The discourse over radicalization in America has taken an ugly turn. This ugly turn we Muslims are very familiar with. When a Muslim extremist wantonly attacks all humanity randomly killing. All fingers, media, politicians, pundits and even the leigh folks blamed all Muslims for it. This not only isolated us Muslims but also led to degradation of our ability to be who we could be in America. One day while watching News my daughter listened and then she asked me. Dad does America hate Islam and all Muslim. I made a note to turn it off and never watch news before my children until they get to age to understand. No, I said as I have said thousands of times in forums, speeches and engagements as an Activist. America does not hate Islam or Muslims. America let Muslims like our family emigrate and gave us full citizenship and rights equal to all Americans. Hate has no place in American discourse, there is more love in America than hate. But Hate does exist. Sometimes it is the individual, other times the institutional kind. This hate has manifested itself into White Extremism. Unfettered and un watched it festered to proportions now that it is noted even by our government White Extremists killed more People in America than Muslim Extremists. America is waking up to major incidents of Domestic Terrorism.
Why then do to our White folks what was done to us Muslims. Why blame an entire race of overwhelming majority hard working, decent and lovable people. This discourse radicalizes more as an activist against Muslim Extremism I saw first hand how it did. Our Muslim youths kept on telling me, They don’t want us, they already think we are extremists, America hates us. I kept on hearing these statements while engaging tens of thousands of Muslim Youths across America and the world. Blaming White folks the same way, especially young white males is now openly done by all just as it was done to us Muslims. This is bad for our democracy and makes the deradicalization process a nightmare. What does the young male white guy think. They hate us now, we are all considered extremists. How does this help end the problem when you have labelled those who will bring the solutions wrongly. Labelled all of them.
Many say openly now the Democrats are Antifa and Republicans are White Supremacists. Stupid reasoning masquerading as information in our pundits, media, politicians and communities. This labeling business hurts America. It does injustice to our White folks, especially young white males, as it did to us Muslims. I turned off the News recently when the headline was angry white males are a threat to America. Now when a white guy gets angry he is a domestic terrorist. Same nonsense, different folks. The same process is repeating itself just a new scapegoat.
It took time for us Muslims to feel we belong for some based on this issue they will never feel they belong. The same will happen to some of our White folks. Guess who is out there telling them they belong to them. The extremists wether Muslim or White Supremacist. Making our work in prevention from joining extremism ever harder. No white folks are not the problem, they are the solution to our problems. Same way we say Muslims are not the problem but the solution. Get this right America, others are recruiting based on this issue and yes they are the extremists. Please stop making our anti extremism work harder, be the solution.
Leave A Comment