On Dec 2, 2015, a devastating attack occurred in San Bernardino, CA by the hands of a radicalized couple. The shooters, Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik took the lives of 14 people by opening fire in the Inland Regional Center. The couple is conspired to have been related to ISIS. The question remains: Will ISIS come to American soil?
ISIS or ISIL is an Islamic militant group headquartered in Syria. The group is composed of mostly Sunni Muslims. The association claims to be a caliphate having political, religious, and military control over Muslims around the world.
ISIS has been evolving over the years. Following many attacks on western countries, the radical organization has grown to be a greater threat to America, using social media to recruit members from around the world.
The organization is known for their filmed executions, humiliating and disrespecting the victim and their country. The group has been accused for committing the following war crimes: religious persecution, using child soldiers and slaves, sexual abuse, attacking members of press, using chemical weapons, beheadings, mass executions and the destruction of religious and cultural antiques.
The thought of this group occupying American soil worries the free minds of its citizens. Americans and their government are frightened by the possibility of a much larger and disastrous attack similar to San Bernardino. The American people have just come out of a long and costly war. The issue has led to a stronger and better-funded national defense.
“Muslims are being physically and psychologically attacked,” AP World History teacher Fakhria Luna said. “There are stories of (discrimination) every day.”
“Muslims hate ISIS most of all,” The Daily Beast writer Dean Obeidallah said. “Before the Paris horror, ISIS was killing Muslims on a daily basis. We Muslims despise these crazy people more than anyone else does.”
The increasing discrimination towards Muslims cannot be ignored. Today, Americans have only a 27 percent favorable view towards Muslims.
“’When the news first broke about the bloodshed, I, like most Muslims, thought: ‘please don’t let the attackers be Muslim.’ Most of us feel that way any time we hear news reports of horrendous events like mass school shootings,” Obeidallah said.
The threat still remains at large for America. It’s not yet clear when or where the next attack will happen. Government agencies are scrambling to keep the group out and trying to prevent the further loss of American lives.
“What if it’s our school? If (ISIS) gets their message to young people and it appeals to them, then they have succeeded,” Luna said. “With social media they are all over the internet. Their attacks backfire on Muslim Americans, for us, it’s a two way attack. The most important thing to do is to educate people.”