Even though the moniker 'Vanilla ISIS' is tongue in cheek, it is a reminder to avoid constantly framing the concept of terrorism through an Islam-centric lens.
As forces of hate in this country and worldwide try to pull Muslims and Christians apart, we are in desperate need of a unifying force that can bridge the widening gap of interfaith misunderstanding and mistrust. That force could be the message of love, peace, and forgiveness taught by Jesus and accepted by followers of both faiths.
When there's no push back against Islamophobic rhetoric, people see that as tacit endorsement of anti-Islamic rhetoric.
Researchers looked at news programs on major broadcast and cable networks between 2008 and 2012 and found that of those labeled as domestic terrorists, 81% were identifiable as Muslims - this despite the fact that FBI reports from the period studied revealed that only 6% of domestic terrorist suspects were Muslim.
There's a sense of being under siege in many Muslim communities. People just assume there are agents or informants in their mosque now. It's a fact of life.
Silence on the part of public officials at the national level only serves to empower Islamophobes.
