Today on USA Today's website (http://www.usatoday.com/) there was this article posted: "Is arson at Tennessee mosque site a kind of terrorism? (http://content.usatoday.com/communties/Religion/post/2010/08/mosque-muslim-arson-/1) I can't believe that we are having this conversation in 2010. It is absolutley incredible that we believe that we are always right, and that anyone who is different from us is evil.
The best step is to look at what Terrorism is: dictionary.com fails to clearly define what terrorism is, but terrorism would be the result of terror. And terror is a state of mind and thus a perception. People live in fear of governments impeding their freedom and of military's coming in and shooting at all costs. If we look at the big picture everyone could be a terrorist and produce feelings of terror in different cultures. Take the events since September 10, 2001: On September 11, 19 arabs and other people of Middle Eastern descent flew 3 airplanes into both World Trade Centers and the Pentagon, while the fourth flight went down in Pennslyvannia. The Americans deemed this an act of terrorism, and since they were on the receiving end of the acts they are correct. However there are different perceptions throughout the world. In October of 2001 the USA launched a war against Afganistan which was the last known whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. The people of Afganistan could easily have deemed this an act of terrorism, while in the western world it was deemed a justifiable retalitory act. Then in March of 2003, the Bush administration launched a war against Iraq, as a part of the War on Terror.
The interesting thing is that terror and terrorism is a perception of events, not an actual state or an actual, tanigble feeling.
Now the Mosque;
The US Constitution's first amendment states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or adbridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peacefully assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
This means that the building of mosques is protected under the consitution, and now the people of Tennessee are fearful that a new mosque will be a training ground for terrorists. This is incredibly stupid to even think of but alas that is the notion of thought right now. The media in the USA has been compliant in this thought throughout the last nine years doing nothing but generating hate against muslims and being fear mongers. The people of the US who mostly listen to the opinions on news shows without question have adopted this attitude based on the baseless fear mogering of the media. This has brought about a mini communist country within the USA. The attitude is you do things our way or no way.
Those are just some thoughts on this issue.
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Yes. Terrorism can sometimes probably be a subjective event depending on where you sit. Our vantage points are one indicator of how we perceive anything. However, if I may add that terrorism might also be thought as a act of bullying. Rather than trying to understand and work out (typically) religious and political issues some (typically) groups are more likely to roll up their sleeves and flex...hard. SOmetimes with enough jeering, the bully will actually have to walk their talk. Some do this without thinking. Some do think. They think, they assemble, they recruit and they plan. These are the most dangerous type. Small acts of terrorism can have the same affect on people as big acts of terrorism. Our chemical make up does not recognize the severity factor. Trauma is trauma.
ReplyDeleteNow onto the sept 11, mosque issue.
I am utterly horrified by events like this, in general, but even more disheartened when it falls out of the hands of a "christian" nation. I am not sure where in the Word of God these american terrorists find scripture to justify their actions but I am sure they do , as the extremist islamic find same in the Qur'an. It is utter nonsense brought about by poor translation and even worse interpretation of Gods word (regardless of if you find in the Bible, the ponderings of the Dalai Lama, the Tao , or in the Qur'an.
From a spiritual standpoint, the attacks on the buildings was an act of spiritual influence. Sept 11 has long been recognized by many as the Birth day of Jesus Christ. It seems a logical thing then for the adversary to mount a stand against furthering understanding of Gods Word. It seems equaly logical although sad and terribly shameful that people would be so easily led from the path of righteousness. In the Third world they suffer daily events of this nature...they do not loose all faith in the God they know.
When I learned recently that there was such outrage at the proposition of a mosque being build near ground zero , I was saddened. Obviously the intent of such a building has been misunderstood. When I learned that the church was planning on public burnings of the Qur'an I cried for our muslim brothers and sisters.
Since when do we believe we fall outside the fire and consider only those we choose to be terroristic.
If you look well, you can find the good in all people,
I believe that we can turn this around. We simply need to walk the walk as diligently as we talk the talk.
And quit offering up so much power to the evil that lurks just below the surface and makes us ALL vulernable to choices we should not make, but continue to make daily in our lives.. some are terroristic in nature, some abusive, some are disempowering in other ways.
Geesh. We just need to learn to be nice to others even in their flaws...those are reflective of our own shortcomings.