By Laura Katauskas | Bugle Staff
sweditor@buglenewspapers.com
@BugleNewspapers
As terror attacks by groups like the Islamic State in Syria and Al Qaeda continue to stun the world, American Muslims are gathering to promote peace and to help educate their communities about their opposition to these types of extremist groups.
Hours after the Paris attacks, the Association of Pakistani Americans in Bolingbrook sent a statement to the ambassador of Paris and local officials condemning the act.
“We are equally saddened and shaken by the attacks of this terror group,” the statement read. “This kind of inhumane act has no place in any society. These individuals carried out their own agenda using Islam which is against the teaching of Islam.”
In a time when a new Gallup poll taken Dec. 8 noted that 2 in 3 people think acts of terror in the U.S. are likely, The Muslim community in Bolingbrook is making efforts to reassure residents that radical Islam does not represent the more than 1,000 Muslims living in the area.
Talat Rashid, president of the APA, described ISIS as a terrorist organization that grew after the Iraq invasion and flourished in Syria.
“It is a cult, which has nothing to do with Islam,” Rashid told the Bugle. “It is dividing Muslims for their own benefits. It also seeks to divide the entire society to gain their ill intentions. It has killed thousands of Muslims since its inception.”
ISIS, according to Rashid, does not represent Islam or Muslims in any way. Similar to other religions, he said Islam teaches peace.
“We Muslims condemn their un-Islamic ideology, and do not condone their actions because ISIS is not one of us.”
He explained that whenever incidents of this magnitude happens, regardless of who carried it out, he believes no religions advocate killing innocent people.
“We are very fortunate that so far nothing has happened in Bolingbrook,” Rashid said. “But you never know, because backlash is a result of public emotions and immediate reaction. People listen and read news and make biased judgments immediately without looking into the real matter, especially when a Muslim name is involved. People question why these groups are defaming Islam and its real flower.
“[American Muslims] all try to disassociate themselves with [terrorists] and tell them, this is not us, this is not Islam. As always, we pray that this does not happen again.”
Last year, the threat of ISIS did hit close to home. A Bolingbrook man was arrested after attempting to leave the country to join ISIS in Syria.
“It was very shocking to all of us and no one expected that this would hit our home in Bolingbrook, where the Muslim community is proactive and living the American dream,” said Rashid. “It was a very scary and unbelievable event that shook everyone not only in Bolingbrook but the entire U.S. This young man did not go to any of our Islamic schools in Bolingbrook. He was recruited from the Internet, which is the tool that is being used by ISIS.”
American Values
Luckily, Rashid said that Muslims in Bolingbrook, with two mosques and one Islamic school, Furqan Academy, have been very well supported by the village.
“Bolingbrook is a very diverse city and Muslims are proud to be a part of this fabric,” said Rashid. “The city not only encourages religious practices but also helps facilitate these religious practices. In the past 25 years there has not been a single incident in my knowledge where any Muslim was discriminated against based on their ethnic and religious practices.”
Rashid said it is incumbent upon American Muslims to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to ISIS to law enforcement authorities immediately.
“ISIS is targeting youth and luring them in to their so called un-Islamic and evil beliefs which has nothing to do with Islam and Islamic values. At the same time it is the responsibility of parents as well to monitor their kids. Watch for changed behavior and keep an eye on the circle of their friends so that incidents like this do not happen again,” said Rashid.
The Gallup poll cited earlier also indicated that the trust in government to protect against terrorism is at a new low of 55 percent, that is 33 points lower than 2001, shortly after 9/11, when 88 percent of Americans said they had a great deal or fair amount of confidence.
Adding to the fire are comments like that of presidential candidate Donald Trump who has been calling for an extreme crackdown on U.S. Muslims.
“A presidential candidate should not be making comments like this,” said Rashid. “His comments not only outraged Muslims, but every other ethnic community, including other Republican and Democratic candidates. Muslims also want to see this country a safe place to live.
The reason people want to come to the U.S. is because of American values such as religious freedom and justice, according to Rashid. He said that Trump’s comments about Muslims are very un-American. “He cannot hold the entire Muslim community responsible for the act of a few evil and sick people who are carrying out these acts of violence which has no place in Islam,“ Rashid said.
He added, however, that Trump is getting a lot of attention because he is speaking on behalf of average Americans who may think that Muslim are terrorists, even though it is not based on fact.
“We Muslims have to do a better job defending religion and disassociation of ourselves from ISIS and the groups like them who are defaming Islam, a peaceful religion,” Rashid said.