A Muslim family in Lewisville didn’t realize their religious flag was causing a stir - not until people started coming by to take pictures, and a journalist from a local TV station came to their house. To many Americans, the sight of a black flag with Arabic writing on it invokes an association with some very visible (but different) symbols in use by violent Islamist extremist groups, such as ISIS.
Last weekend, one Lewisville woman’s post on a Flower Mound Facebook group resulted in a raging debate, complete with anti-Muslim rhetoric, first amendment arguments, and even a threat from a local man to burn the house down before the thread was deleted.
While the phrase is merely a statement of faith, it has been used on the flags of several nations, but is also co-opted by some militant Islamic jihadist groups, such as Hamas and ISIS. Hamas is aligned with Sunni Islamism, and ISIS is a particularly violent Sunni extremist group that has declared a caliphate and begun ethnic cleansing, directing violence at non-Sunni Muslims, including Shias.
In recent days, hostage takers in Sydney, Austraila have displayed a Shahada flag, which some took as an ISIS flag. This article in the Sydney Morning Herald explains the differences between those flags, and shows examples.
"This new uprising of ISIS in the Middle East is causing everyone to jump to conclusions and connect any Islamic writing to ISIS (which does make sense) but again I wanted to clarify that we are of no harm to anyone," stressed Nisa.
We checked with Lewisville Police Chief Russell Kerbow, who said that the department had inquired to the FBI about the Abbas flag flying from the Lewisville home, and got the same story as what we found.
“[There is] no concern at this point from a law enforcement standpoint,” said Kerbow.
more
more : Islamic Flag at Lewisville Home Raises Eyebrows - Local News, Notes and Events - News and Opinion - The Lewisville Texan Journal
Last weekend, one Lewisville woman’s post on a Flower Mound Facebook group resulted in a raging debate, complete with anti-Muslim rhetoric, first amendment arguments, and even a threat from a local man to burn the house down before the thread was deleted.
While the phrase is merely a statement of faith, it has been used on the flags of several nations, but is also co-opted by some militant Islamic jihadist groups, such as Hamas and ISIS. Hamas is aligned with Sunni Islamism, and ISIS is a particularly violent Sunni extremist group that has declared a caliphate and begun ethnic cleansing, directing violence at non-Sunni Muslims, including Shias.
In recent days, hostage takers in Sydney, Austraila have displayed a Shahada flag, which some took as an ISIS flag. This article in the Sydney Morning Herald explains the differences between those flags, and shows examples.
"This new uprising of ISIS in the Middle East is causing everyone to jump to conclusions and connect any Islamic writing to ISIS (which does make sense) but again I wanted to clarify that we are of no harm to anyone," stressed Nisa.
We checked with Lewisville Police Chief Russell Kerbow, who said that the department had inquired to the FBI about the Abbas flag flying from the Lewisville home, and got the same story as what we found.
“[There is] no concern at this point from a law enforcement standpoint,” said Kerbow.
more
more : Islamic Flag at Lewisville Home Raises Eyebrows - Local News, Notes and Events - News and Opinion - The Lewisville Texan Journal
