# Am I Charlie

What does this cartoon mean? Better question: is the Prophet depicted?

This is a Litmus Test. There are five identical stick-figures holding a single-word sign: renewal, peace, transcendence, redemption, or salvation. Each idea is associated with every major religion; they are the promised rewards of the observant. Whether you see the Prophet or not depends on two things: one, whether or not you want to; and two, whether or not you can read. But if you do see him, what does the police lineup imply? Am I placing suspicion on a specific religion or all religions? Or, am I noting the false indictment of religion in light of their associated extremists? My intention is to illustrate the connection between the individual actors and the faceless group. Religion is both the suspect and the victim. On a deeper level, the stick-figures are a juxtaposition of the complicated archetype of a religious figure and the child-like rendition of a few simple lines. The truth is always more complex than the soundbite.

Radical Islam did not invent terrorism. But what about the suicide bomber? Let us not forget the Kamikaze or the Tamil Tigers. This cartoon is about knowing where to place our focus. Rooting out the individuals who create the acts of terror is important but not as important as understanding the soil in which they sprout. It is rich with pain; tilled continuously with injustice; soaked deep in loss; scared with hate; and left to burn in the sun of stereotype. The zeitgeist does not address why terrorism exists but obsesses over ways to stop it. There is only one way to stop terrorism: stop fertilizing it; then salt the earth with healing, justice, hope, love and respect. Only then might it never grow back. Instead of trying to bat away every bee, we must think in terms of nipping this in the bud.

We must address the source. But first, we must comprehend the cause. Terrorists are not born in a vacuum. So, is religion the problem? End-of-the-world rhetoric and promised treasure beyond death certainly oils the machinery but if a specific religion was to blame, all the terrorist would belong to that religion; they don't. In fact, not all terrorists are religious. We must look elsewhere – how about the mirror. Our indifference to the injustice and suffering caused by the entitlement of Western society is a singular trauma felt by those inspired to separate from humanity and kill with joyful vigor. Covert operations, manufactured wars, bipolar assistance, financial piracy, sanctions, and most recently, the ultimate insult of the most high are just a few of the injuries in need of adjudication. These typically young men with limited personal role-models and no real life-rudder watch the small-screen and see big money flaunted in far off places. The disparity of opportunity to improve living standards fuels the feelings of inequality. With no avenues of amelioration, their feelings of unfairness have no place to go but to build to crushing heights. If we want to stop terrorism, everyone must thrive.

Even if there is some magically way to provide endless opportunity to each individual on Earth, we'd still have one thing left to face: justice. Insults are the ultimate wedge. The key to respect is understanding and showing deference to cultural differences. Cartoons that throw fuel on the fire are not the root of unrest but the straw that breaks the back. However, long-term resolution cannot be swayed by abrasive satirists who lack the wisdom to help instead of hurt. Reparations will require more than an apology for an insult. Terrorism will end when there is justice for unjust war, compensation for looted wealth, prosecution of the arrogant murderer, education for everyone, opportunity for all, and the fair distribution of resource throughout the world. Only then will terrorism lose its grip. And until we solve the systemic cause we will be forced to live with its continued cost.

One can cherry-pick the past and find moments in history worse than any on Earth today. But one will never find a time when so many hurt so much as right now. Humanity stares into an abyss of change. The shear power we will soon possess has the potential to either save everyone or leave no one. We need each other and have the ability to save the world. Resource is a matter of effective efficiency, not a number at the end of an equation. Eventually technology will either destroy society, leaving the one percent and their robots, or it will create life, liberty, and justice for all. But it all starts with how we treat each other today and where we place our efforts. We will eliminate the terrorists once and for all when our focus settles on their origin instead of their identity.

Experience the fate of a terrorist in my short story Aftermath available at Amazon.com.