The Propaganda Machine

During this uneasy time it may seem that the sharing of videos showing the barbaric nature of ISIS or the aftermath of the retaliations of the western forces is highlighting a valid reason for either sides actions however it is basically propaganda. A tool for ISIS to recruit or gain sympathy. But how does a video showing ISIS mercilessly killing another human being help ISIS gain traction? These videos are shared by ISIS, to instill fear and to create deeper Islamophobia. This is exactly how terrorism works. By causing racial or religious tensions about a particular group, more of that group, in this case Muslims, become sympathisers with their cause as they are becoming ostracised, disenfranchised and hateful of the society they live in. The same can be said for the sharing of western forces 'retaliation' videos and pictures. You will only ever see what they want you to see. Pictures of injured or dead children, women, families etc creates hatred toward the armies and air forces fighting ISIS. Trouble is, you can only take the word of the person supplying the media that these dead or injured people are a direct result of western actions. Propaganda is a very effective and dangerous weapon in war. ISIS will claim responsibility for any act of terror, regardless of whether they carried it out or not. This makes us feel as though they are everywhere, that they are bigger than they are, that they are more organised and intelligent than they actually are. They want you to feel fear, to question or look upon every Muslim you see as a potential terrorist. They want you to share it all, to help them in their campaign and so far it seems to be working. Be careful what you share, don't believe everything you read and above all, think about it before you share it

Where Does The World Go From Here?

Where Does The World Go From Here?

With the world still reeling from the terrorist attacks of Beirut, Paris and Baghdad on Friday 13^th November 2015, it may feel as though we are all on a very long path with no obvious answers presenting themselves. [Friday 13^th is an obvious date for terrorists to use against the western world. It was the date the Christian Knights Templar were all slaughtered in France by an act of King Philip IV and has had many holy connotations since,  albeit superstitions and folklore]. We must be careful not to fall foul of knee-jerk aggressive responses and look to open ourselves up spiritually to let go of our ignorance’s. For hundreds of years the human race has searched for financial stability, for leadership and ultimately peace and to say we have become a bit lost in this search is somewhat of an understatement. Throughout history, we have been shown we all have considerable talents that collectively, can hugely improve the many different ways of life the world has to offer. This talent has slowly been capitalised on and misused for individual gain rather than for the improvement of the human race through greedy and selfish motives. However, there is so much more we can do with our potential and must, if we are to survive, look to the unity of ideas, of skills and of the will to move forward.

So many times have we shown the ability to act and make decisions for the good of others. We, as a human race, consistently show the ability to create and develop positive relationships across all walks of life as individuals, in business, religion, science and as countries. There is nothing natural in feeling hatred toward any person or any walk of life. We are not born with hate or prejudice, we learn it through a lack of education and fear. So why can’t we learn to love? Individually, we must ask ourselves: “Are we being as generous to others as we could be?” and “Are we being fair to ourselves?” For us to succeed we cannot lose sight of our personal needs or our societal needs and must look to give more attention to the care of each other.

There is an uneasy balance across the world at the moment. It is difficult for us to face some of the atrocities and events that we have been presented with. The problems we can foresee in front of us are potentially events than could change the entire modern world; however we can combat this by understanding our own pitfalls, our own weaknesses, misgivings and prejudices. This will ready us and strengthen us in preparation for all potential outcomes arming us with the right mindset and the ability to look for solutions before any form of physical intervention is required.

We may already see ourselves as individuals or societies that are able to listen to and accept our own wisdom and counsel, yet the danger of reaction and retaliation causes any wisdom to be lost. We must, as individuals, as nations, as a race, draw on the intellectual, intuitive, spiritual feelings and thought processes to ensure sound judgement is made rather than the chance of misguided, reactive actions. It is all too easy to see the world and the recent events as a place full of despair and cruelty. 

Every day we can see death and destruction whether it is in the form of a natural disaster or created by man however we do not need to feel inept in the search for answers or solutions. Now is the time for us all to self appraise and to search for what it is that we really want rather than burdening ourselves with the heaviness of sorrow, guilt, anger, shame and sadness.

So whilst the majority of us are ready and willing to help others, it can feel as though our efforts are often taken for granted. We cannot lose sight of our own needs and priorities and must make sure we allow as much time for our own well being and matters of home as we want to do helping others less fortunate or in need.

With courage and perseverance we will overcome the problems, the fear, the atrocities that we seem to face on what feels like a daily basis and move towards an increased level of love and of compassion, a level of which that has reached new heights during and after the recent events. These levels of love and compassion have taught and shown me that no matter what the levels of hatred, brute force, terrorism, revenge, retribution or other forms of oppression we are faced with, we can, we will and we do endure.

Now is the time to enjoy each other, our differences and cultures.

Now is the time to stand together