Muslim Terrorism Essay, Research Paper

MUSLIM TERRORISM

Bing a Muslim in today s fearful society is non all that easy. However, through a alone experience, I was able to get the better of the horrors of the communities. The most common misconception about Muslims is that they are terrorists. In fact, it seems that one can non look to talk about Islam without giving idea to this point. However, this is non a true statement. It is however, a meeting point for hate offenses and propaganda against Islam. Each planetary catastrophe is blamed on the Muslims ; accordingly we are non given a opportunity to turn out ourselves as a good community.

Terrorism took a record-high toll around the universe in 1998, with 741 people killed and 5,952 injured ( Chicago Tribune, 4-21-95 ) . The World Trade Center, Oklahoma City bombardment and even the aeroplane clangs were all being blamed on Muslims as terrorist onslaughts. As a Muslim during the clip of the Oklahoma City bombardment, I was normally the centre of conversations. Peoples were invariably roasting and whispering about me. I was tired of being pointed at while walking through the food market shops, or section shops. I did non desire to be the 1 that everyone was doing merriment of. I merely wanted to be my old ego once more. The one thing I ne’er understood was why merely the Muslims? The Catholics were besides bombing abortion clinics. Yet I was mocked ; they were non.

One eventide, after coming home from a long and draining twenty-four hours, I saw the newspaper sitting on the java tabular array. Blasted all over the front page in large, black, bold letters was written, HAVE THE MUSLIMS STRUCK AGAIN? Reading that one headline made me experience as though person had merely ripped the spirit out of my organic structure and left it to decompose. I remember believing

Muslim Terrorists? I don t know any Muslims that are terrorists. What was traveling on? Islam was a faith of peace. Muslims believe in brotherhood, so why would they do any terrorist onslaughts? There could non be any room for terrorist act! But my inquiries were left un-answered and my ideas un-finished.

Sing my blaze and ramping face, my grandma took the newspaper, opened it up and asked me to read the whole article. & # 8220 ; It is likely that this onslaught came from the way of the Mid-East & # 8221 ; , the counter-terrorist analyst said. Other overpowering prevarications and hyperboles were printed throughout the whole article. My grandma amorously explained to me that most people are uninformed and stereotype people easy, which I should non take personally.

The expression in her eyes merely made me experience so much better. She was so unagitated and cool about the whole state of affairs. I could non believe that she could be so unagitated. Her loving grey eyes made me experience so unafraid and warm.

My grandma tried explicating to me that if I had a job with the article, I could compose to the editor and inquire them to publish a abjuration. I decided non to compose to the editor, but it did do me funny as to see what other newspapers were publishing. As I did my research, the choler that had built up inside me was incredible. I felt as though I was placed in forepart of the whole universe, and everyone was indicating and express joying at me. Here are some illustrations of what the newspapers said:

+ & # 8220 ; The betting here is on Middle East terrorists, & # 8221 ; declared CBS News & # 8217 ; Jim Stewart merely hours after the blast ( Naureckas, par. 1 ) .

+ & # 8220 ; The fact that it was such a powerful bomb in Oklahoma City instantly drew research workers to see lifelessly analogues that all have roots in the Middle East, & # 8221 ; ABC & # 8217 ; s John McWethy stated publically ( Naureckas, par 1 ) .

+ & # 8220 ; It has every individual earmark of the Islamic car-bombers of the Middle East, wrote syndicated editorialist Georgie Anne Geyer ( Chicago Tribune, 4-21-95 ) .

+ Whatever we are making to destruct Mid-east terrorist act, the main terrorist menace against Americans, has non been working, & # 8221 ; stated the New York Times & # 8217 ; A.M. Rosenthal ( New York Times, 4-21-95 ) .

Once once more, I felt as though person had taken my bosom and interrupt it into a million pieces, shattering it all over the floor. I could non even think that anyone could fault person without holding difficult grounds to turn out it. How could anyone state that Muslims out of all people would be the first to fault? The Muslim salutation of salaam, means peace. This peace, which in Eden is called Dar Al Salaam, is the place of peace. In this sense, the significance of the faith every bit good as the call to it is meant to be peace and to accomplish peace & # 8221 ; ( Khouj 295 ) . The inquiry now becomes obvious: How is it that a faith whose really name means peace, is so troubled by force? I was so baffled and disquieted, I could barely acquire to bed that dark.

