I have a fear towards Islam. I get nightmares where an Islamic radical tries to kill me. This fear originated after moving to an Arab country where I live now. Despite having Muslim friends, I am still hateful towards the religion. How can I stop?
I’m sure recent events are making many people feel the same way. However, you have to remember that “religious” wars have happened for as long as there has been religion on earth. And if we remember a little bit of history, at one point in time there were the Christian Crusades doing the same thing to Muslims. And if we want to look at it from a karmic point of view, everything has a cause and effect, and not always are the effects immediate or soon after. If we look at territory wars that happened throughout history, many countries that invaded other countries either won or lost, and if they won, eventually the country fought and won back its country. At one point, Tibetans fought China and won, and now modern day China fought back and won. Karma is not only individual, but there is also a collective/group karma, that in this case means whole countries.
We shouldn’t fear anyone’s religion. All our major world religions preach love and kindness. It’s the people that corrupt and bully the religion into some gross and no longer recognizable. There is religious corruption literally everywhere and we see it all the time in bits and pieces because it’s our “own” religion in most Western countries. When there’s dozens of Catholic priests who were accused of sexually abusing children or caught with child pornography, it’s a 20-second segment in the US, but a 20-minute conversation in other countries. Likewise, terrorist news is hours or even a whole shows-worth of discussion for us, but only a brief mention elsewhere. So it’s only about perception and of course what our culture decides to brainwash us with.
So don’t judge too quickly. I grew up in the Middle East so I can assure you (and I’m sure since you live in an Arab country now you can probably agree) that the majority of people are equivalent to the people of the South (in the US) where they are hospitable, kind, generous and always willing to help. But there’s always going to be people anywhere and everywhere, in every country, in every religion that somehow were “graced by the voice of god” to become extremists. If their god told them to kill people for him, then their god is a selfish egoist.
Smile and be well!