It’s telling that some people online are arguing about Ahmed Al-Ahmed’s religion instead of talking about his courage.
For the record, Ahmed is a Syrian Arab Muslim. That’s a fact. But the rush to relabel him says far more about our broken political discourse than it does about him.
Every time a tragedy happens, a familiar pattern follows. Some people don’t pause to grieve. They don’t centre the victims. They look for an angle. Anti migrant. Anti Muslim. Anti government. The tragedy becomes a tool, not a moment for reflection. Facts become optional. Humanity becomes secondary.
This kind of rhetoric is not harmless. It is the same kind of language that divides communities, fuels resentment, and normalises collective blame. It is the same mindset that created the conditions for Christchurch. The same hatred that has motivated terrorists of different backgrounds and beliefs to dehumanise others and justify violence.
Here’s what actually matters.
In Bondi, innocent people were targeted by terrorists consumed by hate. And in those same moments, ordinary Australians, from different faiths and backgrounds, ran towards danger to protect others. Ahmed was one of them. Others did the same, quietly, instinctively, without asking who was who.
That is the real story.
Blaming entire communities does not make us safer. It deepens division. And division is the oxygen that extremists feed on.
If we genuinely want to honour the victims, we should stop letting tragedy be weaponised and start recognising the truth that keeps this country strong. Most Australians, regardless of faith or origin, will stand up for one another when it matters most.
LOOKING TO THE GOOD BOOK: Exodus 21:24: "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot". This passage is part of the "Book of the Covenant" laws given to the Israelites, intended for judicial administration, the biblical principle ofproportional justicefound in the Old Testament, and designed to limit retribution. In the New Testament, Jesus quotes this in Matthew 5:38-39 but encourages turning the other cheek instead.
Meaning and Purpose: Limiting Vengeance, Judicial Proportionality, and Fair Compensation: It ensured that injuries, even minor ones like the loss of a tooth, were handled with equivalent compensation
The four imperatives
The short answer is: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The reason they are called this is simply that they all believe that Abraham was a prophet and that their religion came down to them through him. Jews and Christians get their beliefs about Abraham from the Old Testament.
Mahatma Gandhi emphasized that lasting world peace must begin by teaching children from a young age. He believed children possess natural innocence, represent the purest form of love, and are crucial for fostering a non-violent future.
https://www.facebook.com/humandevelopmentfund .. no child
Here are key Mahatma Gandhi quotes regarding children:
On Peace and Education
"If we are to reach real peace in this world and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with children".
Why I embrace Buddhism… (technically a Unitarian Universalist, but they embrace Buddhism).
Belief was never meant to strip you of empathy or turn you against other human beings. Its true purpose is to soften the heart, expand understanding, and help you recognize the shared pain and dignity in all lives.
Any path that hardens the heart, justifies cruelty, or breeds a sense of superiority has lost its way.
There is nothing sacred about hatred. Nothing holy about humiliation. Nothing divine about harming others in the name of being “right.”
True wisdom does not separate — it connects. True faith does not dominate — it humbles. True spirituality does not shout — it listens.
Buddhist wisdom teaches that compassion is the highest form of intelligence. When we truly understand suffering — our own and others’ — cruelty becomes impossible. Kindness becomes natural.
Humanity comes before every label. Before every doctrine. Before every ideology.
If a belief costs you empathy, if it makes you cold where you once were kind, if it asks you to silence your conscience —
it is not worth keeping.
Keep what makes you more human. Walk away from what teaches you to forget that others are too.
Compassion is not weakness. It is the deepest strength we have.
................
Why Arguing Over Ahmed’s Faith Misses the Point
It’s telling that some people online are arguing about Ahmed Al-Ahmed’s religion instead of talking about his courage.
For the record, Ahmed is a Syrian Arab Muslim. That’s a fact. But the rush to relabel him says far more about our broken political discourse than it does about him.
Every time a tragedy happens, a familiar pattern follows. Some people don’t pause to grieve. They don’t centre the victims. They look for an angle. Anti migrant. Anti Muslim. Anti government. The tragedy becomes a tool, not a moment for reflection. Facts become optional. Humanity becomes secondary.
This kind of rhetoric is not harmless. It is the same kind of language that divides communities, fuels resentment, and normalises collective blame. It is the same mindset that created the conditions for Christchurch. The same hatred that has motivated terrorists of different backgrounds and beliefs to dehumanise others and justify violence.
Here’s what actually matters.
In Bondi, innocent people were targeted by terrorists consumed by hate. And in those same moments, ordinary Australians, from different faiths and backgrounds, ran towards danger to protect others. Ahmed was one of them. Others did the same, quietly, instinctively, without asking who was who.
That is the real story.
Blaming entire communities does not make us safer. It deepens division. And division is the oxygen that extremists feed on.
If we genuinely want to honour the victims, we should stop letting tragedy be weaponised and start recognising the truth that keeps this country strong. Most Australians, regardless of faith or origin, will stand up for one another when it matters most.
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