Wake Up and Smell the Bullshit America!!!
Okay. I’m fed up with the attempts to divide this country in every way people can. The article below was posted to FaceBook with the title “Linda Sarsour Asks Muslims To Form “Jihad” Against Trump, Not To Assimilate”
There are a lot of people who only read headlines. I believe the person who created this banner headline knows that. The clear intent is to put this woman, and the groups she represents, in the worst possible light. The intent was to create anger and discord, once again, in our country.
This is exactly what she said: “I hope that we when we stand up to those who oppress our communities that Allah accepts from us that as a form of jihad. That we are struggling against tyrants and rulers not only abroad in the Middle East or in the other side of the world, but here in these United States of America where you have fascists and white supremacists and Islamophobes reigning in the White House,” Sarsour said.
“Our number one and top priority is to protect and defend our community, it is not to assimilate and please any other people and authority,” she said. “Our obligation is to our young people, is to our women, to make sure our women are protected in our community.”
“Our top priority and even higher than all those other priorities is to please Allah and only Allah,” Sarsour declared.
First, there is nowhere in that speech where she asked or suggested to anyone “form a jihad” nor is there anywhere in it that she suggested anyone “refuse to assimilate”.
Second, let’s get a clear understanding of what the word “jihad” truly means. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary: Definition of jihad. 1 : a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty also : a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline.
According to a BBC program on world religions in 2009 : “Jihad explained. The literal meaning of Jihad is struggle or effort, and it means much more than holy war. “
Taking those two sources into consideration, and bearing in mind she was speaking at the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention in Chicago, most likely to a group of American Islamic women, here is how I interpreted her comments:
“We hope that Allah accepts from us that as a form of jihad” is not calling for a religious war. She is saying they hope Allah sees their spiritual struggle as they build and nurture their religious community as an act of faith and devotion. If a Christian said, “ We hope God sees our work within our community under adverse conditions as an act of faith and devotion” I strongly doubt anyone would take issue with it!
In the context of the statement, she said their number one priority is to protect and defend their community, their young people and their women…all other priorities being lesser than that and to be dealt with after those things. She is not saying they refuse to assimilate. She is simply saying that in light of what they are facing it is not the top priority. And I have to respect that. I have always told my kids, “Family first! Always family first! After that you look out for your friends, your neighborhood and your community. But family always comes first.’
This woman is saying exactly that, and I respect her for it.
Wake up people! Stop simply reading the inflammatory headlines. Dig deeper. At least make an effort to fully understand what is going on before you make any judgments. Our country’s infrastructure is crumbling. Our civil rights are being chipped away. The things that made our country great are being eroded and flushed away while we are foolishly letting the people who are doing it, our not so illustrious supposed leaders, distract us with bullshit.
Stop REacting and start ACTING like free American citizens. Vote only after looking at the records of what candidates have (and have not) done in the past. At the very least, look at their voting records. Then get off your asses and to the polls on each and every election day.
If you’re sitting there telling yourself your vote won’t make any difference you are a fool. Every landslide election starts with the first person who casts their vote. Then the next and then the next. One single vote DOES matter. Just look at where we are today and ask yourself, “If I had voted last election, and everyone else like me had done the same, would we be where we are today?”
It's All in the Perspective! 