Our cultural bias with terrorism
Re: “Hijacking my religion
Excalibur» Sept 7, 2011
I would like to address Ms. Ahmed’s comments concerning not labelling terrorists by their religious identity. When Breivik shot children to send a message that non-Christians were unwelcome in Norway, or when Goldstein, engrossed in the Arab-Israeli conflict, killed Muslims at a mosque, both were deeply influenced by their religious beliefs. Similarly, those seeking to destroy “infidels” do so with Islam in mind.
As the existence of various sects shows, scripture is subjectively interpreted, and those who feel their religion is in danger can make dangerous interpretations. Religion, like any exclusive social group, has an intolerant taint. Not all passages are so pure in promoting the sacredness of life. Committing horrific acts in defence of one’s religious beliefs is too often condoned. Together with political strife, cultural shock, or oppression, this creates a deadly combination. For some, terrorism does have a place in Islam, just as far-right Zionists justify Goldstein’s actions by quoting from the Torah.
Labelling such terrorists by their religion would thus demonstrate some insight into their motivations. That said, many religious people, Muslim or otherwise, do not personally support terrorism, and should not be branded negatively for the actions of a few. But neither are individual terrorists simply anomalies. A significant minority of Europeans support xenophobic political parties. Youth recruitment into al-Qaeda continues after Osama’s death.
If we want moderation and acceptance to prevail, we need to understand the overall context—including the political, cultural, religious, and historical circumstances—in which terrorism occurs. We also must ask questions, the most important one being: why are we so afraid of each other?
—Erin Pervin
A well-written and thought-provoking piece
Re: “Hijacking my religion
Excalibur» Sept 7, 2011
Kudos to Ruqaya Ahmed for her well-written and thought-provoking piece, and kudos to Excalibur for publishing it.
—Mohsina Islam
