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Thinking Another Way.
Author: Raine    Date: 11/16/2015 14:29:46

This….


Instead of this:

Sadly when candidates seeking the Office of the President in the United States say things like this:
Ben Carson said Sunday that he believes Islam to be inconsistent with the Constitution and therefore he could not support a Muslim candidate for president. “I would not advocate that we put a Muslim in charge of this nation,” he told NBC’s Chuck Todd. “I absolutely would not agree with that.”
or this:
This rancid sentiment was on display at Trump’s town hall meeting in New Hampshire last week, at which a questioner began by stating a premise: “We have a problem in this country, it’s called Muslims. We know our current president is one. You know, he’s not even an American.”
— they are doing the latter and playing right into the the hands of the very people who want to kill: Daesh (usually called IS/ISIS/ISIL)
(…) They've got some pretty good reasons: Calling it the Islamic State helps ISIS sell its message, and helps insult Muslims to boot.

The name "Islamic State," as opposed to ISIS or Daesh, is at its heart a propaganda tool. By claiming to be the caliphate, ISIS is implying that it's the only state true Muslims should obey: Around the world, they should pledge loyalty to the one and only Islamic State. This message is part of how ISIS recruits and thus keeps fighting.

Hence why British and French authorities are moving to the more derogatory Daesh, which doesn't imply that the group is either a real government or an authentic representation of Islamic thought.

"Islamic State, ISIL, and ISIS [give] legitimacy to a terrorist organization that is not Islamic nor has it been recognised as a state," 120 British MPs wrote in a letter to Lord Tony Hall, the director-general of the BBC.
It would go a long way to rethink how we approach this cancerous scourge upon the world. Here at home, in the United States this would be a good start.
Any time there is an attack on civilians in the post-9/11 West, demagogues immediately blame it on Muslims. They frequently lack evidence, but depend on the blunt force of anti-Muslim bigotry to bolster their accusations.

Actual evidence, on the other hand, shows that less than two percent of terrorist attacks from 2009 to 2013 in the E.U. were religiously motivated. In 2013, just one percent of the 152 terrorist attacks were religious in nature; in 2012, less than three percent of the 219 terrorist attacks were inspired by religion.

The vast majority of terrorist attacks in these years were motivated by ethno-nationalism or separatism. In 2013, 55 percent of terrorist attacks were ethno-nationalist or separatist in nature; in 2012, more than three-quarters (76 percent) of terrorist attacks were inspired by ethno-nationalism or separatism.
(snip)
Clampdown on Muslims and refugees
Every time Islamic extremists carry out an attack, the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims are expected to collectively apologize; it has become a cold cliché at this point.

Who benefits from such clampdown on Muslims and refugees?

Two primary groups: One, Islamic extremist groups themselves, who use the clampdown as “evidence” that there is supposedly no room for Muslims in the secular West that has declared war on Islam; and two, Europe’s growing far-right, who will use the attacks as “evidence” that there is supposedly no room for Muslims in the secular West that should declare war on Islam.
From Daesh itself:
http://media.salon.com/2015/11/extinction-of-the-grayzone.png


We (globally) can and will be answering the attacks - not just in Paris, but Beirut as well - but until we have a massive change in how we think about these acts intended to inflict terror and fear, I am concerned about more escalation.

We in the west do have a way of selective grief, I suppose, so it easy to be horrified at what happened last Friday, while we are used to constant violence in places like Beirut.
Meanwhile, in a brown part of the world, as the attacks began in Paris, Lebanon was just emerging from a National Day of Mourning, after 43 people were killed and 200 more were injured during a series of coordinated suicide bombings in Beirut.

(snip)

The sad reality is that these attacks will increase. You can’t stop five or eight people with a gun and a twisted ideology, just as you can’t stop an American or Australian military with a commercial, strategic and political interest in slaughter.

Westerners are finally being given just a small taste of the constant fear that people from other nations have endured for generations. So solidarity with, and compassion for, the French is a good thing.

But solidarity and compassion for the victims of terrorism everywhere is even better, in particular those who’ve fallen victim to the terrorism sponsored in all our names.


