Thread by @BheriaMS

#Iraq20YearsOn

The Iraq War impacted me immensely.

I joined France's largest video-game forum (still is) to discuss games but I was more or less pushed to discuss Islam.

Pic 1/2 me at 13 reviewing Soul Calibur 2/GameCube

Pics 3/4 me at 15 takfiring "Nation of Islam"

Ofc I was always into Islam (you don't choose "asalamalekoum" as login at 12 otherwise lol) but the geopolitics "helped" me in a way.

Also glad that I grew up in the age of forums (long posts, push you to write more & "more intellectually") & not social media (shorter texts).

Iraq War polarized everyone, even more so than 9/11, I guess because there was the whole nuke angle, the persona of Saddam (he was seen as the dictator per excellence in France), the fact that the insurgency was getting stronger, etc so you had tons of anti Islam posts.

All of this pushed me to learn more : I was from an immigrant background with no real tradition of intellectualism so I decided to read everything I could, in history, philosophy, theology, ... to own them in their own games.

At the beginning even reading a 200 p. book seemed impossible.

Over time I adapted & found both writing & reading easier.

It shows that it depends on your niyyah (intention), if it's about defending Islam Allah SWT will open those doors you didn't even expect to ever knock on.

There's some khayr in every situation & even a child is born in pain, I'm in a way grateful not for the Iraq War itself (obviously) but that I somehow "grabbed the opportunity", so to speak, and evolved.

Many took this rope ("iSlAm bAd") not to rescue but to hang themselves.