Do we bring it upon ourselves? Self-inflicted terrorism

The phrase ‘you bring it upon yourself’ is one of everyday usage. Insult an individual enough, and that individual may very likely hit you. Poke a hornet’s nest enough times with a stick, and the hornets will probably get angry and sting you.

These are lessons that many young children learn, in one way or another, early in life. However, it appears that as adults, some have forgotten this sage piece of advice.

Two nations with populations that seem to have forgotten, or choose to ignore, the ‘bring it upon yourself’ mantra are the State of Israel and, more recently, the United States.

As a disclaimer, I am NOT anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic, or against the existence of the State of Israel. That said, the Israelis continue, through their actions, to goad, frustrate, and anger elements of the Palestinian population. Further encroachment by Israeli settlements and annexation of land in East Jerusalem, recognized internationally as illegal, stands to radicalize otherwise moderate or ‘on-the-fence’ Palestinians. Until the international community condemns these encroachments, oversees the return of annexed Palestinian lands AND physically polices, cooperatively with Palestinian security forces, land borders, no effective progress will be seen.

With regard to the United States, the recent rise in anti-Muslim sentiment, or ‘Islamophobia,’ related to the location of a Islamic community center in proximity to the former site of the World Trade Center towers in lower Manhattan, is cause for great concern. Relatively large portions of the American public, in recent polls, have unfavorable views of Islam. The threat of Qur’an burning by Pastor Terry Jones in Florida, brought mass protests in Muslim nations throughout the world, and threats against Americans worldwide. A growing lack of tolerance and education could affect Muslim-Americans in the United States, already feeling somewhat marginalized, leading to more young Muslim-Americans seeking out radical elements either within American borders, or abroad in Yemen, Somalia, and elsewhere.

Poke a hornets nest or insult a person too much, and you will elicit a response.