How Muslims are unknowingly brainwashing themselves

Many years ago I watched Lupe Fiasco, a famous rapper, say something in an interview that I still think about to this day.

The interviewer talked about how the long history of suffering endured by black people in America inspired many artistic achievements.

He mentioned hip hop and jazz among other things and how black people were able to turn their suffering into something positive and create all this wonderful art.

I think the point he was trying to make was despite all their suffering, at least something positive came out of it.

But Lupe had a different view:

He said, and I’m paraphrasing…

Would you prefer to keep all the pain and anguish of slavery, lynchings, segregation and racism and get to have hip hop and jazz and all the great artists, literature, movies, leaders and speeches we produced…

Or would you rather we had none of these achievements but never had to suffer and lose so many of our people?

Think about that for a moment…

I know I do. A lot.

I think about what the suffering of Muslims inspires us to “produce”.

Like noisy protests. Arguments on social media. Blaming of Arab leaders.

But the one I think about the most is our sharing of images of dead Muslims. Their bodies mutilated and torn apart. Crying mothers. starving children.

All that suffering.

Shared by their fellow Muslims.

Think back to what the interviewer was saying. Is sharing all this suffering leading to something? What are we doing with it?

What consolation prize are we expecting to get out of it?

Because I don’t see it.

I don’t want it.

I’d rather there was no suffering than be consoled decades later by some worldly achievements inspired by that suffering.

Is this phenomenon of mass sharing images of Muslim suffering an attempt at (consciously or unconsciously) documenting these incidents to inspire future achievements?

Obviously not.

Because no one thinks like that.

No one thinks “hey this is bad now but in a few decades we’ll use this to inspire art” or whatever else you value.

And I know it sounds crazy to even mention this but what other purpose could it conceivably serve?

And please don’t tell me it’s about raising awareness. The only thing it should raise is our acute awareness of the indifference so many hold towards Muslim suffering.

Yes, there are proper channels through which to document and report these events.

Think back to the suffering of black people in America. It was by and large documented by journalists, historians and human rights organisations.

But in our case, it goes beyond the proper channels.

I’m talking about mass sharing via social media apps and corrupt news media.

Human beings were never meant to consume so much information and at such speed…

Observe how much of the discourse around the black struggle has today been taken over and perverted by critical race theory, BLM and the like.

People call it democratisation of information. I think it’s polluting the discourse.

A similar thing is happening with Muslims.

Muslim suffering isn’t solely being documented to be remedied through the proper channels.

We are sharing these images over and over again with strangers on the internet—at the mercy of algorithms, bots and inhumane trolls—and it’s doing way more harm than good.

You wouldn’t do this with anything else

The example I always use is this:

Imagine you have diabetes…

You know you need to make lifestyle changes. You even know precisely what to do.

Instead, you insist on posting every day about the fact you have diabetes. And you argue about it with strangers on the internet.

Until one day your eyes begin to rot. And your foot needs to be removed.

But instead of getting surgery you insist on “raising awareness” by posting graphic images of your injuries.

And whenever someone suggests you take practical action you get mad at them for not applauding the fantastic journalism you’re providing by raising awareness for your social media followers.

It’s the same with Muslim suffering.

Yes, it is being documented. Now let’s follow that with some practical work.

And there is a far worse place than the algorithms, bots and trolls for the images of Muslim suffering to land:

The eyes of other Muslims.

We need to remember a concept:

A drop of benefit does not outweigh an ocean of harm.

The harm?

What do you think brainwashing is? How is it done?

Do you know one of the sinister methods of brainwashing is desensitisation?

Viewing graphic images of violence, pain and death over and over again. People are literally tortured this way.

Serial killers become depraved this way…

Soldiers are turned into mindless murderers this way…

Muslims are desensitised this way.

The painful tragedy in our case is we are the ones doing the sharing.

Seeing the images the first time makes you react. That energy may not have been directed towards a practical action.

Then another image. No action.

And another.

Over time, we became accustomed to seeing Muslims suffer.

And I think this is by design.

What’s the point of it all?

I always wonder what the underlying intention is behind sharing these images.

As I’ve already mentioned, I don’t accept it’s for raising awareness. I’ve even suggested it’s a coping mechanism or a cover for our inaction.

I think the point Lupe made about preferring his people had never suffered in the first place is a profound one…

Especially when I don’t see us producing anywhere near enough solutions as a result of seeing our people suffering.

Notice I said solutions. I’m not even talking about artistic achievements.

In 50 years, are we going to talk about how the genocide of Muslims led to some worldly achievements so we can at least be proud of that?

Because I don’t want them.

I don’t even expect to see any.

I would feel ashamed.

I think everyone reading this knows such “achievements” are neither forthcoming nor needed.

In 50 years, I want to be able to say Muslims took decisive action to end their suffering. Not Muslims were really good at mass sharing images of their suffering but nothing much beyond that.

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Why do we keep sharing these images?

I want to know what you think…

P.S. I repeat:

Don’t tell me it’s about raising awareness.

Your Instagram story isn’t raising awareness about anything we don’t already know or to anyone who is outside your follower count.

The people who need to know already know. In fact, most of them are either complacent or complicit in the genocide.

It’s not a lack of awareness.

It’s a lack of appropriate action despite an oversupply of awareness.