Recently, Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a Somali-born, 19 year-old student from Oregon State University attempted to detonate what he believed was a vehicle bomb amidst the hundreds of spectators at the annual Portland tree-lighting event.\u00a0 I was only 10 or so blocks away watching from the 30th floor of the Portland City Grill.\u00a0 Turns out he wasn’t working with fellow confederates, but had unwittingly been snagged by undercover FBI agents.\u00a0 He fell on their radar because his own father apparently wrote to the FBI and warned them about his son’s extremist viewpoints.\u00a0 Mohamed tried to contact militants in other countries, but the FBI intercepted instead.\u00a0 Following his lead, the FBI supplied him with a dummy van bomb which had 5 or 6 55 gallon drums of (what he thought) were explosives.\u00a0 The van was parked on the tree-lighting block and he walked (past my building) and activated the dud via cel phone right in the middle of the event.\u00a0 Obviously it didn’t go off and he was immediately arrested.\u00a0 Many have already called up the very likely charge of entrapment; but that will likely have to be decided in the courts.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the night after the bombing, a mosque that Mohamed sporadically attended was set on fire.\u00a0 Arson is highly likely based on the early evidence.\u00a0 Fortunately only the office area was damaged and police are now running extra patrols around other mosques in the area.\u00a0 The mosque very quickly and publicly denounced Mohamed’s actions, and there has been no evidence any radical element is present there.\u00a0 So far there is no evidence that Mohamed appears to have contacted or worked with anyone from the mosque on his plans.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, this has revealed a general anti-religious attitude here in Portland\/Oregon that I’ve run into before from what seem very well educated, self-described as open-minded, and well meaning folks.\u00a0\u00a0 On OPB’s Think Out Loud radio show, a comment appeared on their live blog they read from while doing the show. \u00a0 The following comment was made, and struck a chord because I have heard it at a number of times at dinner parties\/etc:<\/p>\n
Religious people of all faiths are the problem. They are the cause of hatred, violence, misinformation, and ignorance throughout the world. The rest of us are dragged along in the wake of their poor behavior, we are associated with them because of the country we live in and the politicians they elect. Muslims aren\u2019t the problem, all religions are the problem.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
A number of people responded, but I liked this one best:<\/p>\n
I disagree with your argument – not least of which is because it’s a contradiction.\u00a0 You say religions are the problem, but say Muslims are not.\u00a0 Do you realize what makes a person a\u00a0Muslim is their identification with a religion?\u00a0 Why did you assume it was his religion when his own congregation condemns his actions and he didn’t appear to get support for his plan or ideas from them?\u00a0 Do you support the people that tried to burn down his Mosque because religions are to blame even though there is no proof to their involvement?<\/p>\n
Secondly, you indicate that religions are the the cause of\u00a0these problem.\u00a0 It’s far too simplistic and wrong to say religion is the\u00a0the sole source of this kind of brutal hatred in the world.\u00a0How about the purely political and ideological killings of rebel groups in Central and South America?\u00a0 Or the purely monetary\u00a0murders of drug cartels in Mexico?\u00a0The atrocities of the Kamier Rouge and Pol Pot, or the wholesale rape and hacking off of limbs by African militia groups?\u00a0 Somolian death squads?\u00a0\u00a0None of these groups are based on religious principles\/backgrounds.<\/p>\n
I agree with croyfp – it’s extremism of ANY ideology: be it political, ideological, religious, monetary, or otherwise that causes folks to feel the need to destroy those that don’t believe in what they do.\u00a0 In fact, I can see a bit of this kind of hatred and anger in your response that desires to destroy something you don’t feel is right in your eyes.\u00a0A true desirer of the good seeks to take what is good, and correct\u00a0what is bad via reasoned argument and dialog.\u00a0 An extremist says it must all be destroyed.\u00a0 So where do you find yourself in your statement?<\/p>\n
People desire to hurt others when they themselves have been hurt and not found understanding or healing; so they try to hurt others so that\u00a0others have to feel\u00a0the hurt and helplessness\u00a0they themselves feel.\u00a0 We won’t make a dent in\u00a0extremists like this until they are allowed to be heard or at least given models to help guide them through their anger.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n