What Makes You So Different From A Terrorist?

There is something that has been weighing on my mind recently and I don’t think I’ll be able to stop thinking about it until I write about it. Or maybe not. Hopefully this doesn’t open a firestorm. I may lose some friends and some followers, but I can’t stay silent about this anymore. Some things just need to be said.

I’m sure most people have a Facebook account and have seen all the negative posts people are making about Muslims and Islam. If you don’t have a Facebook page, perhaps you’ve seen these types of posts on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Google+ , Youtube and various other websites. And if you still don’t know what I’m been talking about, I wish I could be like you.

For the past year or so we’ve been seeing an upsurge in the animosity towards Muslims and the Islamic faith. Yes, this has been happening for over a decade now, but recently it has changed. Now that we’re bringing more refugees to the US and increasing the Muslim presence in our country, the rhetoric has changed. Friends of mine who I’d believed were peace-loving and kind-hearted people have been posting statuses saying we should destroy Islam and get rid of all the Muslims. Some say we should lock them up or shoot them. Others are posting that we should kick all of the Muslims out of America and yet more are celebrating others who call for the death or incarceration of Muslims. The most shocking posts have been the ones where people I know are themselves posting that all Muslims should be executed and Islam should be wiped from the earth. Are you kidding????!?

And these are just the posts I’m seeing from my friends. My Christian, God-fearing, bible-following and “Christ-like” friends. And along with my Christian friends, yes, these types of posts are also coming from my Agnostic, Buddhist, Jewish, Atheist, non-denominational, Hindu and Pagan friends.

What is wrong with all of you?!?!?!?!

Do you not realize you are behaving just like the people you say are destroying the world? Do you not realize that by calling for the eradication of Islam and the destruction of Muslims that you are supporting the very ideology that you wish to destroy? It isn’t the ideology of Islam, but the ideology of hate. You condemn these people for their desire for death and destruction, yet you are calling out for the same. Radical Muslims say, “Death to America.” Many Americans are saying, “Death to Muslims.” What’s the difference?

What makes you so different from them? Is it because you’ve never actually killed anyone? Neither have most of them. Middle Eastern terrorist groups are made of more than just Muslims. Granted, Muslims probably make up for a large portion of their numbers, but there are certainly plenty of people of other religions who just want to cause mayhem in those groups. Certainly there are non-denominational members, Christian members, Jewish, Atheist, Buddhist and Pagan members. Terrorist can come from any religious background. 

Before I go any further, I wish to clarify that I am, in fact, a devout and faithful Christian. I’m not a follower or studier of Islam. I believe in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and strive to follow the teachings of the Savior. I’m not perfect, I fall short so many times, but I’m doing my best.

Except for right now. Right now I feel upset and want to yell at a lot of people.

When I read these status updates about how we need to kick all the Muslims out of the US or that we need to round them all up and put them in Guantanamo or that Muslims need to be shot on sight or that we should just bomb Iran, Iraq and Syria off the planet it just breaks my heart and baffles my mind. How can anyone think that 100% of Muslims are evil?

• Do we think 100% of all Catholic clergy are child molesters?
• Do we think 100% of all Baptists rejoice in the deaths of the military?
• Do we think 100% of Jews are penny-pinchers?
• Do we think 100% of Hindus perform human sacrifices?
• Do we think 100% of all Pagans practice witchcraft?
• Do we think 100% of Atheists are devil worshipers?
• Do we think 100% of all Christians practice what they preach?

I’m pretty sure most of you answered NO to all of those. There is no situation on EARTH where 100% of any group of people have the same ideals. Most Catholic clergymen are good and devout men. Most Baptists disavow the Westboro group. Jews have a wide variety of practices when it comes to spending and saving. Hindus moved away from human sacrifice almost 200 years ago and it is only rural and radical sects who violate the laws banning such practices. Most Pagan beliefs and ceremonies revolve around a human connection with nature, not witchcraft or black magic. Atheists do not worship the devil, they do not even believe in the devil. That would be the Satanists. And as for the Christians, we Christians are just as bad as everyone else when it comes to not always living what we believe. There always has been and always will be a variety of beliefs and actions across each religious group, so why do we allow that to some and not others?

