Arab Winter

Twenty-one Coptic Christians [1] were killed by ISIL, reportedly as a revenge for '"Muslim women persecuted by Coptic crusaders in Egypt.'" [2]  There is no evidence of any persecution of Muslim women by the Coptic Christian men who were killed but that does not mean that persecution of Muslim women in Egypt had never occurred.  The killings, on the other hand, were recorded, as was the burning of a Jordanian pilot [3].

Why such barbaric killings are so clearly documented by the ISIL raises questions.  Is ISIL trying to make more enemies, or does the group think that they can recruit more people who for one reason or another are dissatisfied with their status quo?  Are they purposefully trying to be transparent and overt in their heinous acts in order to distinguish themselves from those whose heinous acts have been underhanded and covert?  If ISIL is holding up a two-sided mirror to reflect their own evil, does that same mirror not also reflect evil on the other side? [4]

Perhaps the mirror should in addition reflect what certain media outlets and countries consider newsworthy and what they consider a sideshow.  For instance, the leaders who flew to Paris to hold hands in a demonstration [5] after the killing of 12 people including Jewish cartoon satirists who were the target of the killings garnered much coverage but the execution of 21 Coptic Christians have not been at the center of attention and the deceased will not likely have too many flowers laid and candles lit commemorating them, let alone having a gathering of political notables in their memory.

Each life has its mirror and after it ends, the reflection will show every detailed Truth of its existence. Who has the courage to look into it before death?  Who is then brave enough to then review the facts objectively and put them on the scale of pure justice?  Who would be bold enough to accept the consequences of the final judgment without God's mercy?  Before answering these questions, one must remember that God loves all creation which means that God also loves one's enemies.  This was made abundantly clear by the Son of God in the flesh. [6]

Revenge only begets revenge and so continues the cycle of violence which sustains the joy of Satan. The euphemistically termed "Arab Spring" has changed seasons.  It is now Arab Winter with cold-blooded killings on both sides of an imaginary enemy line drawn by Satan.  May those who have died receive the mercy of God and those who continue to torture and kill and perpetrate wicked schemes to disrupt, gain power and resources have the strength to reject Satan and return to God.


[1] http://www.gotquestions.org/Coptic-Christianity.html
[2] http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2015/02/isil-video-execution-egyptian-christian-hostages-libya-150215193050277.html
[3] http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/557385/Islamic-State-Jordan-Pilot-Death-Burned-Alive-Sedated
[4] Perhaps such public killings are nothing but a bait, challenging anyone who has the will to confront them on their turf which is every city, every street and every building.  The outcome will result in the destruction of everything in sight so nobody wins.  ISIL will attack and retreat, year in and year out, not to win any war, but to disrupt the ordinary lives of people and put fear in their hearts.  There are those who have said that one cannot kill one's way out of this conflict.  That is the truth.  If killing is not an option, then being sitting ducks while terror reigns is the default. There is a very smart person on the other side of ISIL who knows this and will not take its bait.  Unless the public is willing to accept mounting deaths and injuries in the conflict with ISIL year after year, ISIL has for now checkmated the opposition and has ironically forced it to appear Christ-like, to suffer, albeit unwillingly, rather than kill.
[5] http://www.rferl.org/content/paris-march-charlie-hebdo/26787263.html
[6] https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+5:43-48