My Message To the Free World:
Just stop.
Before you go on ranting and calling me a cruel human being, let me just start off by saying: I really don't care. I really don't. I don't care who killed the victims, I don't care if he was white, pink, orange or even invisible when he committed the crime. I don't care if authorities are still trying to identify the suspect. I don't care.
I will tell you, on the other hand, I only care about two things. I care about both the direct and indirect victims of this tragedy: the people who will be relatively affected by it. Unfortunately, we live in an age that looks to feed off of anything. As soon as the attacks happened, we saw media outlets question whether the suspect was "indeed" Muslim. Watch how they phrase that. As if they are saying, "Yup, here we go again," as if Muslims are this group of trouble makers that can't seem to live in peace with other people, that maybe we should push them back, keep them away. Oh no. You see the pattern? It almost sounds like "TRUMPets" sounding.
As far as I am concerned, the news doesn't report anymore. It merely makes up your opinion for you. Again, I don't care. It's the news outlets that make terrorism the big spotlight that triggers other mentally deranged so-called "jihadists" to commit another act of violence just for their "15 minutes of fame." So at the end of the day, don't go around calling all Muslims terrorists when, in fact, you have been helping it with your own suicide.
To The Victims:
When it comes to the direct victims and their families, I want to take the opportunity to use the platform that I have been privileged to obtain here at Odyssey to condone and sympathize with the families of this tragedy. This is not Islam, and nor will it ever be. All over the world right now, as we speak, over 1 billion Muslims are praying and feeling your pain. We will always be here for you, until the end. Some of us will never know what it's like to be in your place right now, but I can promise you that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of us that are trying our best to fight back against these so-called "jihadists." So please, don't be afraid. This is exactly how they want you to feel, and this is why we have your back.
To All Muslims of the Free World:
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time. If you haven't done so, now is the time to get out of your little Muslim cocoon and start reaching out! Stop sitting at home and start talking, make new friends, hold a music festival. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE RELIGIOUS. People think "Islamic community" and either they think it's an ISIS retreat or there will be a heavy emphasis on the religion. CHANGE THAT. We need people to be part of and take initiative in their active communities. You need to understand that this is exactly like voting. Whether or not you vote or whether or not you are active in your community, as soon as anything happens, you will be the face of Islam in your community. So whether you like it or not, how people see Islam can be through you. You've just got to be the change you want to see. So think about it.