I mean, seriously, there are quite a few Christian serial killers, bombers, arsonists, murderers and radicals. Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City bomber) was raised Catholic. Eric Robert Rudolph (Olympic Park bomber) was a member of the Church of Israel. The Army of God is a Christian group with many members who have committed mass shootings, sent bombs or murdered. Heck, a lot of mob, mafia and cartel leaders are devout Christians, too. These people are all radicals and terrorists. Does this mean ALL Christians are terrorists? By your reasoning, yes.

And I’m pretty sure that assertion is making you quite upset. But all I’m doing is applying your own logic.

My point is, not all Muslims are terrorists and wish to destroy America. Not all followers of Islam are radicals. Not all of those who worship in a mosque are conspiring to take your life away. So many of these people are peace-loving and hate what the radicals are doing to their beloved religion. Don’t you hate it when you hear about another Christian doing something awful in the name of God?

And now I have some questions I want you to consider.

• Do you realize that when you call for Islam to be destroyed that you are mirroring the radical Muslims’ calls for the destruction of Christianity?
• Do you realize that when you post that all Muslims should be eradicated that you are echoing the radical Muslims’ cry for the annihilation of the Western world? (as well as Hitler’s rally for the murder of the Jews?)
• Do you realize that when you call for the deaths of all Muslims, that you are calling for the deaths of babies, toddlers, young children and so many others who have never hurt a person in their lives?
• Do you realize that the venom you spew about how evil Islam is and how it needs to be crushed is hate speech?
• Do you realize that when you say all of this you are acting just like THEM?

The radical Islamic terrorists are saying the exact same things about you as many of you are saying about them. Do you not realize this? 

Something that crossed my mind is that a lot of these things were said by people in the days leading up to the Holocaust. So many in Germany blamed the Jews for everything that was going wrong in their country. It started with making them wear something that denoted who they were, then there were calls to kick them all out, then it evolved to putting them in special ‘zones.’ After that, all humanity was lost. Are we heading in that direction again with the Muslims?

As a Christian, it is so shocking to me that my fellow Christians are saying such horrible things. How can you call yourself a Christian and say the awful things you do? 

• Do you believe that Jesus Christ would be calling for the murder and destruction of a single person, let alone an entire group of people?
• Do you believe that “Thou shalt not kill” only applies to the actual act of murder by you and not for the support and rejoicing of it?
• Do you believe that “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” only applies to your actual neighbor?
• Do you believe that the God of peace, love, grace and truth would have His followers petitioning for hate, murder, anger and destruction?
• Do you believe that the instruction to “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” only applies to those of the same faith?
• Do you really believe you are behaving in a Christ-like manner when you speak in such a way?

Whatever happened to love and compassion? Whatever happened to following the example of the Savior?

And if you aren’t a Christian, these questions apply to you as well:

• How does being hateful to those who may or may not hate you make them not hate you?
• How is calling for the destruction of an entire religious group any different from what Hitler wanted with the Jews?
• How is inciting hate and fear going to solve the problem?
• How is behaving in an antagonistic manner going to stop other people from becoming militant extremists?

Cuz, really, I bet there are quite a few that join the radical cause because they see all the hate many are spewing their way and start to believe the radical preachings that they must destroy us before we destroy them.

But, of course, I do believe there are those out there who just want to destroy us because of the warped view of what their religion teaches. If there should be calls to destroy anyone, it should be those who are actively trying to destroy us. Not those who are just living their lives. Or those who have come to the United States to get away from the militant extremists. Or those who are living in fear in their home countries because of those same extremists. Or those like Malala, the young Islamic peace activist who terrorists almost killed because she went to school and spoke out against them. Those people, those are the ones we need to protect.

I’m not saying we should just sit back and let the Islamic extremists blow America to bits. Or that we should give up trying to get rid of terrorism around the world. Or that we shouldn’t conduct thorough background checks before letting refugees into the country.

What I AM saying is that not every Muslim is a terrorist and we need to stop acting like they are.

And I’m also saying that before you write your next “we should blow every Muslim off the planet” post or make your next “Muslims are the scum of the earth” comment or share that hate-filled blog post, perhaps you should think about what you’re doing. Because, honestly, you’re saying the same things the terrorists are and, from where I’m sitting, you’re not much different from them.