Mustafa — not his real name — is one of a rare breed of police officers who represent the future of European law enforcement. Despite Europe's large immigrant population, predominantly Muslim, police forces are struggling to integrate and to improve relations with minority communities.
"I am the worst enemy for them," Mustafa says. "I speak their language. I know how they think. I have gotten a lot of threats. They say: 'You are worse than the Americans. The Americans are Christians. They are fighting their crusade. But you are a Muslim traitor.' … One guy told me: 'If I could get hold of one of your guns and it only had one bullet, it would be for you.' "
This, I appreciate immensely:
"I was taught that being Muslim meant being nice, honest, kind — nothing about
killing or hating," he says. "People are using Islam to hate other cultures. So I fight against that. That's my jihad."
He continues:
"We have religious debates," he says. "I ask them: 'How did you reach this
point? You grew up the same way as me, with the same Koran, the same [sayings of
the prophet Muhammad], yet with a totally different mentality.' They are
radicalized, but some of these guys can't even read. Or they haven't read the Koran. They just believe what they have heard from others."
This guy is a bad-ass, and I'd want him on my team anyday. Read the whole thing.
But, where are the other Muslims denouncing terrorism?
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