A letter.......

Well, I shall start with salam, PEACE, not greeting you by “As-salamou’alaïkoum”, because if you answered “Wa alaikoumous-salamou wa rahmatoullahi wa barakatouh” (May the peace, greatness and the blessings of Allah be upon you), you would think that Allah will grant you 30 good actions, when He actually does not even recognise your existence.

I must say that you, a son, daughter, brother, sister, friend, father, mother, and so much more, you are the product of something that started many years before your birth. Indeed, we are now reaping, internationally, the fruits that were heavy handedly sown many years before our birth, by arrogant, mindless and autocrat fools.

Yes, the west has played for too long with your politics/economy/social dynamics/beliefs/borders and much more.

Yes, when you think you have lost everything and have nothing to lose, it might seem tempting to believe that there is a power bigger than you, that will train you and send you in a place filled with gardens and golden linens; The west trains its soldiers with similar incentives, it can relate.

Yet, I must thwart your claims:

No, The Holy Book that so many people use for peace and support in the harshest times, NO the 114 sourates of the Qu’ran do not encourage you to kill and if you read it, you know he will not be welcoming you. He will be ashamed that you waved his book in the air as you killed and terrorised several nations in HIS Holy name and so will all his prophets.

Amongst the vast number of your victims, I want to tell you about three young men.

Omar. He, like many, is a REMARKABLE young Arab man, whose sense of integrity, cultural understanding and ambition are simply inspiring. His French report once read “If my own son becomes half the shadow of Omar’s, I will be a fulfilled mother”. Omar, who is more than a student, had messaged me in Tunis back in November.

He told me about how recent events had affected his life in the States, a place where he FULLY deserves to study and which will benefit from his insight and intelligence. This young man, who is such a hope for his nation, recounts that he is being targeted by senseless comments by some people in his “entourage”. Yes, incredibly enough, some people have somehow established a kinship between you and Omar! Dumbfounding!

I know you know that the media has been giving you a great push, for many years now, and keep feeding your ranks with ostracised, and all the more hopeful recruits. It must be funny for you to see all those profile pictures with the colours of the West, and not a rainbow, that would be more aware and suiting….

And now, to Mohamed: a smart and exemplary Muslim young man. He confessed that he has already made peace with the fact that he might die in a terrorist attack, and has accepted it. This, in itself, is as wrong as it is tragic! To you, it must sound……. like an achievement.

Mohamed, whose intelligence and manners are overachieving in every possible way, is one of those boys singled out in an airport in Europe, because he is a little too dark and Arab looking! Once again, wrong association, and how insulting must it feel.

And finally, there is Hans. From his young age, he should be worrying about little ludic things and perhaps school, but he is truly concerned about his safety. Hans is white, and therefore not affected by the colour demonisation, however he openly says that he is often afraid for his loved ones and himself, anywhere on the planet.

I recall, a few years ago when I was at university, a philosophy teacher asked us: Can you live a good life without taking risks?

At the time, we all reflected on the possibility of having accidents whilst travelling, or not finding a job. If you asked the students nowadays, they will talk to you about the possibility of being a victim of a terrorist attack at the cinema, concert, restaurant, favourite mall, historical sites, schools or walking down the streets……

Therefore, you see, you did it. You have terrorised the adults, the older generations and even the youth. Thanks to the support of many people/countries/and media, it was now your turn to successfully sow terror across the blue dot. The circle is full.

We all fight you, and in a way:

Omar fights by not responding with hatred to hate, Mohamed fights by keeping his calm and pretends not to understand the senseless association , Hans fights by continuing to go out and hope for a better future. 
Albeit by teaching subjects to a privileged audience, still, educators also try to make them reflect on historical patterns and against making the wrong connections. 
As humans, most of us still go out, most of us still hope…..

Sadly, the ones who have stopped will come towards you, looking for a purpose through the subterfuge of your black and white flag…..