Extremism Take Away

The two videos we watched both depicted responses to Muslim fundamentalism. Specifically, non-violent methods to combat it. The first video mainly focused on the middle east and how muslims in general stood up against terrorism. She told the story of her father and how he was persecuted for teaching evolution. It demonstrated how something as simple and well accepted as the theory of evolution could not only lead to scrutiny but how it could potentially become a death sentence. Additionally she added how the theater in Pakistan was bombed during a festival and how thousands came the next day, despite the risk they faced. This further demonstrated how people have the uncanny ability to rally behind something they believe in and something that they care about.

The next video focused more on how you can individually combat terrorism. Zak explained how he had grown up in a bigoted household and how his father extremists ways had influenced him. Years later his beliefs were challenged. He found himself unaware that he had made a Jewish friend and even more surprised that he had actually befriended him. He realized that he was taught to hate, that hate wasn't an innate sense he was born with. Furthermore he described his empathy and how it helped him understand the people around him and how it helped him stop hating.

These two videos show a different side of the fight against extremism. A fight that doesn't involve guns or bombs.