These are indeed sad times, and all the bombs in the world won't help without a massive shift in how we see ourselves and how we react to all victims.It has always been easier to give into hatred, anger and bigotry against those we fear and even despise. We must have compassion for victims instead of blaming them for looking like the ones who carried out the crime.

and
Raine
 

37 comments (Latest Comment: 11/16/2015 21:34:41 by Raine)
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Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 14:37:40
The last link in the blog today was posted by a friend of mine and I point this pout because this was a response on her thread that I really think bears repeating. I didn't know how to add it to the blog, so consider this a PS:

The sad fact is, that in the places mentioned, the populace have been bombing and killing each other for so long we have become numb to its tragedy. In addition, the people of these places often ignore or even condone the terror perpetrated against their fellow citizens unless it is an attack that inflicts collateral damage from one of the western military powers fighting to end the work of terror groups that the locals do not fight against.

For example, in Pakistan or Afghanistan an errant bomb or drone strike brings hundreds, even thousands of locals to the street to protest callous western violations of their sovereignty and murder by the west. Meanwhile, when the Pakistani Taliban attack a school and kill dozens of Pakistani children who happen to be the progeny of Pakistani military officers, there was no commensurate outpouring. The attacks on shia muslims in Pakistan are perpetrated by sunni Pakistani extremist groups from inside Pakistan.

We all have a hard time understanding why Pakistan's government doesn't do more to bring those people to justice. In Lebanon we have a decades old conflict of inter-faith warfare between the various faith groups--sunni, shia, druze--who are supported by various foreign powers for their own reasons. It is difficult for those of us in the west with pluralistic societies where we try to accommodate our diverse populations--even when we fall short it is our ideal--to understand how these groups across the middle east, south asia, and Africa continue to thrive and populations do not demand more of their governments to bring peace.


good morning.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 11/16/2015 14:38:39
Morning


Comment by trojanrabbit on 11/16/2015 14:41:21
BJ's can go fuck themselves, putting tRump's new book right at the checkouts. Wonder what rightwing fuckstick in BJ's front office thought that was a good idea.

Here we go, I thought I'd never say this....but

The only good Republican is a dead Republican.

Fuck them all.

Comment by wickedpam on 11/16/2015 14:42:24
Morning

Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 15:02:11
Simply put, when Muslims condemn acts of violence from extremists, and they get asked again and again why don’t they condemn terrorism, I wonder if is because some of us are not listening. And perhaps that we don’t want to listen. There is a sad place deep in my soul that has to admit this: there are some in our midst who do not want to believe that faithful, pious Muslims could find and do find acts of violence morally repugnant. That attitude, as common as it is, tells me nothing about the humanity of Muslims that I know, or about Islam. It does tell me a lot about a xenophobic spirit of ignorance that is rampant in our society.

Ultimately, this spirit of ignorance and racism is a common enemy, just as much as state-sponsored violence and violence committed by groups like ISIS is an enemy. All of these stand in opposition to the dignity of all of us.

I don’t know how to say it more directly than this: Yes, the members of ISIS come from Muslim backgrounds. No, their actions cannot be justified on the basis of the 1400 years of Islamic tradition. Every serious scholar of Islam has confirmed this clearly, and unambiguously. ISIS is about as Muslim as the KKK is Christian. If you don’t look to the KKK to tell you about God’s message of love as expressed through Jesus, don’t look to ISIS to tell you about God’s mercy as expressed through Muhammad.
Amazing.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 11/16/2015 15:03:36
Actually the first thing we should do is drop Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Pelosi, Blair and a bunch of others in a courtroom in The Hague and prosecute for war crimes. No one will believe we really care about changing things in the ME until the for-profit motive puts you behind bars or in a noose.

Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 15:07:02
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Actually the first thing we should do is drop Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Pelosi, Blair and a bunch of others in a courtroom in The Hague and prosecute for war crimes. No one will believe we really care about changing things in the ME until the for-profit motive puts you behind bars or in a noose.

I agree about the prosecution — however I don;t think that will begin to placate the monsters that are now carrying out these attacks. That would go a long way to heal the western world but I don't think Daesh gives a fuck about them at all right now, they actually Thrive on people who think like the Neo-cons and the GOP in General. .

Comment by trojanrabbit on 11/16/2015 15:17:32
Quote by Raine:
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Actually the first thing we should do is drop Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Pelosi, Blair and a bunch of others in a courtroom in The Hague and prosecute for war crimes. No one will believe we really care about changing things in the ME until the for-profit motive puts you behind bars or in a noose.

I agree about the prosecution — however I don;t think that will begin to placate the monsters that are now carrying out these attacks. That would go a long way to heal the western world but I don't think Daesh gives a fuck about them at all right now, they actually Thrive on people who think like the Neo-cons and the GOP in General. .

