It’s not news anymore, the fact that 17 alleged would-be terrorists were arrested in Ontario over the weekend. I’ve been wanting to write something about it, but it’s been one of those weeks and between Breanna’s frustration over her teeth coming in, combined with almost being able to crawl now, and Hayley seeing just how much she can get away with before she pushes it too far, I just haven’t had a moment to be overly coherent. And really, I’m not sure I can really even promise to be coherent now either, but I’ll try.

I’m not going to go over all the details of what happened. I think everyone in Canada is aware of it, and a lot of American news shows have been covering it as well. A quick Google search will tell you what you need to know. The short version is that apparently there was a plot to target various Toronto landmarks, such as the CN tower and the stock exchange, blowing them up a la suicide bomber. Also, recent information has come out that there were plans as well to storm the parliament buildings in Ottawa to kidnap politicians there, and to behead our prime minister.

There are two things that have really angered me over the past few days in regard to the fallout effects. Never mind the anger that there are people who would actually do these things, plot them out and carry them out to the end. What else angers me?

1. The arrogance of some of the citizens. There were some news-from-the-streets interviews where people told reporters their candid reactions to the news. So many of them used comments like being utterly “shocked” and “in disbelief” that this sort of terrorism “could happen here”. What?

Before September 11th, yes. I would have been shocked. I was beyond shocked that morning watching the attacks on the WTC in downtown New York. Since then I have always known it could happen here. I don’t walk around terrified about what may happen, but I knew it was always a possibility. American society is more talked about in the news but Canada isn’t really all that different, at least not as far as an extremist is concerned; we still represent the same Western civilization freedoms that terrorists hate. Why WOULDN’T it happen here too?

Obviously I am beyond relieved that it was stopped. But I would never say that I was shocked that it nearly happened.

2. And maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, but I am horrified by the backlash towards the Muslim community. I believe it was in Toronto where a mosque was vandalized the other day. I’m sure it isn’t the only one either. I am so angry by the reaction. It was not Muslims as a whole who plotted this terrorism act; it was a group of extremists who happen to say they are practicing Islam. Guess what? They are not the only ones who have ever claimed to be killing in the name of a god. Have you HEARD of the Crusades? Talk about killing under the blanket of religion. Moses himself killed some of his own people in the name of the Christian god.

If you study Islam at all, it’s not a violent religion. It follows many of the same rules and guidelines as Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism… Most major religions have startling similarities. Nowhere in Islam does it say that you should kill those who are not exactly like you. You can’t judge the religion based on the extremists. Would Christians want their religion to be judged according to the disgusting actions of Fred Phelps or the people behind the “lovely” computer game, Left Behind – Eternal Forces, where your goal is to either convert or kill those who haven’t been saved? I doubt it.

Please. Stop taking it out on average Muslims. I am certain they are just as appalled as anyone.

And that’s as coherent as my brain will allow at this hour.