Know who our enemy is and proclaim it

Dear Editor:

While I can certainly understand and appreciate Olga Yorish’s comments in the latest email FED Friday, dated July 8, 2016, I do not totally agree with these comments. With the tragic event that took place in Orlando, my hometown, last June, the dynamics have changed dramatically. An act of terrorism has become a reality here. As a result, the paradigm has also changed. What was acceptable behavior and response prior to this event is no longer valid.

The reality is that yes there are bad people out there who “hate” for whatever reason, for whatever cause. That can’t be changed. However, I think the response to terrorist acts can be changed. As well they should be. From perspective, the posture of the Jewish Federation and the Community Relations Committee has always been one of apology, one of appeasement, one of hiding. Basically it is what I refer to as the “shtetle mentality”—If we don’t draw attention to ourselves, maybe they’ll go away and leave us alone—It didn’t work then and I doubt if it will work now.

We do have a group, an ever-increasing group, of people in the greater Central Florida area who basically don’t like “infidels or nonbelievers (kafirs) That is a fact of life. That can’t be logically or realistically denied. That group is made up of radical fundamentalist Muslims. They are here. The event last June shows that. All of the talk of love, understanding, compassion, what I call “Kumbayah stuff,” won’t do anything to change that. They won’t change. They won’t convert to Christianity and certainly not to Judaism. For discussion purposes, let’s say there are 60,000 Muslims in Central Florida. I think there are much more. If only 5 percent fall into the category of being radical fundamentalist Muslims number could be 3,000 people to be concerned about.

The posture and position of the CRC is to be focused on the 95 percent. In reality the main focus of Federation, of the entire Jewish community should be on the 5 percent.

How do we do this? Education about Islam is the key. Too many are totally ignorant about Islam. Remember, “Ignorance is bliss.” In the classic “The Art of War,” author Sun Tzu’s states, “Know your enemy.” He also states, “War is deception.” Mohammed realized both of these concepts and taught them well. Presently, our Jewish Community leadership has not acknowledged that we do have an enemy. Just as the Israelis have an enemy. They are the same.

Very little is ever discussed about Islam for fear of not being politically correct and the fear of being called an Islamaphobe, and there go our First Amendment rights!

I would like to see the Federation and the entire Jewish Community make a statement: An open rally condemning radical Islam, fundamentalist Islam. Certainly the local Muslim community is not doing it. The local Christian community is not doing it. Think back to Germany in the 1920s and early 1930s. The Nazis were using the same exact tactics as the present-day radical Muslims: Intimidation!

Remember how that ended.

Never again? Phooey! If you forget, it will happen again. The cry should be NEVER FORGET! so that we will not have to scream NEVER AGAIN! It’s time to take off the rose-colored glasses and face reality before it’s too late. I may not be around when it happens. We all may not be around when it happens, but rest assured, unless there are dramatic changes made, it WILL happen.

Laurence Morrell

Maitland, Florida

emorrell0627@yahoo.com