I’m writing this in anger. I am supposed to be enjoying my holiday today, instead I am enraged. I am angry to read about another terrorist attack on Saudi soil, not long after Baghdad, and not long after Istanbul. Even in countries where Holy Month is happening, innocent blood is spoiled.
And as usual, flood of #PrayFor[insert afflicted city here] is showing up on social media timeline.
It is said that one should never say anything in anger, and better to just bite your tongue. But today I just have to let this one out. Can’t take it anymore.
Prayers do NOT solve terrorism.
There, I said it.
Baca juga: Jangan Termakan Online Persona di Social Media!
If you were the sensitive, Jell-O type of the faint hearted, stop reading this and go back to making beautiful meme with touching quotes. But if you are sick of all this shit as I am, you are welcome to read on.
Ever heard of asymmetrical warfare? Well, I call this civilian version as asymmetrical struggle. And praying for cities bloodied by terrorism is a form of tragically hilarious yet asymmetrical struggle.
Because terrorists don’t just ‘pray’. They build suicide bomb vest, car bombs, they plan, they coordinate, they manipulate, they teach, they preach, they corrupt gullible minds, they post and share online, they fire guns. They END people’s lives with many more means than just “praying”.
Prayers don’t solve terrorism. Actions do.
I know that all of us will wonder, “But what can we do? We don’t have drones, bombers, guns to bear arms and fight. Let’s just ask (and pray) for the world governments to do all these things for us.”
Bollocks.
Every ONE of us can do our share in fighting terrorism more than just playing cute hashtags and memes.
Baca juga: Mengubah Dunia Dengan Hashtag, Percaya?
Like calling spade a fucking spade. If you see hate speech or extremist text circulating around in social media, STOP its circulation. Be angry. Tell the sender off. Unfriend the bastards (I do the last one all the time). Isolate them. We are being bloody too tolerant to bad people. We don’t want to offend and hurt other people’s FEELINGS when their venomous words can literally kill other people.
Watch out for our schools and campuses. Don’t be naive. Higher education institutions are becoming hot recruitment sites for extremists – don’t lose our children and friends to the hands of these nefarious manipulators.
Protect our children’s minds. Immunize them from manipulation. Teach them critical thinking. Tell them it’s okay to question things most people take for granted. Believe in God, but don’t just trust anyone coming ‘in the name of God’. Raise intelligent children, not obedient cows.
Speak up against extremism within our own family and neighborhood. Don’t just accept anything clothed in sweet religious symbols. Ever heard of ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’? The wolves are real. And we are still easily enamored by beautiful sheep’s skin.
Stop being naive. Ungodly ambitions have been fought in the name of God for millennia. In the end, it’s about power over other human beings. If waving religion banner works to manipulate people, it WILL be used. Get smart. Just a bit. Please.
Every single one of us can do our share in fighting evil ideologies that pave the way for terrorism. I recently read that silence helps the bad guys more than the victims. I agree.
The world does not need another #PrayFor. Too much blood has been spilled. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough.
Baca juga: Social Media: A Place Of Bullies?
Artikel ini ditulis oleh Henry Manampiring, dan sebelumnya dipublikasikan di sini.
