Acts of Hate

Hate and fear are the catalyst for so much of the darkness in this world, so much of the violence, the pain, the death and the suffering. The world has once again been struck by the scourge of organized terrorism, the murder of innocents with the sole purpose of creating fear. The devastating Paris attacks that have left more than 130 people dead as well as the attacks in Beirut, Baghdad Kenya and Nigeria remind us that there are still many out there who wish to do harm to all. As President Obama said in his address, “It's an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity…” 

(Tossed about but not sunk)

There is a palpable feeling of grief and despair across much of the world, especially in city of Paris as they begin to recover from the third and most deadly set of attacks this year. The United States shows it’s solidarity with France, our oldest ally, just as France has done for us in the past. My thoughts go out to all those affected by this brutal tragedy, it truly sickens me to think about such senseless acts of violence. The sense of loss, of anger, of fear seem all too familiar to the 9/11 attacks in our country 14 years ago. However, we have endured and so will the French; as the motto of Paris says, "Fluctuat nec mergitur”, tossed about but not sunk. 

Terrorism is by no means a new phenomenon but it represents the evil that humanity is capable of and the danger of indoctrination. The modern face of terrorism is made up groups like ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram; militant groups with a warped view of religion carrying out violence for their own perceived gain. These extremists have shown time and time again that they have no regard for human life, indiscriminately killing men, woman and children of all faiths. The vast majority of the nearly 1.6 billion Muslims on the planet firmly denounce these murderers. Terrorists represent Islam as much as the Klu Klux Klan represents Christianity.

The facts about what terrorism is and what it is not, are important to remember in the days and months ahead, particularly in regards to the refugee crisis. Many politicians and pundits in the US have already taken to using the recent attacks as political rhetoric. It saddens me to learn that the governors of around 20 states have gone so far as to say they would refuse to help the 10,000 heavily vetted refugees expected to enter our nation. In this time of international turmoil, some have chosen to turn their backs on those who understand, better than most, the suffering that ISIS has brought to so many lives. Compassion for fellow humans in need is the biggest tool that the average citizen possesses to erase hate.

No matter what you believe or where you are from, we share this world together, beating hearts and thinking brains alike. A passage from the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam, reads, “Humanity is but a single brotherhood: so make peace with your brethren.”  I may not be a religious man by my faith lies deeply withtin humanity and a better tomorrow. Peace will rise above tyranny and violence as long as there someone left to believe in it.