(ThyBlackMan.com)
1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 of the Holy Bible informs us thusly. ISIS – also known as the Islamic State – killed Kayla Mueller in cold blood. She was 26 years old. Kayla wasn’t a soldier, a spy, or a threat to anyone. In fact, Ms. Mueller’s was an American aid worker kidnapped in 2013 by ISIS in Syria. By any definition, ISIS is directly responsible for her death. ISIS is anti-America, yes – but it is also anti-life and anti-faith. I’ve heard ISIS described in media reports as a death cult. I concur. The Islamic State is a mortal threat to American citizens and American interests throughout the Middle East. It’s a collection of homicidal bullies. They cannot be reasoned with. They cannot be bought off. They are completely unwilling or unable to stop themselves. Therefore, we must make them stop.
I’m sure you’ve heard about the Jordanian pilot who was captured by ISIS and burned alive in a cage as they streamed his execution on the internet last week. ISIS killed that pilot – a practicing Muslim – so barbarically because their true objectives are chaos and fear. ISIS is also at war with Al Qaeda. However, ISIS’s most heinous acts are not videotaped or streamed. It’s a known fact that the Islamic State is also directly responsible for the beheadings of women and children
– as well as the selling of children into human and sex trafficking rings. The name of the organization itself is an affront. This group of murderers/kidnappers/terrorists commit acts for shock value because they want all Christians to hate all Muslims – and vice versa. They just want the world to burn.
Perfect segue. Islamic doctrine declares death by fire as a judgment reserved strictly for Allah. That Jordanian pilot’s death was highly blasphemous to the Islamic world.
Folks, good and evil are constants in this world. Evil must be confronted. It must be called out. If evildoers don’t cease and desist, those who are good must fight them. Warfare isn’t always just spiritual. On occasion, warfare must be also physical, actual, and tangible. This is how peace is preserved. This is how order is maintained. Ignoring evil only leads to the proliferation of more evil. Evil can never be overcome through passivity. Willful action is needed instead.
In an interview Tuesday with Buzzfeed’s Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith, President Obama said, “My immediate reaction is heartbreak. I’ve been in touch with Kayla’s family. She was an outstanding young woman and a great spirit, and I think that spirit will live on. The one thing that we have held to is a policy of not paying ransoms with an organization like ISIL… once we start doing that, not only are we financing their slaughter of innocent people and strengthening their organization, but we’re actually making Americans even greater targets for future kidnappings.”
In a letter written to her family last fall, Ms. Mueller shared: “I remember Mom always telling me that all in all, in the end the only one you really have is God. I have surrendered myself to our Creator (because) literally there was no else… I have been shown in darkness, light + have learned that even in prison, one can be free. I am also fighting from my side in the ways I am able + I have a lot of fight left inside of me. I am not breaking down + I will not give in no matter how long it takes.” An extraordinary woman who selflessly fought to eradicate human suffering became a casualty of suffering? That’s entirely unacceptable.
We must fight for her now. POTUS vowed, “No matter how long it takes, the United States will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for Kayla’s captivity and death.” I believe him.
No more Kayla Muellers. No more waiting. No more political infighting. ISIS must be stopped.
Staff Writer; Arthur L. Jones, III
This talented brother is a local Minister, weekly featured Democratic Op-Ed columnist, non-profit advisor, and sees the Braves winning it all this fall. Rev. Jones welcomes your comments! Please email him directly at: tcdppress@gmail.com.
