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The third terror attack in Britain in as many months.
In London there are 7 civilians dead, at least 48 wounded. It was only a few weeks ago we had Manchester with over 22 dead and many more hurt.
I haven't made any real posts in the last few months about terrorism, partly because I lost interest in commenting on something I'd be parroting the same points over. Yet, I'm here, making this post anyway. Of all things to choose to talk about, Ive decided to talk about "why." It's a good question too, I mean, why? Why do people have to die? What is there a culture war? Why isn't assimilation working? Why can't Middle Easterners understand the benefits of egalitarianism?
To grasp this concept, I'm gonna have to place you in the shoes of the perpetrators themselves. That means you'll need to abandon the platitudes and rhetoric of "evil ideology" for a few minutes.
What one man sees as barbaric, another sees as custom. What one man sees as blasphemy, another sees as open mindedness.
In the west, hedonism is the cultural norm. Ways are sought to make life easier and more pleasurable for the average citizen. Struggle is frowned upon, self sacrifice admired but not actually practiced. Giving ones life for their beliefs, viewed as little more than a pastime of the foolhardy.
In the mideast, piousness is the cultural norm. Ways are sought to pay homage to Allah. Simple life pleasures are denied to the average citizen for the sake of their faith. It is viewed as a mark of honor and respect to do so and defended as if it were as precious to them as life itself.
With these differences in mind, now try mixing these two cultures together in the "ideal" secular world of money, excess, and pleasure. You now have two totally different mindsets in breathing distance of one another.
In addition, there is a key point about Islam that's rarely brought up in western media. It isn't just a faith for the average Muslim, it's their government and culture.
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So, we have two different mindsets, with two different preferred cultures thrown into the mix with one another.
Even worse, millions of these Muslims have been forced to migrate to the west. Why? Because all the wars, oppression, and lack of stability in the mideast; native leadership is absent to adequately fill the vacuum of chaos that now exists in their homelands.
Not only are they foreigners in some godless land, but they're having to live with the resentment of being forced from their homes due to matters beyond their control.
Now add their resentment into the mix, who is responsible for their current predicament? Incidentally, the same people who are taking them in.
"But the United States is responsible for the wars in the middle east, not Europe"
Really? Last I checked, Europe claims to advocate the same values of the United States, and backed them in the invasion of Iraq when NATO invoked Article 5 for the first time since it's creation in history over 9/11. Not only that, but European leaders have largely turned a blind eye to U.S. conflicts in the mideast, even supporting the military campaigns with their NATO assets. The reality is, Europe is just as guilty as the United States for turning the middle east upside down.
But, is the middle east blameless in this? Is Islam itself, blameless?
No, it is not. It's just as guilty, afterall what instigated 9/11 in the first place? The belief in the West, as the great Satan. Why is the western world viewed this way by the Middle East? Why is there such a vehement hatred that they'd fly planes into the twin towers and kill over 3000 people, including women and children?
The answer, is because of our culture. This is something I can personally relate too as a Christian when I describe. Christians and Muslims both think alike in this regard.
The reality is, the west exemplifies everything they're taught to deny themselves. It exalts the very practices they deem as morally reprehensible and undermining of a just and upright people. The pinnacle of decadence and heathen hubris. That, is what they see when they look at all the monuments, acclaimed achievements, and beliefs of the western world they now inhabit.
In Christianity even, we don't just see Satan as a figure, we see it as a way of life. The exaltment of self, self admiration and self appeasement. We see these things as offensive to our faith and our God. Disobedience and desecration of that which is sacred, the pursuit of lusts of the flesh for enjoyment and public display, the open mockery of all that is held dear and true in the name of some idea called "freedom..."
You are now reaching the heart of why a Muslim immigrant feels the way they do. But how does that justify the means of their attacks? How does that tie into the brutality of their actions?
