SooToday has received the following letter from Shahrukh Khan.
Born and raised in Saudi Arabia of Indian descent, Khan is a recent graduate of Algoma University's business program with concentrations in marketing and human resources.
He served the Algoma University Student Union as finance commissioner and international student representative and was treasurer of the Algoma Multicultural Students' Association.
At age 22, Khan is now interested in helping establish a multicultural learning centre in Sault Ste. Marie to educate and address social issues.
Once again ISIS has proven to be the entity responsible for the loss of innocent life, a cancerous growth in our society that needs to be dealt with immediately.
But there is one other issue that we need to deal with immediately and effectively: “the Muslim problem."
Many of you will be shocked seeing those words.
Some of you might even agree with that, and that is what I seek to address.
This phenomenon, this ideology that Muslims are to take responsibility, is frankly disgusting, demeaning.
Whether you like it or not, it validates the existence of ISIS.
The world that collectively mourns for the loss of life in the Paris attack has called for Muslims all over the world to take responsibility for ISIS and has begun to blame refugees.
The constant attacks on people of Muslim descent in the United Kingdom, and more recently the attack on a mosque in Peterborough, are among prime examples of the ever-growing Islamophobic tendencies that seem to be gripping the nation.
Yes, the world mourns for Paris.
The world incidentally hosts 1.6 billion Muslims, who also as part of the world, mourn for Paris.
But their mourning, our mourning does not end there.
We mourn for the families that have been ripped apart in Iraq.
We mourn for children that lay dead in the wake of war as refugees make their way away from the land seeking a safe haven, where they can live peacefully again.
Since the inception of ISIS this has been our world, the world of the Muslims.
We grieve, we wallow in sorrow.
If you must know why, it is because our Muslim brethren are victims of these attacks.
Let that sink in.
ISIS is an “Islamic entity,” yet it is single-handedly responsible for killing the largest number of Muslims across the globe.
And you wish for us Muslims to take responsibility for this vile group?
ISIS is barbaric.
While it may claim to be Islamic, it is nothing but a group of radicals who have mutilated the concept of Islam to suit their narrative, their agenda.
They have become this vile and aggressive mostly because of the socioeconomic and geopolitical conditions in which they have been placed.
I am referring to the Iraq war, which many U.S. politicians have agreed was the wrong war, yet I do not see anyone taking responsibility for this.
I don’t see us blaming the entire U.S. or the western world for this war that caused mass amount of deaths.
This is but one example of the double standards that persist in today’s society.
You cannot be consistent in supporting the loss of human life through various tragedies.
Simultaneously you shirk away and are inconsistent when faced with gruesome acts committed by your establishment, claiming that it has nothing to do with you.
A prime example is colonialism, whereby North America was invaded by colonists who wreaked havoc among Native Americans.
You degraded what was once a beautiful culture and language and tore it to shreds, but do you take responsibility for it?
No, the excuse that is spouted is: "Oh it’s all in the past. It has nothing to with us."
If this is true, why should I or any other Muslim across the globe take responsibility for ISIS?
If the atrocities committed by colonists have no bearing on who you are, why should the actions of a singular radical group like ISIS have any bearing on Muslims globally?
Have you become so infatuated with blaming people, partly through fear, that you fail to realize how bigoted, arrogant and ignorant you have become?
As a result, you are quick to blame a religion and a people without contextually understanding that violence and aggression are but products of greed, thereby creating that very environment that nurtured the rise of ISIS.
It is high time that everyone became consistent and objective when dealing with social issues in general.
Focus on the core problems.
Do not attack a social or ethnic group in retaliation to what a minority of their contingent does.
ISIS has affected us all.
It is high time that we stand united and cease attacking Muslim groups or any ethnic groups out of fear or hate.
Otherwise, for all intents and purposes, you have given ISIS a reason to validate their psychopathic maniac tendencies and you have contributed to an environment that validates their existence.
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