We enter a new phase of the Boston Marathon bombing. And the aftermath could be ugly too.
It doesn’t have to be.
What we need are more people like Ruslan Tsarni.
He’s the uncle of the two suspected bombers. He was interviewed live on TV numerous times during the crisis.
“I say what I think is behind it: Being losers. Not being able to settle themselves, and thereby just hating everybody who did.”
We need to applaud Ruslan.
This guy reacted like an American. He sounded more Boston Irish than most of us.
But we also need to protect Ruslan and give him cover.
He also put himself in danger. He’s a Muslim who called out two relatives who are Muslim, and according to Muslim jihadists, doing the work of what Islam should be doing – killing infidels. I wouldn’t be surprised if some foreign mullah puts a fatwah on him.
Granted, Tsarni was also angry with his knucklehead relatives for ruining his settled life here. But he was also frightened about a possible violent reaction by Americans.
No one will deny him that reaction.
But why aren’t we hearing from more Ruslan Tsarnis. Why aren’t we hearing more of this “loser” description of terrorists from more Muslims?
It’s clear: fear.
Muslims in the Boston area worry about a backlash. They should worry. You don’t mess with Dorchester or Southie.
Maybe I am missing something here.
Do I just want Muslims to take-on a boisterous, loud, Boston-Irish (like me) attitude – and they’re not capable based on their personalities and upbringings?
Or maybe it’s me?
During the Elian Gonzalez case, I called out Cuban Americans who wouldn’t return the boy to his father in Cuba. My response: American law says a child goes to his parents. Make up your mind, if you’re American follow our laws. If not, then go somewhere else.
Then I read this story from the LA Times — that seems like a PR ploy. The story recounts that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the dead Boston Marathon bombing suspect, was showing signs of being a radical and he was reprimanded by his own church.
Tamerlan Tsarnaev was thrown out of the mosque — the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center — about three months ago, after he stood up and shouted at the imam during a Friday prayer service, they said. The imam had held up slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. as an example of a man to emulate, recalled one worshiper who would give his name only as Muhammad.
Enraged, Tamerlan stood up and began shouting, Muhammad said.
“You cannot mention this guy because he’s not a Muslim!” Muhammad recalled Tamerlan shouting, shocking others in attendance.
“He’s crazy to me,” Muhammad said. “He had an anger inside.… I can’t explain what was in his mind.”
Tamerlan was then kicked out of the prayer service for his outburst, Muhammad recalled. “You can’t do that,” Muhammad said of shouting at the imam.
Still, Tamerlan returned to Friday prayer services and had no further outbursts, Muhammad said.
My reaction to this is “Huh?”
- This story comes from two sources who were there. This is not coming from Muslim leaders.
- Now we hear that Muslims emulate MLK? How come we didn’t hear this before? In other words, why don’t we have on-going ecumenical discussions?
- Why can’t you guys react like Ruslan Tsarni? If life is so good here in the US as a Muslim, then why aren’t you willing to stand up for it?
Maybe we need more Ruslin Tsarnis but we need to encourage them.
It won’t be easy. Here are the underlying problems we all face.
- Islamic extremists have no regard for life. Killing a so-called infidel seems to be OK. Killing yourself while killing an infidel will bring reward.
- Islamic extremists want to bring its rule throughout the world. This appears to be the goal of Islam to be carried out at any cost.
I am really hoping my Muslim friends and followers can weigh-in on this. And I am not saying this to create more fear or anxiety for American Muslims. But my gut tells me this: if you don’t start reacting the way Americans do, then you face living in a nation without any backing or support.
Let me disclose my bias:
I am suspicious of all organized religions and their institutional efforts to keep themselves relevant. I am even more suspicious, as Bill Maher said Friday night, of Islam. It bothers me that more Muslims don’t speak out against violence and the interpretations in the Koran that seem to think violence is OK.
To clarify: I think many religions foster violence. My people, the Irish Catholics – in the form of the IRA – caused unmerciful violence in the UK for decades. But I denounce what they did. The abortion clinic killings and bombings are similar examples. But nearly all Christians denounce this.
So, I don’t think religious violence is just Islamic. But the majority of religious violence today comes from both of the major sects of Islam. And many Americans believe there is very little coming from the faith to denounce this.
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