Radicals vs Moderates

About a month ago, my pastor uncle shared a thought and emotion provoking video on the subject of Radicals vs Moderates. I’ve been meaning to share my thoughts on this subject since then. And just this week, The Star newspaper launched their Voices of Moderation campaign under the hashtag #moderateMY to encourage open, rational and moderate voices. Here in multiracial, multifaith and multicultural Malaysia, we too face the menace of radicals. Finally a call to reason and moderation by no less, the top English daily in Malaysia.

To those who can afford 5min of your time, please take a look at the video below.

For those who don’t, here’s the summary:
At a conference held regarding the 11 Sept 2012 terrorist attack on the Benghazi, Libya USA Consulate (where 4 Americans died), Saba Ahmed, a softspoken female muslim American law student raised a very good and pertinent question on the “war” against Islamic radicals:

“How can we fight an ideological war with weapons?”

“How can we ever end this war? The jihadist ideology is an ideology. How can we end this thing if we don’t address it ideologically?”

Brigitte Gabriel, the Founder, President and CEO of ACT! for America then proceeded to answer her. Well, it seemed to me that she didn’t really answer the question but rather steamrolled Saba with facts. Interesting and pertinent facts and points:

1) “there are an estimated 1.2 billion Muslims in the world”
2) “of which 15-25% are radicals according to all intelligent services around the world”
3) “means there are 180 to 300 million people dedicated to the destruction of Western civilisation”
4) “radicals that kill and massacre” “that number as big as United States of America” (population 315mil)
5) WWII Germany: “most Germans were peaceful yet the Nazis drove the agenda. And as a result 60 million people died, almost 14 million in concentration camps, 6 million were Jews.”
6) Stalin-era Russia: “the Russians were able to kill 20 million people”
7) Mao Zedong-era China: “the Chinese were able to kill 70 million people”
8) WWII Japan: “Japan was able to butcher its way through Southeast Asia killing 12 million people”
9) 9/11 2001: “we had 2.3million Arab Muslims living in the United States. It took 19 hijackers … 19 radicals to bring America down to its knees, destroy the World Trade Center, attack the Pentagon, and kill almost 3000 Americans that day

Her most important point:
10) “The peaceful majority were irrelevant”
The rest of the video was really unnecessary emotional and crowd-rousing rhetoric to stir pro-American and perhaps even stoke Islamophobic sentiments.
My first question is, how many of those who watched realised that Brigitte herself was a radical (speaking out against radicals)?
Brigitte herself is the radical leader archetype:
1) loud
2) emotion stirring
3) charismatic
4) insistent
5) persistent
She is no different than the radicals she seek to eradicate. She is herself giving rise to another breed of radicals of her own ideology.

My second question is, how many of those who watched are saddened or angered by these words
“the peaceful majority were irrelevant“?
Are you part of the peaceful majority? The moderates:
1) who believes in higher ideals of Love and Acceptance, Peace and Harmony
2) whose voice is soft
3) whose attitude is indifferent or apathetic
4) who thinks “I can’t make a difference” and “it’s up to somebody else”
5) who tries to moderate but gives up against the louder, insistent and persistent radicals
Are you amongst those above?
Have you read the news recently? Be it local, more so, global news?
Do you see how the radicals are causing conflicts everywhere? Conflicts where innocents and peace-loving moderates like us suffer …
There are more of us peaceful, loving and harmonious moderates than there are those radicals. Yet we allow them to dictate and lead, to drive the agenda, and rule us. And what comes of this? Fractious and divided societies. “Divide and conquer”, that’s what the radicals do. “Divide then lead”, this is what bad leaders do. This is not something new. It has happened since society came into being. It’s as old as the stories in the Old Testament.
These radicals, especially the leaders are charismatic. They stir emotions and play the crowd to the common gathered theme and grouches .. then they rouse anger and direct it against the enemies of their ideologies. And so the peaceful masses fall into their trap, if even for a moment. Yet in that moment of high emotions, new radicals will be born from moderates. From the passion and emotions and a cause greater than self. And like all old radicals, the new radicals too are emotional and passionate about their cause; thus the radicals grow in numbers.
And yet, still the peaceful, loving and harmonious moderates form the vast majority.
It is time to awaken and arise. To recognise the characteristics and tactics of these radicals. Even if they are our leaders. More so, if they are leaders. Recognise them. Fall not into their emotional trap. Once they hear the voice of the majority, no leader will be foolhardy to lead differently.
My last question is the question Saba Ahmed asked:
“How can we fight an ideological war with weapons?”
Certainly not. Ideology with ideology. It’s time for us to be heard. Time for us to speak up and share about our ideology. Our ideology of Love and Acceptance. Share with our neighbours, friends and family, enemies even. Speak out, write against the radicals. Simple actions like mentioning our own moderate perspective on the latest radical news over conversations will go a long way to spread moderation and positivity. Especially when we are in positions of influence like the teaching profession or as a leader. It should not be about indoctrination but rather to inspire critical thinking on issues which are radicalised. Let our ideology spread and be the pillars of society. Let our children, grandchildren and generations to come enjoy peace and harmony forevermore.
Let us do it before it’s too late.
Before more conflicts and casulties happen.
Before our world burns to the ground …

Please share if you think this is worth it. It’s time for the moderate message to be spread.