Mumbai

On another blog, I happened upon some commentary about the Mumbai, India story. In the blog commentary, a contributor made a case for not blaming Islam in the whole terrorists-who-want-to-kill-the-world thing (light-hearted tone intentional). After all, Hitler claimed himself a Christian, but we don't blame Christianity for the Holocaust.

Now, I’m a reasonable person. I know there are few bad apples in every cart. But using the sense God graciously scraped up for me, & falling back on my oh-so-human-nature, wouldn't I be foolish NOT to be suspicious of the rest of those apples, especially when I make my pie? Here’s what the commenter said:

“Who killed most innocent people? Of course it was Hitler. He was a Christian. For this, can we blame Christianity? No we can’t. Nowhere in the holy Bible written, kill innocent people. Terrorists inside the mask of Muslim want to destroy Islam.”

And here’s my point:

Thanks for the reminder about Hitler. Though, am I mistaken? Did Hitler scream "God is Great" while murdering Jews? Did he execute his brand of human cleansing (God have mercy...) in the name of Christianity? No eyewitness here, but somehow, I don't think so. I'm no scholar of Islam, but all the evidence to date points to some of its adherents skewing it toward absolutely murderous ends (& claiming the religion as their impetus). Meanwhile, others of its adherents are NOT DEMANDING THAT IT STOP!

So. Hitler was a horrendous blight on the face of Germany (& humanity, if we're honest). But what he did - it seems to me - was in the name of conceited, racist, narcissistic, molten hate; not in the name of Christianity. Thus, you're right, commenting friend. We cannot blame the religion that Hitler claimed, but we could perhaps blame a Germany that allowed Nazism to reign...and wouldn't WWII era folks have been right to suspect, surveil, & be wary of the average German? (Come on, now; we deny survival instincts at our own peril.)

Because terrorist claims & my instincts are all I have to go on, I have to take them at their word, believing they kill in the name of Islam. I have to believe them. It’s a matter of self preservation & survival.

So commenting friend, I'll beg to differ with you. As I see it, terrorists don't want to destroy Islam, as you assert. They want to destroy everything that is NOT Islam.

What does this mean for us? Are we to hate Muslims? Certainly not, & heaven forbid. But are we to wait in the wings, watching the 'cleansing' play out, ignoring that it is being done in the name of Islam? Certainly not, & heaven forbid, truly. If Hitler’s case can be used as an object lesson here, it should be as a mirror, to show us our mistakes. History tells us that the Nazi offenders were initially ignored, then cajoled & placated (i.e., standard fare diplomacy), instead of identified, confronted & stood down. The 'global community' of the 30's & early 40's were cowards, until they finally quit hitting snooze & woke up. The ultimate cost of their cowardice would become upwards of 10 million lives & a global war.

Let's use our friend's suggestion & consider Hitler, knowing we can use it to mirror our former selves. How will we respond? How will Muslims worldwide respond? As so many Germans did - quietly, softly whispering their discomfort? or even joining in as the movement mounted steam? How will the global community respond this time? Swiftly, & in no uncertain terms, I hope, but it seems that 'standard fare diplomacy' may be back in fashion.

Even if I'm the only one sounding the buzzer (& I know I'm not), I'm saying it’s time to wake up again, people. ALL people - Christians, Muslims, Jews - all. Don't you hear it? The alarm clock has been blaring for quite some time.

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