Thursday, April 25, 2013

Tamerlan Tsarnaev Was Upset That Much of the World Sees Islam as Violent.

Elmirza Khozhugov, ex-husband of the Tsarnaev brothers' younger sister, was quoted in a news interview where he tried to explain the thinking of Tamerlan Tsarnaev before the Boston Marathon bombing last week. (The underline is mine.):   "It was very hard to argue with him on themes somehow connected to religion.  On the other hand, he did not hate Christians.  He respected their faith.  Never said anything bad about other religions.  But he was angry that the world pictures Islam as a violent religion."

what eye thynk:   Well, killing three people and injuring 260 others, then killing a policeman, injuring a second policeman and hijacking a car sure will go a long way to dispel that myth, now won't it?  

Many of us think of Islam as a violent religion because that is what so many Muslims demonstrate.  Over and over we read of Muslims who choose to deal death instead of discourse.  And, while there are undoubtedly many peaceful followers of Islam, we don't hear them condemn the actions of the destroyers.  We don't hear them call for an end to the violence.  We don't hear your leaders say "Stop.  This is not the way of Islam."

Suicide bombers in Iraq and Iran kill scores of innocent people in the name of Islam--fellow Muslims guilty only of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  And the organization taking credit for the mayhem always seems to explain their action was necessary because they are upset with another government, (usually ours), or they are angry that someone in their own country's leadership is not following the Koran closely enough.  

Then there is the practice of  throwing acid in the faces of young girls or attempting to kill them because they want to learn to read and write.  This is not the way to put a peaceful face on any movement--religious or otherwise. Choosing to behead people who do not agree with you or your strict interpretation of your holy book instead of partaking in a discussion of your differences and desires, is going to earn you a negative review from any civilized society.

When a main talking point of your religion is "jihad", or holy war, and your members demonstrate their willingness to partake in this belief on a near daily basis around the world, what conclusion can we reach other than yours is a violent religion?  And the Tsarnaev brothers just gave further evidence to that point--no matter what their relatives say.  

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