Muslim former NBA participant defends America in opposition to flag burning and extremism

[ad_1] NEW Now you can take heed to Fox Information articles!

At a time when ideas are examined and passions run excessive, we've got to return to the center of what America stands for. It’s not nearly who raises a flag, however who upholds the values of generosity, unity and a shared future. In the long run, the query is concerning the soul of our nation. Who stands with America’s deepest beliefs, and who doesn't?

I got here to America chasing a basketball dream, however I stayed as a result of I discovered one thing far larger: freedom.

As a Muslim and a authorized immigrant, I got here to the US as a result of freedom right here is not only an concept. It's a lifestyle.

I didn't come to impose my beliefs on anybody.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY CRITICIZES POCKETS OF 'ONLINE RIGHT' FIXATED ON HERITAGE IN TURNING POINT ADDRESS

Boston Celtics' Enes Kanter (13) strikes in opposition to Toronto Raptors' Isaac Bonga throughout the second half of an NBA basketball recreation, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, in Boston. (AP)

I didn't come to burn flags or hate this nation .

I didn't come to beat America.

I didn't come to rewrite the Constitution .

TRUMP GETS IT: PRAYER ISN’T THE PROBLEM. SILENCING IT IS

I didn't come to disgrace others for his or her religion or values.

I didn't come to tear down what generations have constructed.

I didn't come to use America’s generosity, or weaken its establishments.

THE QUIET WAR: HOW TERROR HAS EVOLVED SINCE SEPT 11

I didn't come to interchange American values.

I got here to stay freely, work onerous, comply with the regulation and contribute to the nation that gave me alternative, and to respect the values which have made the US the best nation on earth. I'm right here due to what this nation stands for. The Structure, the rule of regulation, freedom of speech, and equal justice are the muse of America, and they're the values that drew me right here and hold me right here.

Former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom spoke at a panel dialogue on the FreedomFest convention in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, July 13, 2023. (Joseph A. Wulfsohn/Fox Information Digital)

I'm right here as a authorized immigrant who went by means of the method as a result of I really imagine in America’s promise of freedom and democracy. This nation gave me a house. It gave me a household. It gave me a voice so I can converse freely with out concern. It gave me an schooling within the classroom and in life. It gave me teammates who turned brothers. It gave me a group of individuals from all walks of life who embraced me. It gave me a platform to face up for human rights and defend the unvoiced. It gave me a future crammed with hope and alternative. It gave me a way of belonging, a spot the place I can proudly say, that is house.

CHARLAMAGNE THA GOD ARGUES FLAG-BURNERS 'DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT AMERICA' AFTER TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDER

Due to that, let me be very clear. Burning the American flag and chanting "Demise to America" is unacceptable and horrific. In the event you hate America, if you happen to have a good time its destruction, you don't symbolize freedom, religion or justice. Patriotism means standing with harmless victims, supporting regulation enforcement and defending this nation in opposition to its enemies. America has each the proper and the accountability to guard itself by means of regulation and order, sturdy safety and accountability.

As somebody who loves America and embraces its ideas of freedom and equity, I really feel a private accountability to talk up. As a Muslim American, I do know firsthand that loving this nation means being clear concerning the distinction between peaceable Islam and the ideologies that misuse faith. That’s why we should be clear about an essential distinction: there's a distinction between peaceable Islam, radicalism and political Islam.

Peaceable Islam is private religion. It's about worship, household, charity and residing peacefully below the legal guidelines of the nation you name house.

I’M LEADING TRUMP’S ANTISEMITISM TASK FORCE. WE MUST PROTECT JEWISH PEOPLE NOW AND FOREVER

I didn't come to burn flags or hate this nation.

Radicalism is violence . It's terrorism. It targets harmless folks and should be crushed wherever it seems.

Political Islam is an ideology that makes use of faith to achieve energy, management governments and override democratic legal guidelines. That's not appropriate with freedom, and it should be confronted instantly.

At its core, Islam teaches principles which can be very clear. Religion can't be compelled. Legal guidelines and agreements should be revered. Harmless life is sacred. Individuals of different religions should be handled with dignity. Extremism and chaos should be rejected. Those that abandon these ideas are usually not practising religion. They're distorting it.

SEN TOM COTTON: ALLEGED AFGHAN ATTACK ON GUARDSMEN WAS PREVENTABLE. WE MUST DO BETTER NEXT TIME

As a Muslim and as an American, I say this with complete readability. A real Muslim can't be a terrorist, and a terrorist can by no means be a real Muslim. In Islam, killing one harmless particular person is the same as killing all of humanity. Terrorism just isn't resistance. It isn't justice. It isn't religion. It's homicide.

Extremists have at all times twisted religion to justify violence, simply as different violent actions have finished all through historical past. However let’s be clear: they don't symbolize Islam; they symbolize hatred. As somebody who cares deeply about each the humanity of individuals and the values we maintain pricey, I imagine we should stand collectively in rejecting that hatred. That is about defending the dignity of all folks and upholding the true spirit of our shared values.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

So, what's the resolution? We should clearly separate peaceable religion from extremism and reject radical ideologies that search to override American regulation, whereas at all times defending free speech and peaceable protest for folks of all faiths and backgrounds. Authorized immigration should stay authorized, with newcomers respecting the Structure and the values of this nation. Above all, America should lead with confidence, standing firmly for freedom, equal justice, and the dignity of harmless life.

America is robust sufficient to be powerful on terrorism and honest to harmless folks on the similar time. We defeat extremism by standing confidently for our values, not by surrendering to concern or hate.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Political Islam is an ideology that makes use of faith to achieve energy, management governments and override democratic legal guidelines. That's not appropriate with freedom, and it should be confronted instantly.

This nation has given me a lot, and I'm grateful each single day for the ideas it stands for. Anybody who involves the US ought to share that respect for freedom, democracy, and the rule of regulation. If somebody hates America, hates its flag and hates what this nation stands for, then they don't belong right here.

The reply to terror is power guided by morality, backed by motion, accountability, and unwavering resolve. That's how America wins, and that's how freedom survives.