News about ISIS seems to be everywhere. When I was glancing over magazines in the airport, a large number of the covers seemed to pertain to ISIS or opinions on how the United States should be involved in the Middle East again. As I read, I realized that I had virtually no understanding of the geopolitical reasons for the existence of this group, and I knew even less about what they believed in and why.
Being brought up in a conservative Christian family, my exposure to Islam and Muslims was more or less nonexistent, but it's becoming very apparent that understanding other religious groups is vital to understanding many of the issues of our day. It would be so easy for me to look at these issues through the Christian lens and understanding and for some time, I was saddened and appalled that people in this group are killing their fellow countrymen. It was even more confusing that the people they are executing are their countrymen who are also Muslim. However, this type of thinking is extremely biased because I can only see the story in one dimension. Ultimately, it all boils down to the fact that I don't understand the actions of this group because I don't understand their beliefs. However, as this region continues to be unstable, it is becoming more and more necessary to understand the people behind the guns and the mask in order to better resolve the issues.
Justin
No comments:
Post a Comment