I wish to say right here that the young Malian man,Lassana Bathily, a Muslim, who saved the kosher supermarket clients by rushing them into the refrigerator room and turning off the cold and the lights should get more than a medal. What an amazing courageous act–keeping his head in such a situation while there is such panic and fear. When asked about what he did, and shy about his act of courage, he simply said, “It is life.”
Amazing. I salute him with all four paws and hope all kitties around the world are doing the same.
Mama says she hopes that when prejudice creeps into the thoughts of those who feel so strongly that Islam is dangerous, perhaps they will remember this young Muslim man from Africa who is clear evidence that there are very good people along with radicals in any religion and you never know who they are.
Mama, papa and I were watching the amazing numbers of people who took to the streets in support for Charlie Hebdo–all the major cities of France (and other countries) and many small ones–and I could not help but wonder how many of those people were reconsidering their attitudes and were finding that yes, there existed more anger towards, more intolerance of, more wariness around their fellow Frenchmen who are Muslim. I hope this is not the case and that more awareness, rather than less, of one’s prejudices are what we need. We all have them, you know, but we don’t like to think about it…
I certainly have some–sometimes against other kitties, sometimes doggies, but I’m working on that…
“Do you think we’ll ever get to fly again?”
This is a time when racism and intolerance must be kept in perspective; when neighbors must help neighbors; when efforts to weed out extremism and terrorism must be more effective than ever. Not easy.
How sad when hypocritical radical Muslims with small minds and ugly hearts control millions of good, kind people who only want a productive and successful life for their children and instead, their kids are somehow seduced into believing that extremism will enhance their lives in some way. What are the parents teaching? Where are their moral leaders?
This kitty has no answers. Perhaps, dear readers, you do.
I’m reading more about the Muslim religion. I don’t know enough, that’s for sure.
Lassana Bathily sounds like a very nice man and we wish we saw more in the press about the good guys and less about the bad.
Excellent post.
Thank you, and now tell me how you got those lovely names!!! Scylla, Socks (that’s pretty evident) Fenris, and Tuiren…guess I’ll have to brush up on my history or mythology.
Thanks for writing this. We were behind in the news and went to read about the guy who was a hero.
He was such a modest young man who was only doing his duty, he felt. I wish there were more of him everywhere. Perhaps there are…