THE SAINTS AND THE WICKED





The reflection that inspires me about the conflict between the djihadists and the West will surely bring upon me a shower of rotten eggs. Some will sentence me to be burnt at the stake or to be locked up in a psychiatric hospital. Most will call me a lunatic and fool; before all else, I would be treated as a traitor to the Christian and occidental civilization. Anyway, I am sticking to my guns!

Cain and Abel by Bild Kuns
 

Even though light years separate us, I am addressing myself to the Islamic State:   

« You, men and women of the DAESH, you are relatives of mine. Much before being terrorists or fools of Allah, Muslims belonging to one or other race or school; before being mercenaries, rapists, head choppers, sick people or enemies, you are human beings just like me.  

Even if you consider me as an avatar of the great Satan, a pervert, an oppressor of humanity, a plunderer of the planet; even if I am for you an idolater, a peddler of weapons, of drugs, of false religion, of false liberty and of a multitude of «values» lethal for the human race, I can assure you that, with or without a beard, I am very much like you.    


Men and women of the DAESH, all your follies, we have them within us, and all our follies, you have them within you. They are only served with different dressings, with other tonalities, other colors, other faces, other intensities. We are human beings who are capable of great things, but we are also monsters. And you are just the same.  You and us we are twin brothers.  

In all that you are accusing us, there is not much that is false, and in all that we accuse of, all is probably true. Even though our truths are like night and day, on both sides we are sure of being in the truth. One more proof that we share the same genes. 

You want to control the world? Well, that is just what we want also. You want to reduce us to nothingness? That is exactly what we intend to do with you.  This is another proof that you and us we are alike. More alike, we die!

We might as well admit it. Your kalachnikovs and kamikazes will never rid you of us and our bombs will never see the end of you. Since things are so, better throw our weapons in the trash can. Let’s let the dust settle first and look if we can speak to one another. It would simply be to listen to one another and to look how we could be more accurate with one another. For want of loving one another, we could at least begin to respect one another. Are we not, after all, more or less Siamese twins? »  

Come on, right thinking people, logicians of uprightness, you, the prudent, laugh at me if it pleases you, spit at me, fire nails and thorns at me, but never will I assert that we are the good ones and they, the villains. Neither the reverse.  
                                           
                                                                                                       Eloy Roy

Translated from the French by Jacques Bourdages.
                             

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