The situation in Gaza and Israel is grim, but there's another situation that is pure evil and should have our attention.
ISIS has taken over large chunks of Syria and Iraq and are now holding weapons, armor, and vehicles provided by the United States Army. They have declared all that follow them to be safe, everyone else, Muslim or not is in their cross hairs. So much was made about a raid by Israeli forces at the Al Aqsa Mosque, but I noticed something very interesting, the Israeli forces weren't trying to blow up the Mosque. A fight breaks out between armed forces and rock throwing protesters at a Mosque and it's got our attention, but where's the outcry and the fury over a group that has actually blown up places of worship?
ISIS has killed thousands of people in Iraq and Syria. Thousands. Sadly those lives lost don't get our attention because we're all busy watching Israel V Hamas round 4 take place. ISIS is a threat to every Iraqi and Syrian, but also the rest of us. Every Muslim and Non-Muslim alike are targets for ISIS and their followers. With control of so much land, oil, and weapons it's only a matter of time that ISIS goes global with their battle plan.
Already ISIS has proclaimed that they and their leader are the leaders of all the Muslims in the world. That bold claim, while widely brushed aside, is a serious one. An armed militant group that is hell-bent on domination is feeling so confident that they have lay claim on every Muslim life and land in the world. Today it's in Syria and Iraq, tomorrow they'll be sending fighters the world over to take what they think its theirs.
There should be mass protests and media coverage of ISIS and it's merciless conquering of Iraq and Syria, but there isn't.
ISIS has killed over 5,000 people. 5,000 including women and children while 1.2 Million people have been driven from their homes. Let's compare that with the more "popular" war Israel Vs Hamas. In Gaza close to 300 people have been killed. The entire world's media is focused on Israel and Gaza, all the social media and citizen action fronts are mobilizing to stop the bloodshed, and rightly so. The question remains , why have we been so silent while 5,500 people have perished in Iraq alone? We haven't even looked at the death toll from Syria. Israel and Hamas both have their axe to grind with each other and Israel will agree to a truce again soon enough, and Hamas eventually will given in too. That war has an end that we call can see. There is a clear list of demands on both sides to end the violence too, however with the ISIS there isn't. They're not asking for the lifting of a blockade or the end to rocket strikes, they're looking to dominate the people and eliminate all that stand opposed to them.
ISIS is the biggest threat the Middle East has today. They have systematically terrorized civilians with mass murders, sexual violence, kidnappings, and even destruction of places of worship. They aren't sending any warnings, they aren't giving an avenue for a way out, it's either surrender to their will or be killed.
As a Muslim I must speak up against the ISIS. They do not represent me or my family and they surely do not represent Islam. They're drugged up militants getting high on murder, rape, and violence and must be stopped. As an American I am ashamed and deeply distraught over the fact that our weapons, our vehicles, our military equipment is being used to carry out their attacks. It's humiliating enough that we were all duped into Iraq in the first place , now the very equipment used to invade Iraq and then arm its military is in the hands of Terrorists.
Speaking up against ISIS means there will be a target on your head. You won't just got bombarded with hate emails and comments but they'll threaten your entire family. It's not easy to speak up against a group that scary with no moral code. If we don't speak up and stand up to them now, those in Iraq and Syria are going to be destroyed and soon their sights will turn to the rest of us.
This is the ISIS Map for what they plan to conquer after Iraq and Syria. As unlikely as it may seem to take over so many countries, they have already managed to take two. They don't need to take control for their presence to be felt, their terrorists tactics alone will change the way we live unless we stop them now.