After Paris, let’s stop blaming Muslims and take a hard look at ourselves

[struggle4progress]

BEN NORTON

... Actual evidence .. shows that less than two percent of terrorist attacks from 2009 to 2013 in the E.U. were religiously motivated. In 2013, just one percent of the 152 terrorist attacks were religious in nature; in 2012, less than three percent of the 219 terrorist attacks were inspired by religion.

The vast majority of terrorist attacks in these years were motivated by ethno-nationalism or separatism. In 2013, 55 percent of terrorist attacks were ethno-nationalist or separatist in nature; in 2012, more than three-quarters (76 percent) of terrorist attacks were inspired by ethno-nationalism or separatism ...

A little-discussed .. fact is that the .. vast majority of the victims of Islamic extremism are themselves Muslim, and live in Muslim-majority countries. A 2012 U.S. National Counterterrorism Center report found that between 82 and 97 percent of the victims of religiously motivated terrorist attacks over the previous five years were Muslims ...

The Paris attacks, as horrific as they are, could be a moment to think critically about what our governments are doing both abroad and here at home. If we do not think critically, if we act capriciously, and violently, the wounds will only continue to fester. The bloodletting will ultimately accelerate ...

http://www.salon.com/2015/11/14/our_terrorism_double_standard_after_paris_lets_stop_blaming_muslims_and_take_a_hard_look_at_ourselves/

[Binkie The Clown]

1. Yes, blame the victim.

So when a woman is raped, blaming the victim is a terrible thing to do.
And when a westerner is murdered, blaming the victim is the right thing to do.

I'm having a spell of cognitive dissonance right now.

[Carolina]

3. perhaps you should actually read the FULL article

It's excellent and neither blames the innocent Paris victims nor diminishes their deaths. However history and context are important and the article provides ample evidence of the why behind such heinous acts.

[Ken Burch]

7. Nobody is blaming the people who were killed. n/t.

[swilton]

2. Was looking for a good place to post this - not my penmanship but my thoughts

"If anyone on my friend list feels affected by the Paris attacks, I empathize with you and keep you in my thoughts. However, I must admit that I do not feel so inclined to express specific solidarity with the French or with the Western world. This is not out of a desire to devalue the lives of the victims of these attacks. Even if it was, the endless media coverage and the constant attention that this particular incident of mass violence is getting will not allow their lives to be devalued. The most powerful leaders in the world, from Barack Obama to Vladimir Putin, are affirming the value of these victims’ lives, are validating the sense of grief, anger, outrage, and loss that their families and loved ones are feeling. My validation is not needed. Instead, I’d rather express and actively demonstrate my support to the people whose lives are constantly devalued by the same institutions of political power. Imagine if these attacks were all but ignored by media outlets, the victims written off as collateral damage and treated as if they did not matter? From the over-policed communities of color in the United States, to the colonized and deprived indigenous communities of the Americas and Oceania, to the occupied territories of Palestine, to the historically colonized, economically deprived, and in many cases endlessly surveilled and attacked regions of Africa, the Middle East, Asia, South and Central America, and the Caribbean, this is the reality for the majority of people in this world, many of whom are affected chronically by even greater mass violence at the hands of the very governments who are today expressing their solidarity with the (white) people of Paris.

What these attacks should make clear is that none of us are safe from the direct or indirect consequences of our capitalist economic system, the endless imperial wars that our rulers call for and profit from, the continuous militarization of society, nationalism, white supremacy, patriarchy, the privileging of some of us over the rest of us, and the violent logics of domination and revenge that permeate our globalized society. Within the next few weeks, the deaths and traumatization of innocent people around the world will surge as a result of our governments’ militarized response to this act of retaliatory violence. There is no happy end to this in sight as the legitimate fear of the masses will be manipulated and used by those who can profit from it. Mass violence, environmental destruction, the devaluation of human life: these are the realities of our chaotic society that can only end one of two ways: complete annihilation of our planet and species, or through complete transformation of our society through the collective political action of average people. Our silence won’t save us, our complicity can’t protect us, and our governments certainly will not rescue us."

from a post on f/b

[snagglepuss]

5. Well said. nt

[Carolina]

4. K&R

Excellent read. Thanks for posting.

[Blue_Tires]

6. So what did Lebanon do to deserve a terrorist attack?

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/12/middleeast/beirut-explosions/

Are they "exporting violence?" Do they speak of holy wars against Islam?

Oh right, that doesn't fit the narrative... Silly me. Norton to his credit does mention it, but only to note the lack of media attention instead of exploring the reasoning behind it... And since Norton himself couldn't be bothered to write anything about it, he's just as culpable as the "imperialists" he thinks he's better than...

[CJCRANE]

8. Blame the warmongers who support both sides and pit us against each other. nt

[DavidDvorkin]

9. Now I understand: We're wearing revealing clothes.