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Will Al Qaeda Terrorism
Go Away By Itself?
By Ben Cerruti
Evidently there are some in the Western World
that think the answer to this question is yes. In the U.S.A. we find among
them many candidates vying to be the Democratic candidate for President, acting
as if we should have continued passively after 9/11 and our military activity in
Afghanistan, waiting for the next attack by the terrorists on some target within
our 50 states. In Britain, where our President has visited recently, they
attack the actions of Tony Blair and the Coalition of the Willing in their
effort to bring democracy to Iraq. Their actions convey the feeling that
they seem to be on the side of the terrorists and thus support the longevity
of terrorism.
The obvious next question should be, 'do these
individuals want to continue to be under the threat of a terrorist attack at a
place and time unknown to them?' If the answer is affirmative, then common
sense should tell us that they do not fully comprehend the ramifications of
their position or indeed have anarchistic leanings. In lacking
comprehension there is a good chance that they do not understand that lacking
the will to attempt to address that which is the cause behind the actions of
these terrorists will only cause them to increase and force us to be in a
continual defensive mode. I do not believe that the greater majority of
our citizens want to be faced with the threat of terrorism in
perpetuity.
Included in this group are some of our citizens
who seem to lack the ability to see through the rhetoric emanating from the
Democratic Presidential candidates. In their zeal to capitalize on the lack of
comprehension of many of these citizens these candidates unconscionably
denigrate the actions of our government in doing what is rationally necessary to
confront this serious threat to our citizens. In doing this there is no
doubt they aid and abet the terrorists and their supporters in giving them hope
that we will again begin to retreat to the defensive as has happened at times in
the past. They do this to serve their own selfish interests at the expense
of the security of all Americans. They appear to lack the memory of the
many attacks on Americans that carry the markings of mid-east terrorist
groups. These attacks include the following:
1983 bombings in Beirut of the American
Embassy killing 63 people, followed by that of the Marine
Barracks
killing 241
Marines
1985 bombing of a restaurant in Torrejon,
Spain, frequented by Americans, killing 18
1985 TWA Airliner hijacking killing
an American sailor
1988 Pan Am Airliner bombing over
Lockerbie, Scotland killing all aboard
1993 World Trade Center bombing killing 6
and wounding over 1,000
1996 bombing of the U.S. Military Khobar
Towers Housing in Dharain killing 19 and wounding 515
1998 simultaneous bombings of two U.S.
Embassies in East Africa killing 301 people and injuring more
than 5,000
2000 explosive attack in Yemin on the
U.S.S. Cole killing 17 Sailors
2001 September 11th bombings of the World
Trade Center, the Pentagon and the hijacking crash
of an
United Airliner in Pennsylvania killing over 3,000 and injuring
many
This list does not include other acts of
terrorism by these groups in other countries not involving Americans
directly. It is unfathomable that there are those in America who seem to
be oblivious of these incidents, not taking them into account when they
criticize the actions of the government.
For those who again need reminding of the
cause behind all these acts of terrorism let me explain what should be
obvious. The foundation for this terrorism goes all the way back to the
seventh century with Muhammad, and the Koran he is attributed to have
written. The Islamic religion is based upon the evolution of
interpretations of the Koran by various sects over the years, many of which were
used to gain power but all taking as their basic tenet those religious laws
contained in the Koran for use as civil laws. This has not allowed for the
separation of religious law from government law and, by its nature, freedom to
follow or not follow the religion is impossible for people living under Islamic
governments. There are also tenets in the Koran that can be easily
interpreted to convey to followers that those not willing to convert to the
Islamic religion are Infidels and can be eliminated. Those doing such
interpretations are called fundamentalists.
Since other views of religion or secularism are
not allowed in the mid-east countries in which governments are controlled by
this religion, the Imams and Mullahs of the various sects are loathe to give up
religious mind control of their respective flocks. However, with the advent of
modern technology and the ability to communicate and travel over long distances
in a short period of time the aspects of freedom are encroaching on this
control. The view of these religious leaders are supported by
fundamentalist ideologues, like Osama bin Laden and members of other Islamic
terrorist groups who are ready and willing to eliminate the Infidels of the
Western world. Many Muslims all over the world support the view of their
religious leaders either passively or by financially supporting the
terrorists.
In addition, students of history should be well
aware that the Crusades have never really ceased. The Islamic religion is
the fastest growing of all religions with almost one billion followers and
conversion to that faith has been pursued vigorously by its advocates.
Whether by war or through persuasion those leaders of the Islamic movement are
following the tenets of the Koran that direct them towards this end. Their
Madrassas continually indoctrinate this ideology into students in a society that
does not allow for other forms of persuasion.
So what does this tell us? It should be
clearly apparent that a change in the mindset of those living under such a
religious government must first occur before progress can be made in eroding the
support of the majority of Muslims for those using ideology as a reason to
commit terrorist acts. This can only occur when a form of democracy is
introduced into the operations of government that will allow for freedom of
religion and secularism.
If the reader would agree with what has preceded
these words it would follow that this is exactly what the Administration is
attempting to do starting in Iraq. Having a secular government, albeit
controlled by a ruthless tyrant, many of its citizens are not ideologues that
strictly follow the fundamentalist view of the Koran. Thus there is a very
good chance that a democratic form of government will eventually be
successful. The reasonable aim is to have this successful taste of freedom
flow into other adjacent Arab countries spreading over time. It already
has been in existence in Turkey since 1924 but needs company in that part of the
world
It should then be apparent that Al Qaeda
terrorism will not go away by itself. There is no doubt that the President
and his Administration have courageously acted to protect the security of the
American people and should be strongly supported in this effort. We at
least owe it to our troops to make it clear to Al Qaeda, and other terrorists of
the same persuasion, that we are not backing down in our efforts to make them
disappear, once and for all, regardless of how long it takes.
©Copyright by A Rational Advocate
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