In the forenoon, I turned the telecasting on and every station said the same thing over and over. A bomb had exploded at the Oklahoma City federal edifice. The detonation destroyed the edifice, taking out a kids & # 8217 ; s twenty-four hours attention located indoors. Preliminary studies linked the incident to Muslim terrorists. Once once more I remembered believing

How could this ONLY be blamed on the Muslims? Why out of all people the Muslims? I merely could non understand this. Everything was merely so mind-boggling. Islam is the 1 chief faith, which prohibits the violent death of adult females and kids. For what ground would a Muslim terrorist blow up a whole kids s twenty-four hours attention?

While siting the coach to school, my coach driver had the wireless on. I went to school with my ears glued to the wireless. What used to look as an extended trip to school, seemed so short that twenty-four hours. I was so into the wireless, I did non even recognize that we had reached school. As I was walking through the halls, merely about to open my cabinet I heard That s the Muslim terrorist miss! Possibly she will blow up the school tomorrow. I turned about and pretended non to hear anything.

I spent my twenty-four hours inquiring what everyone was believing and if they thought I was a terrorist. I was paranoid throughout the twenty-four hours, believing that people likely thought I was traveling to blow up the whole school tomorrow. I felt uneasy as I sneaked in and out of each category, concealing behind my desk. I was moving as if I was a robber seeking to mouse around in an alarmed house. I received all sorts of expressions from people in my categories ; empty and hateful expressions. I felt like the walls around me were shuting in and I merely wanted to acquire out of there!

At the terminal of the twenty-four hours I merely could non take it any longer. I merely about ran place terrified that person would follow me place and crush me up. Before I stepped into my house, I noticed that the neighbours were besides gazing at me and doing unusual faces. I was no longer safe anyplace! I felt so angry that everyone was indicating fingers at the Muslims. I experienced a feeling of treachery. No 1 was traveling to swear us any longer. They would all detest us!

As I raged through the door, my grandma gracefully greeted me. She instantly knew that there was something incorrect and asked me to sit down. As she prepared tea, I told her the whole narrative and once more she explained to me that people easy stereotype one another, without looking at the effects. She told me that I must be proud of where I come from and who I am. She made me recognize that one can non bury whom they are merely because some people are non willing to accept it. No affair how the society reacts to certain state of affairss, I perfectly can non bury where I have come from and who I am.

I felt safe after speaking to my grandma and I realized that what she was stating me was true. If I truly did believe in myself, so others would besides believe in me. It was all up to me to calculate out a solution to this muss and to calculate out how I could set an terminal to this misconception.

The following twenty-four hours I went to school early and asked my first period instructor if

she would let me to talk to the category about some issues that I needed to unclutter up. At first she was loath and did non understand what was traveling on. I explained the whole state of affairs to her and courteously she allowed me to speak to the category.

As I was traveling up in forepart of the category, I saw all those faces that I one time used to cognize. It seemed as if I did non cognize those faces any longer. Everyone seemed to be a alien that twenty-four hours. At first I was holding trouble talking decently because I was so nervous. Then I saw one of my friends smile at me and give me a thumbs-up mark. That one simple gesture gave me the bravery I needed. After that I felt so confident that I gave the best address that I had of all time given. I told the pupils that even though some Muslims were terrorists, non all of them were. I gave them the illustration that instructors had given me for old ages and old ages ; how, friends stick by friends, in good times and in bad times. I had ever been taught that a friend is a friend for life, and hence, they are the 1s who will be with you all the clip. I showed them that I was the same individual that they had all grown up with. I assured them that I was non traveling to bomb the school one twenty-four hours, or anything like that. Hearing me say all of this made them really happy. I saw the smilings and the looks on their faces stating that they were comforted. They all seemed to be really alleviated that I had taken my clip to explicate to them that they were believing of me in the incorrect manner. I would ne’er terrorise anything or anyone. That twenty-four hours I felt that I had really accomplished a batch, and I had accomplished a batch. I felt so proud of myself because I was no longer afraid of anything anyone had to state about me. I had eventually made myself clear in stating that I was non a terrorist, and neither was my household.

My grandma truly helped me to understand everything. Muslims as a whole have nil against anyone, so why would we ache our loved 1s? Recognizing that they had made a error, the pupils apologized to me and told me that they had merely misunderstood the whole state of affairs. If it were non for my grandma, I would hold ne’er had the bravery to state anything in forepart of my fellow schoolmates.