I agree. I did not really care what Daesh thinks either, but we need to work with the rest of the world and what they still see is Dubya holding hands with Saudi princes.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 11/16/2015 15:18:13
In the lighter side, yesterday wasn't that good a day for the Manning clan, was it.

Comment by TriSec on 11/16/2015 15:22:19
France can't catch a break- did you hear about the TGV crash yesterday?

Comment by Scoopster on 11/16/2015 15:31:25
Mornin' all..

It seems that sentiment is all over the place today. I'm glad, but I know certain elements will refuse to see it this way. All they see is hate and blood, just like the people who orchestrated this attack.

Comment by Scoopster on 11/16/2015 15:33:45
And now on a lighter note...

OK that pic was huge let's not do that heh

Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 15:36:12
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all..

It seems that sentiment is all over the place today. I'm glad, but I know certain elements will refuse to see it this way. All they see is hate and blood, just like the people who orchestrated this attack.
IT's really bothersome.

I am really glad I am not the only starting to see this.


Comment by TriSec on 11/16/2015 15:40:45
The problem with religions that aren't Roman Catholic is that there is no single voice to speak for them all. ISIS can carry the negative banner and get all the media coverage, but the rest of Islam doesn't have that One Voice. Nobody is actually in charge, so nobody speaks for all Muslims. So by default ISIS does, with all the negative results we now see.

Comment by BobR on 11/16/2015 16:02:16
Comment by BobR on 11/16/2015 16:07:19
Quote by TriSec:
France can't catch a break- did you hear about the TGV crash yesterday?

It was a train test, but some of the idiot techs on board brought their children along for the ride

Comment by Will in Chicago on 11/16/2015 16:33:04
Good morning, bloggers!! I hope that everyone is doing well, despite the horrific news.

I would like to share something that my rabbi read from Rabbi Menachem Creditor of France. Many of you may have seen it on my Facebook page.

What use is prayer, God? A Prayer During a Terror Attack in Paris
© Rabbi Menachem Creditor
What use is prayer, God,
while Your children are killing each other?
Your images are erasing each other,
right now, on the streets of Paris,
in markets and thaters and stadiums in Paris.
Dear God,
What can prayer accomplish
when hate and fear fill human hearts,
life interrupted by global concern,
all of us tweeting, reposting,
images of flags, incomplete reports,
sick to our hearts?
Dear God…
Dear God…
If only there were a way
to reach out beyond space,
to connect one heart to the next
until we remembered
that we belong to each other…
If only our hearts’ ache
for a world without hate
could reach Yours….
If only…
There is a way,
even during this moment of terror,
through a deeper prayer
than we’re used to making.
God, we need You
and we know
our fate isn’t up to You.
God, we pray,
but not for You to save us.
That won’t work.
God, we pray that You strengthen us.
Help us pray,
Help us rage,
Help us cry,
Help us rescue each other,
Help us change this broken world.
Help us transform our tears into resolve,
rage into constructive passion,
trauma into healing.
God,
may we learn
not only to stop each other
from killing each other…
May we also learn
to stop killing
in the first place.
Amen.


We must reject calls to hatred and division. We must try to not be what ISIS wants us to be seen as - enemies of a faith of over a billion human souls. (By the way, do check out today's Paul Krugman column where he criticizes the GOP for their response to the Paris attacks.)

As I have a lot to do today, I will wish all of you well. Let us move forward together and stand with each other. Je suis Paris.

Comment by BobR on 11/16/2015 17:22:00
Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 17:25:14


Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 17:29:10
Someone needs to figure out Daesh's incrypted social media platform —

This is why this attack was undetected. There is a new social media thing in the so called dark net called Telegraph that they seems to be using with increasing deadly results.

Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 17:59:06
Comment by Mondobubba on 11/16/2015 19:10:52
No, Jindal, Abbot and you other ass-clowns. You can't say no to Syrian refugees. Because, Constitution. I swear to fuck I am tired of these ass-ignorant fckwits trying to nullify the bits of Federal law they don't like. It didn't work in the early 1830s and it won't work now. YOU ARE NOT HELPING, STOP. Just STOP.

Comment by BobR on 11/16/2015 19:23:15
Is it just me, or does the "flower" on the "G" look like a laser-guided missile?
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/547734055421112320/QTR1UlTZ.jpeg


Comment by Mondobubba on 11/16/2015 19:25:58
Quote by BobR:
Is it just me, or does the "flower" on the "G" look like a laser-guided missile?
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/547734055421112320/QTR1UlTZ.jpeg



Nope not to me. A stylized tulip.

