Teach tolerance, defend ourselves against hate

It is very disturbing to vividly see and read about the horrendous attacks that transpired within two mosques in New Zealand.

Attacking unarmed, defenseless worshippers while they were in a state of peaceful reflection is the most inhumane and barbaric form of terrorism.

This terror attack did not discriminate which lives were destroyed. The victims included children, women, and the elderly, with ages ranging from three to 74.

Recent hate-filled speech and crimes are dangerously becoming more of the norm from the alt-right and white supremacists against minority communities. But it’s not limited to Muslims but also against blacks and Jews among others.

Our leaders, starting from President Trump, must realize that even though they may not be directly calling for violence and their hands may not be on the trigger, their message and tone can resonate amongst hateful groups resulting in heartbreaking consequences.

Before the latest New Zealand attacks, we had to suffer through shootings at a mosque in Canada, a synagogue in Pittsburgh, and a church in Charleston targeting different communities.

It is not a coincidence that increased hateful rhetoric against minorities and immigrants is admired by some of the recent terrorists and providing them the impetus to violently act.

This epidemic of hate can no longer be ignored and must be dealt with proactively and effectively. It continues to embed fear into the hearts and minds of our families across the globe and especially the U.S. We need to make sure we have the right answer for our upcoming generation and create a safe world.

The only way forward to counter and overcome such hate is to have all communities from diverse ethnicities organize and spread a common message of peace, tolerance, and acceptance. It is through strength and unity that we can become overcome hate.

Unity can only be achieved once our politicians at all levels of power stop spreading hateful rhetoric. These fear mongering tactics only further drive a wedge between communities and encourage sinister groups and their members.

Trump and other political leaders need to focus more on homebred domestic violence and terrorism. If our leadership is sincere in tackling all forms of terrorism, this includes white supremacists.

While we spread the message of love and peace, we must adapt to the current reality and take proactive measures for our self-defense. We are calling on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security to train our communities on how to effectively provide comprehensive security to our centers. We encourage them to provide official guidelines, tools, and resources to all of our centers.

But law enforcement can only do so much. We are also calling on volunteers from our Muslim communities to legally obtain and carry concealed weapons when they come to our centers of worship to protect ourselves.

We all need to closely partner with our local police forces. Our organization was contacted by DHS to help provide security assessments and training. We will proudly and actively reach out to our community leadership to form a solid force to counter emerging threats.

We can all agree to make America great again. However, we as communities and our leadership must steer toward a path of doing so with tolerance, love, and safety.

This proper path and its peaceful tone is rooted in America’s proud history of diversity and inclusion.

We are all Americans regardless of our racial and ethnic backgrounds. Our children identify themselves as Americans and we cannot let their hearts tremble with fear and subdue their great potential. The American people deserve much better.

We cannot shy away from taking on the danger of mass terrorism. All of our words and actions must be as far away from such hateful rhetoric as possible. This is how we win the fight against terrorism.