ISIS has started a war against humanity
But people are fighting against the wrong people.
They believe if they destroy Islam…ISIS will go away.
But Islam is not ISIS.
ISIS claims to be a a part of Islam but if you take away the religion what do they have left?
Bombs.
Guns.
Knives.
Hatred.
ISIS is filled with hatred.
That is what drives them.
But this creates a paradox because everyone has it ingrained in their minds that hatred is bad.
Since we were little children, the world has taught us to act nice and do good.
Whether you’re Christian, Mormon, Jewish, Atheist, Buddhist, Hindu, Baptist, Catholic, or Muslim.
The world and each society we have lived in has taught us this.
Unfortunately… children noticed something else.
Justification.
White lying is okay because it protects someone.
Speeding on the highway is okay because I am late for work.
Leaving the lights on in the house is okay because I am scared of the dark.
Seemingly innocent.
But children are learning.
They don’t just memorize the actions of society to mimic them later.
Children, whether they are aware of it or not, comprehend the reasoning behind the actions.
Those actions show children that…
Other people do not always deserve to hear the truth because I know what is best for others
I can speed because I am invincible and obviously will not get into a car accident.
I recognize that the world has a limited amount of resources and that I am currently wasting them but my personal problems will always come first before the world’s and humanity’s.
Obviously, a toddler is not going to tell you these sentences.
In fact, when they grow up they still will not tell you these sentences.
But it is ingrained deeply in their minds causing their actions.
So ISIS actions are not about Islam.
Their actions are about wanting to watch the world burn.
But they know that all bad and heinous actions are okay if there is justification to them.
They are using Islam as their cloak.
Islam is their FALSE justification and not their motivation.
And even if we take away Islam ISIS will use something else because their actions were never about Islam in the first place
They could not live with themselves if their actions were solely for the purpose of hate.
Because as much as we would like to dehumanize ISIS
By calling them monsters
Calling them devils
Calling them inhumane
Calling them animals
As true as I am writing this
Every single person in isis is human
We must remember most horrible acts committed in our world history were done by humans
We must never forget it
Stalin was human
Mussolini was human
Hitler was human
It hurts to know this
As we are all human
It is scary to think that anyone is capable of such crimes
But we all are
And we have to recognize this
Because by putting these PEOPLE into a separate category from us
History can repeat itself
Because the world will continue to treat other people the same
And the world will continue to mistakenly believe that another hitler will not rise to power simply because hitler was a monster
But while he committed monstrous actions
He was a child
He was teenager
He fought in war
He applied to college
He played with animals
He played with children
He loved
He cried
He laughed
He danced
He lived, breathed, and walked among us
He was no more and no less human than me
He was no more and no less human than you
And he was the leader of the holocaust
Human and holocaust are not two exclusive terms
They can both be listed besides Hitler’s name
This should be enraging
This should be scary
But mostly
This statement should be humbling
Because
Humans do not know what is best for others
Humans are not invincible
And humans are not greater than humanity
We are selfish, fragile creatures who have lived our entire lives seeing the world through one set of eyes
Of course we are going to want to protect ourself, it is all we have ever known
But this teaching has time and time again manifested in young children
And has later mutated into the mentality that
Since I know better than everyone
And since I am invincible
And since my needs come before humanity’s needs
I can take over the world
And not only CAN I take over the world
I SHOULD take over the world
While ISIS does need to be destroyed
Because there is not justification in the world for their crimes.
Remember this:
ISIS is not a product of islam
ISIS is product of humanity
