I had the pleasure of reading your letter in the Ocala Star Banner recently. You were so thorough in your justifications for why we should “deal with these threats” brought forth by what you seem to believe is ALL Muslims. Yet in all eight of your calculated, fact-laden paragraphs, not a single source is cited. So I decided if I were to respond, I would be objective and measured. I would take my time and certainly cite my sources.
But before I do that, let me first give some insight as to why responding to you is important to me. For starters, I find it alarming that throughout your entire letter, you never once differentiate between terrorists and Muslims. In fact, what you do instead is use the two terms as if they are synonyms. That’s tragically inaccurate though - inaccurate and disappointing. There are 1.6 billion Muslims on the planet. Yes, billion.(1) Geographically speaking, I get the impression you imagine them all being neighbors to one another, residing in Arab countries only, and dominating the middle East. You’d be imagining incorrectly. But don’t worry, I’m able to break it down for you. In Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran combined,(2) there is an estimated 134,974,100 Muslims. In the countries within east and southeast Asia, the estimated number of Muslims skyrockets to 1,005,507,000. Then, with over 204 million Muslims, Indonesia on its own is home to more Muslims than Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran combined. This is an important fact to remember, especially when we get to the point in your letter where you claim there are no peaceful, moderate Muslims.
Moving on, in these United States, the First Amendment makes it constitutionally illegal to stop people from practicing their religion, exercising their right to assemble peacefully, or speak freely. There is no footnote, no caveat to the amendment. It protects these rights (among other rights) for all people.(3)
When you mentioned the differing sects within Islam being hostile toward one another, were you referring to the peaceful sects of Islam, who in many cases are the victims of these extremist groups? Regardless, the terms intolerance and radicalism do not apply solely to Muslim culture, as you imply. Let us not forget peaceful sects of Christianity have routinely denounced the practices of the extremist Christian group, Westboro Baptist Church. Six different churches within the UK united in agreement that, "Neither the style nor substance of their preaching expresses the historic, orthodox Christian faith.”(4) Furthermore, leaders in the Christian society within our country have spoken publicly about the behaviors of WBC and how it negatively impacts the world by representing Christianity in a hateful way, and not in a way that is a true reflection of the beliefs and doctrines of the religion.(5) As you can see, even Christianity has radical extremists and heightened intolerance to particular issues. Intolerance and radicalism represent the worst of any association. When someone exercises a radical behavior, the very definition of radical is that it is the extreme case - that it affects the fundamental nature of something. Let’s not perpetuate the manipulation of the English language by continually coupling Muslim with words like intolerance and radicalism. Just as the Westboro Baptist Church is not all Christians, radicalism and intolerance is not all Muslims.(6)
While I was able to find a source(7) from February 2016 stating a 2016 ISIS attack on US soil is “highly likely,” not only was I able to find another source stating just the opposite a month later(8) but - and this is more important - these articles discuss an ISIS attack, not an attack by all Muslims on Americans. And even in the CBN article, US Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, said the attacks in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and San Bernardino, California, “demonstrate the threat that HOMEGROWN violent extremists all pose to the homeland.” Again, extremists. And, as the US Director of National Intelligence acknowledges himself, homegrown violent extremists are a threat - and one Americans have been victim to on more occasions than any ISIS threat. Let’s reflect on our history for a moment to think about the impact Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995 had on our culture. If not that one, the Olympic Park Bombing at the 1996 summer olympics by Eric Robert Rudolph - a former explosives expert for our very own US Army. Or, to tap into more recent memory, Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old, South Carolina native who orchestrated and executed a terrorist attack on a Charleston church while morning prayer was in session just last year. And remember the 2012 Aurora Shooting - James Eagan Holmes orchestrated a terrorist attack on movie goers, killing 12 and injuring another 70 innocent civilians.
