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Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev once said, complaining about American culture, “There are no values anymore.” What his actions demonstrate is that there are no values through Islam, the religion to which he turned for guidance and meaning.
According to the FBI, “in early 2011, a foreign government” informed the Bureau that Tsarnaev “was a follower of radical Islam [i.e., he took the religion seriously] and a strong believer.” What “values” did he then embrace? An indication can be found on YouTube, where Tsarnaev created a “terrorists” playlist and “liked” a video proclaiming that “no one can stop jihad.” Further indication of his “values” can be seen in his terrorist actions at the Boston Marathon.
Tsarnaev turned to Islam for “values,” and what he got was murderous rage against the United States, against Americans, against life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Contrary to Tsarnaev’s faith-based assertion that there are no values in America, our culture and citizens are rich with values. The Boston marathoners value physical health, friendly competition, and personal achievement. Parents, siblings, and friends of the runners value (or valued) their loved ones and the spectacle of seeing them strive to accomplish their goals. People across America value their careers, romance, education, and innumerable other things that sustain and enrich their lives. These are the kinds of values—life-serving values—that Tsarnaev’s religion forbade him to recognize as values.
Tsarnaev, embracing the antilife religion of Islam and taking it seriously, sought to destroy life-loving Americans and their life-serving values. And he achieved some measure of success in his vile, faith-based pursuit. He even achieved his own death—the ultimate goal of a consistent Muslim.
“There are no values anymore?” At his own personal level, Tsarnaev got that right. That’s what he gets for embracing a religion that worships death.
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Related:
- Great Islamic Thinkers Versus Islam
- The Ground Zero Mosque, the Spread of Islam, and How America Should Deal with Such Efforts
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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