Following Monday’s attack on Manchester, England concertgoers, British society is on edge. Yet this edginess isn’t so much about the terrorist threat. It’s about the fear that some Britons might turn against one another. Tuesday afternoon, I spoke with a British Muslim friend about that and other related concerns.
Kashif ‘Kash’ Mahmood (or as I call him, Kashman/Kash Bandicoot) is a small business owner from Cambridge, England. But Kash also has another job for two weeks each year. It’s an important one.
For 15 years, Kash has served on the player security team at the Wimbledon tennis championships. This will be his fifth year as head of the player security team. I know this because Kash and I became friends when I worked under him at Wimbledon. And I know firsthand that he is a natural leader respected by the authorities, the players, and his staff. Kash knows the threat of terrorism.
Tom Rogan: How do you feel about the Manchester attack?
Kashif Mahmood: My thoughts and prayers are with all the families and loved ones who are affected. And to the heroes who helped giving out food, or lifts home, or offered other acts of kindness. But Manchester’s reaction showed us how strong we are in the face of fear. That’s humanity.
Rogan: Do you worry about increased anti-Muslim attitudes post-Manchester attack?
Mahmood: It saddens me that so much hate is in our lives. And where it all originates from. I have my theories on where it comes from. But we, as humans, are born without hate and prejudice. The majority of people have these values no matter what faith we have. Still, the hate continues. Even if there was no religion there would be hate. Fortunately, Cambridge is generally full of educated people who are clued up [British slang for informed] and don’t fall for political hate or fear mongering.
Rogan: Have you seen any adverse reactions since Monday?
Mahmood: My father was shopping in a Bolton [a 30 minute drive north of Manchester] Asda [Walmart equivalent] today, and someone walked up to him and said “it’s all your fault,” and blamed him and his ideology for the attack. But my father is a very calm and knowledgeable person who can respond to these situations and talk to people on their levels. That is, if they want to listen! But a local woman jumped in to defend my father and the staff members were very good in their response.
As a 6’2 male, I don’t see much of this stuff. But my mother, who is 5’2, has seen it in the past. And my father, who is age 68, has seen it. My sister, who wears a hijab, has seen some hate also. They are always picking on the weak. But one day they will pick on the wrong person and that person will bite back.
Rogan: What does Islam mean to you?
Mahmood: Well, Islam is not just a religion. It’s a principle of life. Like other religions. Teaching to look after my neighbor. To be respectful to others. To be honest in business. Charity. Family. I may not agree with the beliefs of others – certain aspects – but I respect their decisions. This can be applied to my friends who drink, who are gay, who have different political views. I was brought up with principles of respect, and these principles are the same as those held by most decent humans.
Rogan: Does anti-Muslim prejudice aggravate you?
Mahmood: I accept that people will judge me when I randomly get extra searches at the airport. But I will always smile and crack a joke with the guard doing his job searching me. I will strike up a conversation on the metro or with the passenger on the plane next to me. Being human means communicating. I have always been good at talking. Using that tool has helped me in different ways. Whether it be talking to freshmen at orientation or calming down an aggressive individual!
Rogan: Thanks, Kash.
Mahmood: All good.
My takeaway here is simple. The rot in political Islam that propagates groups such as Daesh, al-Qaeda, and the Lebanese Hezbollah is a deep one. And as we again found last night, it’s a bloody one. It has social and political roots. And yes, it has roots in the manipulation of Islamic texts by extremists.
But, and this is a defining but, the vast majority of Muslims, especially our fellow citizens, are decent patriots. They are not a fifth column. Instead, every day, Muslim Americans and Britons prove that they are our allies.
Two of my closest friends are Muslim. One is Kash. The other is Siraj Hashmi, an editor at Red Alert Politics (a sister publication to the Washington Examiner). I would trust both with my life and that of my family. Not because they are Muslim, but because their Muslim faith helps make them exceptional citizens.
We must confront Daesh and other groups relentlessly and aggressively. But we must not turn on our friends.
Tom Rogan (@TomRtweets) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. He is a foreign policy columnist for National Review, a domestic policy columnist for Opportunity Lives, a former panelist on The McLaughlin Group and a senior fellow at the Steamboat Institute.
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