IPFS News Link • Racism
Will You Hide a Muslim in Your Attic? by Szandor Blestman
• Szandor Blestman himself!There's some scary stuff happening in this nation right now. It has to do with Muslims. No, I am not afraid of Muslims. No, I do not believe that they are out to destroy our way of life. No, I do not believe that they are inherently violent people who see Christians and Jews as demons that need to be wiped from the face of the Earth. No, I do not believe they are the new boogie man hiding around every corner with a belt of explosives waiting to duck into some nightclub to kill himself and as many other innocent people as he can in a blaze of glory. It is not the Muslims that scare me. It is the people who are trying to make me so paranoid of the Muslims that I will forsake my principles and turn against my fellow human beings because their ways are different than mine that scare me. It is those who believe that people should be treated differently simply because of their religion that scare me.
Didn't we already go through this? How often does this deja vu have to happen before we get it? It wasn't that long ago when a national socialist country decided it wanted to restrict and regulate people due to their religion. The German Nazis were quick to label Jews as evil. They were the reason for all of mankind's woes. They were the spawn of the devil. They were racially inferior and needed to be controlled. Oh, it started off in a seemingly harmless enough fashion, with registrations and the like so that the government could keep an eye on them and make sure they were on the up and up and doing all their business by the rules, but it quickly devolved into something much worse. It quickly became one of the darkest chapters in human history.
Now we Americans are labeling the Muslims as evil. Now I'm hearing talk of forcing Muslims to register with government officials in some sort of bureaucratic registry scheme meant to track them. I've even heard some control freak individuals suggest that the Muslims be put into camps separate from the rest of the population. That is what is scary to me, that these ideas could even be proffered in a supposedly enlightened society.
Ask yourself, how would you feel if a group you could be identified with was being demonized in such a fashion? If they began to register people and then to round them up to put them into camps, would you fight back or would you cower and go along to get along? If you were to fight back, do you think they'd use that as propaganda to justify them rounding up even more of your people? Even if you were simply exercising your right to self defense, people would likely see you as being the aggressor once the media got a hold of the story and distorted it as they often do. Would you like this kind of treatment?
There was a great religious figure from the past who once said something like "Treat people as you want to be treated," or some such thing. It seems to me that is a philosophy that has fallen from favor these days.
This has all come to a head recently because some Muslims want to build a mosque close to where the World Trade Center in New York city once stood. They have been accused of all sorts of evil things, from wanting to build it there as a symbol of victory, to getting their money from terrorist organizations, to wanting to use sharia law to subjugate us all. It seems that when rumors like this abound the general public gets their panties in a wad and jumps on the protest band wagon before they check out the story and get all the facts. Until I knew better, I had heard that the mosque was being built on the same property where the twin towers stood, not some two blocks away.
The fact is that this is someone's private property. If that someone doesn't mind a mosque being built there, then it should be allowed. If those who don't want it built there are so concerned, they should at least try to raise the money to buy the property so that they can build a church or whatever else they want there. Another mosque in a city as large and diverse as New York is not going to suddenly radicalize all the Muslims in New York and create a war zone. They are not going to suddenly become blood thirsty, rabid savages intent on killing all that moves no matter the cost. They will likely continue to live their lives as peacefully and productively as they can and leave you alone to go about yours. They will likely keep to themselves to practice their religion and leave you alone to practice yours, so long as you leave them alone. That is how human nature works for those of us who are not paranoid busy bodies.
So what if it is decided to use government force to prevent these people from building the mosque? What if the worse case scenario happens and Muslims are forced to register so that government "officials" can keep an eye on them? What if it is decided Muslims need to report to camps until the "war on terrorism" is concluded? What then? If you don't think such things can happen here, I suggest you reconsider. Worse things have happened in other so called "enlightened" societies. More barbaric and brutal episodes of human subjugation have gone on even in modern times. It is not beyond the realm of possibilities that such an episode could happen here. After all, the government has not followed its own rules as outlined in the Constitution in well over a hundred years.
