The Jihadist: In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful.
The Westerner: Why is Allah merciful and not you?
The Jihadist: I am his servant. I must avenge his honor.
The Westerner: You follow medieval interpretations of Islam.
The Jihadist: I follow my moral conscience.
The Westerner: What is it that you want?
The Jihadist: I want Islam to be recognized as the global religion.
The Westerner: Then you are going about it all wrong.
The Jihadist: The only way this can happen is through a Caliphate.
The Westerner: A caliphate is fascist. They control by force and violence.
The Jihadist: This is the only way.
The Westerner: Where is your family?
The Jihadist: My family is back home, waiting for me to kill in the name of Islam.
The Westerner: That must be a lot of pressure.
The Jihadist: From a very young age, my mother has told me I will kill.
The Westerner: My mother told me to work hard and dream big.
The Jihadist: That is why we cannot get along.
The Westerner: We are not different, you and I. We both want freedom.
The Jihadist: I want my kind of freedom—freedom from you and freedom from Jews.
The Westerner: What do you have against Jews?
The Jihadist: Jews are treated better than Muslims. They are a protected class.
The Westerner: You are just as important as any Jew.
The Jihadist: I am more important.
The Westerner: Then why don’t you put your gun away?
The Jihadist: I cannot stop until I am dead.
The Westerner: Are you not scared to die?
The Jihadist: Death is the reward, my friend. Death is the reward.
The Jihadist and The Westerner By Mina Lauv