We have all watched in horror the tragedy that took place in Paris, and our hearts go out to the victims and their families, as they do to the people of Beirut.
As we condemn the terrorism and brutality of ISIS, we must also stand firmly against all anti-Muslim and anti-refugee scapegoating.
Already we are seeing a wave of hysteria and bigotry, including in our own region. A few days ago, the following right-wing threat was posted locally on Facebook:
“There are 18 Mosques in the greater Seattle area where I live. I’ve got the addresses of each. Do you know where the next attack will come from? I at least know where to strike back! The only way that we can be completely free of this threat of terror is to eradicate the Death Cult masquerading as a religion from our streets!”
Communities in Seattle and the whole region need to stand together against such a threat. We will not be divided.
This threat must be immediately and rigorously pursued. It may pose a gravely serious danger. Just last month, a mosque in was attacked during a West Seattle arson spree.
I stand unequivocally in solidarity with Muslims, refugees, and all others threatened by hate violence and bigotry.
ISIS is not supported by Muslims worldwide, but it is Muslims who often pay the price of its terrorism. It is the horror and breakdown of the social fabric in the Middle East which has given rise to ISIS and also to the biggest refugee crisis in world history. Underlying the current situation are the decades of Western imperialist policies in the region and the brutal invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, at the behest of oil corporations.
Working people of all nationalities, of all religions, and of no religion, need to come together to build an alternative to this system of crisis. We must stand together in solidarity against hate crimes, terrorism and war.
To submit a guest opinion, write to editor@seattleglobalist.com.
There is not a shred of evidence to suggest a arsonist targeted a Mosque in West Seattle. The arsonist set a fire at a Seattle Housing Authority office and a Muslim Community Center happened to be located on a second floor. More to the point, the arsonist was apprehended prior to the Paris attacks. At best Sawant is disingenuous to even raise the matter in the context of the Paris attacks. It certainly calls into question the assertion of a “wave of bigotry” and Sawants integrity. Phony progressives cannot convince the majority of Americans to support their positions, so they resort to falsehood, hyperbole, and hysterical, self-righteous name-calling.