You asked if moderate and peaceful Muslims do exist, why they’re not speaking out against these attacks. This is my favorite one, Matt. Because, I believe you read the news. And even if you don’t, you have in your range of access, the ability to know Muslims within our country and without are, in fact, speaking out against ISIS and these horrific terrorist attacks. NBC New York did a segment on this all the way back on December 8, 2015. In it, they describe a 17-page open letter to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from Muslim scholars. In that letter, the scholars challenged al-Baghdadi’s claims and stated his group “cherry-picks” or manipulates verses from the Koran to justify their actions. Once published online, the letter was shared and liked more than 120,000 times, receiving signatures from notable scholars around the globe, including the vice president and deans of Shariah Law and theology from Egypt’s Al-Azhar University, one of the most renowned centers for Islamic scholarship in the world. Furthermore, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a 57-member inter-governmental organization that bills itself as “the collective voice of the Muslim world,” is using a different strategy to counter ISIS ideology. The OIC launched a messaging center that will connect senior Islamic scholars with the same sort of cutting edge social media strategies that has made ISIS such a powerful force online.(9) Another example of Muslims speaking out against ISIS are Shia Muslims, who hosted an event in 2015 protesting the actions of ISIS. And yet another example, nearly another 70,000 Indian Muslim clerics have signed a fatwa against ISIS stating the group is not an Islamic organization. And another 1.5 million Muslims have signed a petition against terrorist attacks near the city of Ajmer. And here at home, while Ted Cruz is calling for surveillance of all Muslims, American Muslims are speaking out against ISIS locally and repeatedly.(10) But if that’s not enough to convince you that Muslims can be moderate and peaceful, let’s look to the reliable and world-renowned Nobel Peace Prize for its considerations. Since 1978, seven Muslims have been granted the Nobel Peace Prize for various accomplishments. And in that same time span, three American Christians have been awarded the Prize. Let’s take a look at a few of the Muslims who have been awarded. Anwar Sadat, awarded in 1978, for his contribution to the agreements on peace in the Middle East and on peace between Egypt and Israel. Yasser Arafat, awarded in 1994, for his efforts to create peace in the Middle East. Shirin Ebadi, awarded in 2003, for her efforts for democracy and human rights. She has focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children. Tawakkol Karman, awarded in 2011, for her non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in the peace-building work. And lastly, we all know Malala Yousafzai, awarded in 2014, for her struggle against suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to access education.(11) Clearly, efforts are being made by peaceful and moderate Muslims, Matt. Considering the facts, there is absolutely no room to dispute this.
In regard to Al Jazeera America, well, you got your wish. AJA turned off the broadcast. In an announcement on their website January 13, 2016, they stated they would be shutting down cable TV and digital operations by April 30th.(12) Looking back at what you said about AJA’s “pseudo-journalistic, anti-Semitism and anti-Americanism” tendencies, I couldn’t help but naturally draw comparison to the all-too-well-known Fox News. Speaking of pseudo-journalism, there probably is no more pseudo news provider than good ol’ Faux News. For years critics have questioned the integrity of the channel and have even gone so far as to claim FNC is detrimental to the integrity of news overall. Regardless, the incoming generation of thinkers is one that depends predominantly on mobile news accessibility - the ability to get a breaking news update from their phone, their watch, or their tablet. Among adult Americans, 56 percent reported using a cell phone and 29 percent reported using a tablet to access news.(13) The days of sitting around watching hours of Fox News (or AJA, for that matter) seem to be coming to a close as the new generation navigates toward reading the news in their own voices, hearing the facts internally, and digesting information at their own pace without some impassioned news anchor shouting it at us through our giant TVs.
America is not about changing who people are. Our country has always been a destination for people who for one reason or another would not or could not continue living under the conditions they experienced in their homelands. America - the Land of Opportunity. How unjust would it be if the Land of Opportunity was the same place that, upon your arrival, forced you into a mold in which you did not fit? Besides, what exactly is “American culture?” When a country is made of immigrants, as we are, and consists of extremely diverse geographies, there are bound to be many, varying cultures - Italian culture, Puerto Rican culture, Greek culture, American culture, Irish culture, Pakistani culture, Christian culture, Muslim culture, Jewish culture, beach culture, ski culture, farm culture, urban culture … you get the point. We are made of so many beautiful and different parts. Wouldn’t this be one of the very attributes that makes America great? Take a look at any ethnicity map for a beautiful, colorful illustration of cultures present in the United States.(14)
You mentioned many Muslims are resistant to assimilation, “instead insisting that their Sharia law takes precedence over local, state and federal laws.” The simple truth is the diversity of Muslims in the US is vast. There’s no statistic, no accurate measurement that would justly allow a person to make that statement. Then again, this issue is the very root of the problem with our society - we're forcing an astronomical number of individuals into one box as a result of as very small percentage of individuals who are similar to them. Out of 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, the CIA estimates, at most (as of March 29, 2016) 31,500 are fighters for ISIS.(15) Quick calculations of those figures tell us that less than .002 percent of Muslims are associated with the terror attacks against Americans and our allies, a fact folks like you seem reluctant to let out into open air so easily. Another tidbit some people are not quick to share - of the 31,500 fighters for ISIS, an estimated 2,000 are Westerners who have left home to fight for the Islamic State. Westerners - that means us, that means your neighbor, your college buddy, your co-worker’s daughter. And what all this means is that there are over 1.5 billion happy, friendly, ordinary Muslims roaming the planet, NOT senselessly killing other people. Who would have thought!?
