in the Sint-Jans-Molenbeek neighborhood of Brussels.
The French military continued to battle guerilla wars in urban areas. Muslim refugees, fleeing Belgium and Germany into France and Switzerland, were turned away at the borders. They had nowhere to go, open targets for vigilante groups. Hundreds were killed.
The whole world was weighing in on the European crisis. While Al Jazeera was reporting that Salafi extremists were celebrating the unrest in Europe as the beginning of global jihad, leaders of many Middle Eastern countries were expressing indignation at the wide deployment of military forces to civilian neighborhoods. “Any treatment of Muslims above and beyond that sanctioned by Amnesty International will require action,” said the president of Lebanon. “Internment, expulsions, or massive arrests of Muslims will not be tolerated.”
I recalled a line on a T-shirt worn by geology majors at Canterbury College because they thought it sounded sexy—“ subduction leads to orogeny .” The collision of tectonic plates creates mountains. That’s what seemed to be happening to the world—civilizations were colliding into each other, massive, immutable forces beyond anyone’s control, creating insuperable divides.
And no one could stop it.
#
“Why don’t we just drop a bomb on the towelheads . Just nuke whole damn place. It’s all just one godawful desert anyhow.”
Alex scooped an enormous glop of mashed potatoes and slapped it onto his plate. He had been in an oddly bullying mood since I got back, his body jumpy and tense like a jock sitting out a penalty on the sidelines at a championship game. He shoved food into his mouth as if he couldn’t wait to get away from us, his every word confrontational.
Dinner time was delightful.
“Alex, I won’t stand for that kind of talk,” snapped my father. “There is enough intolerance going around without you adding to it, even flippantly.”
“What’s the purpose of having a gazillion nuclear warheads if we never use them?”
“The whole point is deterrence,” my father said patiently, “the threat of massive retaliation. It’s about power, maintaining our global strategic position. The point of having them is to keep anyone else from using them.”
“That assumes our enemies are rational. Muslim extremists are suicidal maniacs. Sitting on our bombs isn’t going to deter them. They don’t care if they sacrifice millions of people. They figure even if Muslims die involuntarily, they are martyrs, their deaths glorious. Everyone goes to heaven.”
“I don’t think there are many Muslims who believe that,” piped in Mother, “only the extremists.”
“Islam is not a religion of peace,” Alex said hotly. “Muhammad participated in twenty-seven battles. He ordered assassinations. He told his followers to make war against unbelievers until they were converted or subjugated. The Quran demands Muslims to obey and imitate Muhammad. Jihad is essential to their faith!”
“You are wrong, son.” When Father started speaking like a Baptist minister, I knew he was angry. “Suicide bombing is completely against the teachings of Muhammad. ‘Do not kill yourselves; for surely God has been merciful to you.’ Being a martyr means another person kills you, not that you kill yourself. Furthermore, the killing of women and children is forbidden in the Quran .”
“Furthermore...,” mocked Alex, smirking around the table. “Have you noticed how everyone has begun quoting the Quran ? Everyone is a fucking expert.”
“Watch your language, Alex.”
I gave him a swift kick under the table, which he ignored. He was on a roll. “Bin Laden claimed Muhammad’s deathbed injunction to ‘banish the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula’ requires Muslims to get rid of any western presence in any land that was once ruled by Muslims. He
The French military continued to battle guerilla wars in urban areas. Muslim refugees, fleeing Belgium and Germany into France and Switzerland, were turned away at the borders. They had nowhere to go, open targets for vigilante groups. Hundreds were killed.
The whole world was weighing in on the European crisis. While Al Jazeera was reporting that Salafi extremists were celebrating the unrest in Europe as the beginning of global jihad, leaders of many Middle Eastern countries were expressing indignation at the wide deployment of military forces to civilian neighborhoods. “Any treatment of Muslims above and beyond that sanctioned by Amnesty International will require action,” said the president of Lebanon. “Internment, expulsions, or massive arrests of Muslims will not be tolerated.”
I recalled a line on a T-shirt worn by geology majors at Canterbury College because they thought it sounded sexy—“ subduction leads to orogeny .” The collision of tectonic plates creates mountains. That’s what seemed to be happening to the world—civilizations were colliding into each other, massive, immutable forces beyond anyone’s control, creating insuperable divides.
And no one could stop it.
#
“Why don’t we just drop a bomb on the towelheads . Just nuke whole damn place. It’s all just one godawful desert anyhow.”
Alex scooped an enormous glop of mashed potatoes and slapped it onto his plate. He had been in an oddly bullying mood since I got back, his body jumpy and tense like a jock sitting out a penalty on the sidelines at a championship game. He shoved food into his mouth as if he couldn’t wait to get away from us, his every word confrontational.
Dinner time was delightful.
“Alex, I won’t stand for that kind of talk,” snapped my father. “There is enough intolerance going around without you adding to it, even flippantly.”
“What’s the purpose of having a gazillion nuclear warheads if we never use them?”
“The whole point is deterrence,” my father said patiently, “the threat of massive retaliation. It’s about power, maintaining our global strategic position. The point of having them is to keep anyone else from using them.”
“That assumes our enemies are rational. Muslim extremists are suicidal maniacs. Sitting on our bombs isn’t going to deter them. They don’t care if they sacrifice millions of people. They figure even if Muslims die involuntarily, they are martyrs, their deaths glorious. Everyone goes to heaven.”
“I don’t think there are many Muslims who believe that,” piped in Mother, “only the extremists.”
“Islam is not a religion of peace,” Alex said hotly. “Muhammad participated in twenty-seven battles. He ordered assassinations. He told his followers to make war against unbelievers until they were converted or subjugated. The Quran demands Muslims to obey and imitate Muhammad. Jihad is essential to their faith!”
“You are wrong, son.” When Father started speaking like a Baptist minister, I knew he was angry. “Suicide bombing is completely against the teachings of Muhammad. ‘Do not kill yourselves; for surely God has been merciful to you.’ Being a martyr means another person kills you, not that you kill yourself. Furthermore, the killing of women and children is forbidden in the Quran .”
“Furthermore...,” mocked Alex, smirking around the table. “Have you noticed how everyone has begun quoting the Quran ? Everyone is a fucking expert.”
“Watch your language, Alex.”
I gave him a swift kick under the table, which he ignored. He was on a roll. “Bin Laden claimed Muhammad’s deathbed injunction to ‘banish the pagans from the Arabian Peninsula’ requires Muslims to get rid of any western presence in any land that was once ruled by Muslims. He
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