Khalaf Al-Harbi
Okaz
The move to place the colors of the French flag on buildings in Riyadh was successful not only in showing solidarity with the French people, but also in confirming that we are part of this world as cities in the West and East raised the French flag in support of humanity, peace and love in the face of terrorism.
Today, we are facing two camps: The evil camp that kills people and commits suicide, and the camp that builds, participates, develops, and chooses peace, economy and life.
Yesterday, the media broadcasted two contradictory stories: the first was of a young Muslim man who saved people during the Paris attacks and was loyal to the country that embraced him. The second was of one of the Arab refugees who received care in all the European countries he passed through, and was saved when he tried to escape in a boat. Despite all of this, he betrayed the trust of the people who helped him and became one of the attackers who blew himself up during the Paris attacks. Which one of the two Muslim men do we think looks like us and like Islam? The one who was faithful or the one who was dishonest?
Don’t waste your time talking about crimes in countries around the world. Don’t try to confirm the self-evident truth that Islam has nothing to do with what happened and that some use these attacks to stain our religion. Today we face a great test of humanity. What we need to concern ourselves with is our own image, and not the image of the world. Are we truly Muslims who support the killing of innocent lives in such a distrustful way? Of course the majority of you will say “no” in the loudest possible voice. But if it is a “no”, then why don’t we say it to the world? Why don’t we tell the innocent French victims that they are closer to us than the murderers who stained Islam?
We raise the flag of France, the land of freedom, education and civilization, because it’s a great symbolic step in the face of Daesh’s black flag that spreads death and destruction everywhere. In short, we are like the rest of the world’s population that has declared its loyalty to humanity and not just to France.