You say “Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism will never be tolerated in their native countries.” Did you ever wonder if maybe that kind of intolerance, as well as the kind you mention later regarding women, is among the reasons a peaceful, happy Muslim family may seek a safer home? Suppose for a moment I came from an unpleasant background, which I most certainly do not, there is no doubt I would exhaust every means of providing better for my son. And yes, that means leaving the US if that's what it took to protect him and provide for him. I'd like to encourage you to engage a Muslim neighbor or acquaintance in a healthy, objective conversation about their family life and heritage, but I believe you’re very disconnected from the subject you speak so vehemently of in your letter. If you were able to partake in that type of discussion, I believe you'll find these accusations of yours quite far from the reality of what occurs in Muslim-American homes. And, to be honest, even if you didn't, well, we refer back to the First Amendment.
I’m not going to dwell on this one, but also cannot simply pretend you didn’t go there. So yes, let’s talk about the rights of women and the LGBT community in America. Let’s talk about the opinions our leaders have and what measures they’re currently attempting to go to in order to make decisions on behalf of these demographics. Voting? I mean, you act as if it was so incredibly long ago that women in these United States were granted the right to vote when in reality, it wasn’t even 100 years ago.(16) And overall equality for women surely still doesn’t exist here otherwise my college degree would be as useful as any man’s in my field and I wouldn’t have to worry about someone trying to swindle me over something like a car repair because I (presumably) have a vagina instead of a penis! And the LGBT community - HAH! Please, there’s currently a battle over bathrooms for crying out loud.(17)
Going back to your description of the rights of women and the LGBT community in Arab countries and to answer you question of “is this what we want in America?” Yes, absolutely yes. If Muslim individuals - or families, or whoever - believe their life can be better if they are in America, if they truly are subject to rape, beatings, and suppression like you describe, then emphatically yes, 1.6 billion times YES, I want them to come to America. I want for them to have the same opportunity my ancestors had to provide for their loved ones and themselves because that is a basic, fundamental human right.
Lastly, about “these threats” we now have to “deal with,” I went ahead and took a look at the fiscal year 2016 budget projection for the Department of Homeland Security over coffee this morning.(18) Among many allocations, the budget allows for $3.7 billion to be spent on TSA procedures and protocols. One common practice of TSA is the removal and disposal of bottled and labeled pre-pumped breastmilk for traveling parents of infants. That is most definitely a “threat we have to deal with.” TSA does a great many things I recognize help keep me safe when I travel, but forcing a mother to dispose of breastmilk is downright ridiculous and it happens way more than you’d expect.(19) Regardless, because we are talking about human lives, systematically annihilating all practitioners of a particular religion, which from what I deciphered sounds like what you’re recommending we do, seems eerily similar to the efforts Adolf Hitler made to eradicate Jews. I want to air on the side of that NOT being what you are suggesting because that would not only be horrific, but also humiliating for you. However, as I said before, throughout your entire letter, you never once differentiate between terrorists or extremists and Muslims. You use the term Muslim so loosely that, in the end, your suggestion that we “recognize and deal with these threats in a decisive and immediate manner” suggests we do just exactly what I fear you’re suggesting we do. And, if this be the case, no civilized country in my global community would dare even consider the barbaric recommendation you have just made. This world has risen far above the deplorable likes of Adolf Hitler. I strongly advise you dig deep, educate yourself, and find a way to do the same because the reality is the hate rhetoric you’re spewing is the very definition of extreme. And so what does that make you but an extremist terrorist yourself? And I just don’t believe that to be a true reflection of you.
So, you are afraid. But I implore you, do not let your worst attribute define you. You are more than fear. You are compassionate, intelligent, strong and so many other useful and positive things. While it is natural to have fears, as humans we have the capacity to choose how we respond. If we continue responding to fear with war, we will only perpetuate war. On the other hand, if we shift our efforts and begin combatting our fear with knowledge, we will inspire peace. We will perpetuate partnership, harmony, and equality.
I want better for you. I want better for the whole world, but I can start with you. I can hope to reason with you and to open your eyes to the broader picture here, the picture of innocent lives and people undeserving of the hate crimes you describe as a solution to the hate crimes you are up in arms over. I can choose to believe you will see there is a solution much better, more positive, and more likely effective than perpetual war. I can have that faith and, if nothing else, I can continue to counter your hate rhetoric with messages of peace and understanding and I can believe I will actually get through to people who, when they think about it, don’t want war anymore either.
PS - the greater threat, both globally and domestically right now is toddlers. Alarmingly, from January through November of 2015, toddlers committed 52 gun-involved crimes. Of those incidences, at least 13 have inadvertently killed themselves while another 18 more injured themselves. Even still, 10 toddlers injured other people and, sadly, two killed other people.(20) Considering your logic, I believe a containment or even eradication plan should be implemented for the domestic threat of gun-bearing toddlers. Oh, wait …. That’s preposterous.