What if you found out these camps were cruel and brutal to the Muslim people? What if you found out many were dying at these camps? What if you had a Muslim family living next door to you that you knew was peaceful and had harmed no one? Would you hide them in your attic? Or your garage? Or wherever you could? Would you keep them safe from the government wolves? Would you risk your own life in order to help fellow human beings?
That was the story of Anne Frank who was hidden by neighbors from the Nazis in World War II. That was a story of the light of the human soul in dark times. It was an heroic tale that showed the depths of caring that humans are capable of. I would like to think that I would be such a brave soul, able to hide fellow human beings from those who would cause them harm in their time of need. I can't be sure I would, however, and I hope I never have to find out. I would certainly hate to find out what fate would await those who were caught helping the Muslims if such a scenario were to play out.
But such dark times need not descend upon our nation. We should never have to discover if we are so brave to be able to help our neighbors in such a way. We have established the concept of individual rights in this nation and have outlined behaviors government officials are legally obliged to adhere to. They are supposedly not allowed to violate those individual rights, including the rights to engage in peaceful religious activity and to freely associate with others of a like mind. There are also individual rights regarding private property and one's use of it. The government does not own you, nor does it own your property, even though they think and act like they do. Government officials can only get away with what the populous will let them get away with. It scares me that so many might be willing to let them get away with not only dictating what can be done with someone's private property, but perhaps going even further and violating the individual rights to life, liberty and property because of one's faith.
Don't be fooled into believing that all people of any religion or race are inherently violent, or stupid, or any other stereotype. People are people and for the most part wish to live their lives as best they can, and as peacefully as they can. They wish, for the most part, to be left alone, especially when it comes to government intrusion. The vast majority find violence and conflict abhorrent and will engage in it only when they feel threatened or cornered. Those who commit violence against their fellow humans should be caught and punished on an individual level. It is simply wrong to punish a group because a few in that group have committed atrocities. Group punishment is a practice that has historically been found to disgust our sensitivities because of its inherent unfairness. That is even more the case the more brutal the punishment becomes. It is my hope that humans as a race have evolved beyond such practices and that we will not let fear and paranoia bring us back to that dark place in our souls.
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6 Comments in Response to Will You Hide a Muslim in Your Attic? by Szandor Blestman
Well said Mr. Blestman.
Absurdities voiced and disinfected with sunshine and civil discussion are far superior to things like GWOT (Global War on Terror) which result from demonizing radical ideologies of a small percentage of any group of people, and creating tyrannical legislation that nullifies the rights of law-abiding people everywhere in the name of "security for all".
How many people died after the Exodus by the hands of the Children of Israel because their God told them that the land before them that was occupied was given to them, and that they were to kill all the people on it, and take all their possessions?
Here are the instructions for the conquest of Canaan:
50 Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho, saying, 51 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded images, and demolish all their high places; 53 you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you the land to possess. 54 And you shall divide the land by lot as an inheritance among your families; to the larger you shall give a larger inheritance, and to the smaller you shall give a smaller inheritance; there everyone’s inheritance shall be whatever falls to him by lot. You shall inherit according to the tribes of your fathers. 55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell. 56 Moreover it shall be that I will do to you as I thought to do to them.’”
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=NUM%2033&version=NKJV
Hormah is another perfect example - my Bible footnote says this means "utter destruction" in Numbers 21:1-3 :
1 The king of Arad, the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard that Israel was coming on the road to Atharim. Then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners. 2 So Israel made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities.” 3 And the LORD listened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. So the name of that place was called Hormah. (Literally Utter Destruction)
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=NUM%2021&version=NKJV
This is in both Christian Bible and Hebrew Torah, and Numbers is chock full of "kill 'em all and take their stuff because I said so".
Were a radical sect of either Religion identified above to begin to kill peoples and occupy lands because 'their God said so' (as they have in the past), would all Christians and Jews everywhere be demonized in the same way as Muslims are currently? No, because it would only be a small percentage doing violent things because their particular faith required it of them.
I contemplated reinforcing my statements above by quoting the curses on disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-66! lots of them), but I think you get the idea.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deut%2028&version=NKJV
We're all humans.
