’m a Muslim – ask me about Islam”. Because they (terrorists) attacked Paris, France but also us.
Of course, it’s important to state the usual disclaimers – lest someone cry “Islamophobia” and tell us we are “tarring all Muslims with the same brush”. “Austrians are more helpful to Muslims than ever”.
I know the newsprint, airwaves and cyberspace will be crowded with pundits speaking about Islam from the perspective of religious extremists.
In Afghanistan, torn apart by decades of war and a bloody insurgency, Muslims took to social media to change their profile pictures to the French tricolour, despite the fact that Facebook had no Afghan flag filter for when their own lives were shattered by bombs and guns.
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Rev. Ben Konecny is the associate minister at First Congregational Church, UCC Greeley.
