It’s the same thing that stands out for the alcoholic/addict early
in their recovery. They want forgiveness and they do it by making
amends and a strong sense of humility. They don’t justify what
they have done, all they do is admit that what they did was wrong.
Recently, two different ISIS brides wanted to return home. They are
both living in a refugee camp near the Turkey border in Syria. One
is an American, the other is from Britain. Whether either one gets
to return to their homes is not what I’m writing about. In no way
should this be received as a political post. The only thing I
noticed from these two ladies is the method which they are trying to
use to return home.
The one from America is asking for forgiveness. She admits she made
a mistake, that she was naive and arrogant. While the one from
England, says she did it for religious beliefs. Beheadings didn’t
bother her because it was done in the name of religion. She made the
comment that the Manchester Arena bombing was justified because of
the bombings in ISIS lands. Not once did she apologize for her role
with any of it.
She was more concerned that the British people realized that she was
pregnant with a third child. She wanted our pity because her two
other children died from malnutrition. That in itself should allow
her to return home.
It wasn’t enough to convince the Home Secretary that she should be
allowed to come home. In fact, it had the reverse effect. He
revoked her citizenship, leaving her no way to return to England.
What was her response? She said she was shocked and would now look
at her husband’s home in the Netherlands. She would move there and
wait for him to get out of jail.
She was so sure she would be allowed to return to England and it
didn’t happen. Now she sounds sure she will be welcomed in the
Netherlands. Whatever does happen to her it will be of her own
doings.
She freely went to Syria, with the intentions of living in the
caliphate. It is time to accept responsibility for your actions and
not wait for someone to give you pity.
Who would you rather help? The alcoholic who comes to you with
regret and remorse. Who offers no explanation for their behaviour,
only an “I’m sorry.” Or would you rather help the alcoholic,
who blames it all on booze and can’t really apologize, because
well, he was drunk at the time?
Humility goes a long way towards healing wounds. It goes a long way
to becoming a spiritual being. Humility doesn’t correct the
wrongs, what it does do is move things in the right direction. If
you need to use pity to get your way, then you will always be living
a life of manipulation and lies.
Watching these two on the TV and reading newspaper articles about
them, I do hope one gets a second chance. The other? Don’t really
care what happens to her. Why? Because through it all it has been
about “me-me-me.” Not once has it been about any one else but
herself.
Humility doesn’t mean you think less of yourself. It just means
you think of yourself less.
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