Freedom for all, or freedom for none.
You know what my choice is.
Ed
Yes, I feel that this speech should be protected. Do you really feel that making laws to arrest people for speaking their thoughts will change their hearts and minds? Do you really think that arresting people for expressing any kind of ideology will stop that ideology from existing? More likely it will just drive it underground. At least if these ideas are being broadcast publicly than peace loving people can voice their opposition to such ideas boisterously and publicly and try to shame such persons for voicing such disgusting opinions. They can ostracize these people and let those who would follow them know that doing so will lead to social isolation. By making such speech illegal we simply drive the problem underground where the conspiracy becomes a whisper and paranoia makes the problem harder to detect. Not to mention, once they set a precedent, they can easily start using such laws to chill those of us who would voice our opposition to authority in general. I would be high on their list for someone who might be considered a threat to the power of the state, even though I don't advocate violence. The threat I pose is in the form of an idea, but it is still a threat and could still be seen as illegal. Would you not hide me in your attic because I am not a Christian? Would you not hide my friend from Bangladesh who is Muslim yet has written much about remaining peaceful and has been imprisoned and threatened for his work against Muslim extremists? I wrote this piece because I know personally Muslims who are not violent, have never been violent, and most likely will never initiate violence against others. I think that many people in the United States don't even personally know one Muslim and yet they believe the propaganda spewing from the corporate media that all Muslims are evil and want their religion to be forced upon all mankind. I would say find a Muslim, talk to him or her, and see if maybe he or she isn't more like you and me than you might believe. Reaching out to someone with tolerance and a sincere desire to understand can accomplish so much more than shunning them due to fear and suspicion.
Yeah, read the Coran you morans!
Oh, and the secular Sri Lankin group, Tamil Tigers, have committed more suicide attacks since the 1980s than any other group.
Then Who Is Walking Into crowded Public Places With Bombs Attached To their Bodies & Blowing People Up ??? The Easter Bunny ?? Or Maybe Peter Rabbit !! Wake Up ! It Is The Muslims, Not Christians Not Catholics Not Jews !! Why Are People Defending Them?. Read The Coran ! Learn, Then Speak !!!"Common sense dictates, no person in America should be permitted to disseminate any religion or ideology that condones killing Americans; other countries to protect their Citizens have not hesitated to imprison individuals and terminate organizations that promote, encourage or condone killing nonbelievers..."
"Other countries" don't have governments limited by the Constitution, rather than "common sense" as defined by people who have fallen prey to officially propagated fears. Believing in or disseminating evil notions is not and cannot be a crime. To paraphrase what Jefferson said -- back when the country was smaller, weaker, and much more vulnerable -- government intervention is justified only when someone is involved in picking pockets or breaking legs.
It's worth pointing out that casual exhortations to murder and otherwise commit violence *against* Muslims are commonplace, and compatible with official policy. I'm certainly in favor of terminating organizations that promote, encourage, and condone such criminal behavior, beginning with the Regime itself.
Will Hide No Muslim In The Attic.
In the U.S. when someone promulgates an ideology (understood) by his or her followers to condone killing non believers, e.g. Americans, should that "promulgator" be protected by Free Speech? Or arrested for facilitating terrorism?
It doesn’t appear possible to stop terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda recruiting in America, individuals to commit terrorist acts on U.S. Soil, if U.S. Government is restricted from arresting persons that advocate ideologies and promulgate religions—understood to condone murder of U.S. Citizens. Some Americans argue Protected Speech stops U.S. Government arresting promulgators if they don’t ask individuals to kill Americans—that contention is an oxymoron when the subject of promulgation is understood to condone killing U.S. Citizens/non-believers.
Consequently terrorists and their organizations are free in America to recruit followers, to cause mass murder and catastrophic destruction. Common sense dictates, no person in America should be permitted to disseminate any religion or ideology that condones killing Americans; other countries to protect their Citizens have not hesitated to imprison individuals and terminate organizations that promote, encourage or condone killing nonbelievers: If Americans fail to take legal action to stop this kind of dissemination infecting their homeland, Americans may not later be able to stop it.