Populating in a stereotyped society is tough for immature cultural kids. Society today tends to do people experience as though they should be outcasted from the remainder of the community if they do non suit the description of a authoritative AMERICAN. Authoritative American significance, blond hair, bluish eyes, white. The media besides creates an image that Islam is a faith of terrorists. That image is reinforced by Hollywood, with films like Not Without My Daughter and Delta Force, prima American people down the narrow street of the stereotyped thought. Islam is a faith of peace, non panic, go forthing Muslims around the universe sickened by this deformed image. Islam at its really essence detests all unfairnesss and strives to right wrongs.

So how is it, that the image of Islam is so weak from the truth? Well, one of the grounds is because some Muslims do terrorise, merely like some Christians, and some Jews. Just like in any other faith, there are some people who do bad things. This does non intend that we should be labeled. Muslimism does non excuse the violent death of guiltless people. It wholly outlaws slaying of guiltless people, particularly adult females and kids. It is perplexing why so so many terrorist groups are prefixed with the term Islamic or Muslim.

Thirty-seven terrorist groups are listed in the State Department study ; 17 of them are from the Middle East ; 9 of them are identified by the prefix Islamic or Muslim ; 7 of them do non include Islam as their chief political orientation ; and 1 of them is wholly anti-Islam ( Abdullah, par. 10 ) . But what does all this mean to the mean American? It means that there are a batch of terrorist group operations associated with the name of Islam. This is a job for many American Muslims who have no connexion to the Middle East based terrorist act.

When people start terrorising others, they do non recognize what sort of consequence it will do to the remainder of the people around the universe. As for the Oklahoma City bombardment, the Muslims were proved guiltless. They were non the 1s to fault for this bombardment. The people who were subsequently found to be the 1s who bombed were two white males. One of these males, Timothy McVeigh, really confessed to this bombardment. If he would non hold come frontward, so the Muslim work forces would hold been condemned for something that they had non done. This proves that many people blindly attack the minorities. Peoples start stating things, which they have no construct about, and this leads to false accusals. Innocent people are held apt for things they have non done.

I am Muslim. It is dry and absurd that a typical American such as myself, should happen herself labeled as a terrorist. Of class it is unjust, but it is the world of the state of affairs. The inquiry on my head was, How come I was accused? What profile did I suit? The ground is merely, I fit the figure one standard for a terrorist. I am a Muslim.

Through this quandary I have learned that I must non bury my heritage because that is who I am and ever will be. I can non and will non give up. No affair how society reacts, I will ever retrieve that stereotyped people will ne’er acquire anyplace in this life-time. They will ever turn out themselves wrong. I have ever wondered why our civilization does non let us the capacity to let different faiths into their ain milieus. Incriminating Islam in such things, such as bombardment is an irresponsible act, which does non assist in tracking down the existent culprits. The international community should get down a ferocious attempt and collaborate among themselves to set an terminal to these mindless Acts of the Apostless. If people do non get down moving shortly, a batch of lives could be at interest. Sooner or subsequently, minorities will get down talking up, and when they do, many things will alter. Until so, people must recognize that stereotypes are merely words. Mere words, which should non and will non ache anyone!

The inquiry arises, how do we change by reversal anti-Muslim attitudes? To get down with, we must free ourselves of the impression that all Muslims are Arab. In fact, one tierce of Muslims in the universe reside as minorities in non-Muslim states. India & # 8217 ; s Muslim minority consists of over 120 million people, whereas 60 million Moslems are in China. Large Muslim minorities besides exist in the Philippines, Burma, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. Merely 18 % of Muslims are from the Arab World. In a study from the American Muslim Council in December 1992, estimates showed that 42 % of Muslims in the United States are Afro-american, 24.4 % are South Asians, 12.4 % are Arabs, 5.2 % are Africans, 3.6 % are Iranians, 2.4 % are Turks, 2.0 % are South East Asians, 1.6 % are American Whites, 0.8 % are East Europeans, and 5.6 % are all other groups ( Chicago Tribune, 4-21-95 ) .

Another thing, which might assist us to acquire rid of, the Muslim stereotype is to step off from a phobic disorder of standing up for your rules. Do non allow anyone influence you in your determinations. Believe in what you want to believe, non what others want you to believe.

A wise Muslim adult male one time said, There are ever two sides to a coin, and if you look deep plenty, you may happen that coin in your ain pocket. Before we act, we must believe and understand what we are hearing and stating about others. The universe is a little topographic point. We all portion common beliefs and values and we are more similar than different. Possibly one twenty-four hours, I will be merely another ordinary American once more. Until so, I must retrieve what my grandma has taught me. She taught me that I am who I am, and I must non abandon that. Even though people stereotype Muslims, I must believe that all Muslims are non terrorists, because they are non.

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