In a era of tanks, gunships, and cruise missiles, conventional warfare isn't an option for these displaced people. Rather, they take to advance their cause through symbolism. Martyrdom is their answer to the technological disadvantage. Every death of a pious one, every dead heathen to complement it, exemplifies the Islamic struggle against the great Satan. It's a calling card, a word of encouragement to their brothers to never give up their fight. This, even despite current, less than appealing circumstances. They take pride out of this struggle of theirs and even the persecution it brings. Afterall, they're paying homage to their Allah with their faith being tested in blood and struggle. It's what they hold sacred do remember, struggle.
Naturally, not all of their attacks are in accordance with the customs of their faith. For example, now is supposed to be their holy month of Ramadan. A time of fasting and avoiding fighting for Muslims up until late June. The exception to this rule, is when it's in self defense.
Does this negate the point of the attack? From a certain point of view, a Muslim could argue this is an act of self defense against a culture that seeks to secularize their people. From another, they could say it is indeed negated because their holy month had been violated. This doesn't change the fact that several terrorist attacks, some of even larger scale, have already occurred around Europe outside their holy month of Ramadan the last few years.
I believe Ive satisfied the question of why.
I'll conclude by saying that I myself don't believe this problem is solvable by the west due to its simple ignorance to spiritual matters. More fighting in the mideast will only exasperate the problem. Trying to oppress religious people with occupations won't work either as exemplified by the United States with Iraq and Afghanistan, or even Russia with Chechnya, and Afghanistan back during the Soviet days. Deposing their leaders is fruitless.
For every enemy you defeat, you perpetrate the cycle of hatred in the conquered people. Few exceptions have there been in history towards this rule and it's usually when such terror was reaped upon said people, resistance was not only viewed as futile, but unthinkable. But that, I know the west hasn't the stomach for. So the cycle will continue.
My mother had a dream back after 9/11, it was of every major city in America having men in black with long rifles patrolling the streets. SWAT teams, even Military. She had one of the gifts of the spirit as a Christian, prophecy. Nowadays, I see cop cars with assault rifles in them. Flip on the news, SWAT teams patrolling New York City, terror alerts are becoming common occurrence along with the restless rioting of political dissidents. This will soon be the reality for Europe as well I now realize. If it wasn't already...
My condolences over London, I leave you this.
But the migration to western countries is a migration after easier life. It's like the transition in the mind is not complete. Upon seeing western world, which lacks discipline, they suddenly don't like easier life.
Also, it looks like they are interested only in 'real' west. They are not coming in or attacking countries west of Germany.
I read this somewhere as a humorous Islamic paradox: They are not happy in muslim countries. So they come into Europe. Then they want the same laws they weren't happy with before.
It is indeed a humorous paradox, but a living hell for western leaders to deal with. Because most of them are used to dealing with entitlement programs, party politics, and social reforms. Things that never really get this complicated with mass migrant culture.
They don't know how to handle centuries of Islamic mindset. So they're stuck trying to frantically integrate their countries with this culture that isn't compatible with their own in a act of appeasement. Rather, then expecting the Muslim immigrants themselves to assimilate into western culture. They can't turn away migrants, because that would be going against the generations of charity and liberalism they've been spoon fed since their youth. So they remain perplexed of a immigrant that bites the hand that welcomes it.
And whaddya know, it's not working. We're stuck with terrorist attacks because the Muslims outright reject the culture they've been introduced too. The result of all this? More power given to the government, more Orwellian policies enacted.
Heard about Britain considering a Burkaban and revoked citizenship after the London attacks? Now also consider the fact for about every dozen people there's at least 1 camera to monitor them, and the police "lethal" response time was less than 8 minutes to the London attacks. They're also looking to put tighter online monitoring for radicalization.
The result of western inability to understand this, will be the death of privacy and a police superstate. So much for freedom and all that jazz.
I wouldn't believe there is a time when I'm glad I don't live in a rich country...
On the other hand, yes, we do accept German refugees xD