Comment by BobR on 11/16/2015 19:36:25
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by BobR:
Is it just me, or does the "flower" on the "G" look like a laser-guided missile?
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/547734055421112320/QTR1UlTZ.jpeg

Nope not to me. A stylized tulip.

Guess it's just me then
http://www.spacedaily.com/images-lg/qassed-2-laser-guided-smart-bomb-iran-lg.jpg


Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 19:48:19
Quote by Mondobubba:
No, Jindal, Abbot and you other ass-clowns. You can't say no to Syrian refugees. Because, Constitution. I swear to fuck I am tired of these ass-ignorant fckwits trying to nullify the bits of Federal law they don't like. It didn't work in the early 1830s and it won't work now. YOU ARE NOT HELPING, STOP. Just STOP.

Virginia Conservatives want to take it one step further…

Comment by Mondobubba on 11/16/2015 20:22:46
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
No, Jindal, Abbot and you other ass-clowns. You can't say no to Syrian refugees. Because, Constitution. I swear to fuck I am tired of these ass-ignorant fckwits trying to nullify the bits of Federal law they don't like. It didn't work in the early 1830s and it won't work now. YOU ARE NOT HELPING, STOP. Just STOP.

Virginia Conservatives want to take it one step further…



Governor Penis Head doesn't want them either.

Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 20:32:50
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
No, Jindal, Abbot and you other ass-clowns. You can't say no to Syrian refugees. Because, Constitution. I swear to fuck I am tired of these ass-ignorant fckwits trying to nullify the bits of Federal law they don't like. It didn't work in the early 1830s and it won't work now. YOU ARE NOT HELPING, STOP. Just STOP.

Virginia Conservatives want to take it one step further…



Governor Penis Head doesn't want them either.
here is an unbroken link so you can see what they are suggesting.

In essence they are asking for the USA to create dentition camps or start having the state borders checked for people coming in.

Comment by TriSec on 11/16/2015 21:14:31
And Governor Fucktard (R-Ma) has also joined the chorus of ignorance.

Comment by Mondobubba on 11/16/2015 21:27:59
The next plug ignorant redneck who says we need to close the border like France did is going to going to be slapped by my while I say, "France did that keep people in, ijit!" Think the Batman slapping Robin meme.

Comment by Mondobubba on 11/16/2015 21:29:24
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
No, Jindal, Abbot and you other ass-clowns. You can't say no to Syrian refugees. Because, Constitution. I swear to fuck I am tired of these ass-ignorant fckwits trying to nullify the bits of Federal law they don't like. It didn't work in the early 1830s and it won't work now. YOU ARE NOT HELPING, STOP. Just STOP.

Virginia Conservatives want to take it one step further…



Governor Penis Head doesn't want them either.
here is an unbroken link so you can see what they are suggesting.

In essence they are asking for the USA to create dentition camps or start having the state borders checked for people coming in.


Dear Mr. Synder:

http://cdn.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/1344508397925_5858915.png


Comment by Mondobubba on 11/16/2015 21:30:25
Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 21:30:37
Quote by Mondobubba:
The next plug ignorant redneck who says we need to close the border like France did is going to going to be slapped by my while I say, "France did that keep people in, ijit!" Think the Batman slapping Robin meme.

Or you know, mention that the attackers were largely French who WENT to syria to train and came back….



Comment by Mondobubba on 11/16/2015 21:31:37
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
The next plug ignorant redneck who says we need to close the border like France did is going to going to be slapped by my while I say, "France did that keep people in, ijit!" Think the Batman slapping Robin meme.

Or you know, mention that the attackers were largely French who WENT to syria to train and came back….




That too, even.

Comment by Raine on 11/16/2015 21:34:41
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
The next plug ignorant redneck who says we need to close the border like France did is going to going to be slapped by my while I say, "France did that keep people in, ijit!" Think the Batman slapping Robin meme.

Or you know, mention that the attackers were largely French who WENT to syria to train and came back….




That too, even.
This is the part that irritates me, These are NOT SYRIANS by and large. it goes to the point I was making in the blog, villianize people and they will become the villain. So far (looking for better proper links) the attackers were mostly europeans who left out of disillusionment to train with DAESH, dropped of the intel cheater (the dark net I mentioned) and came back to do what they did.

*sigh* Syrains are escaping because the country is a hellhole.