Could go way further back but this is as good as any.
Dawson's Field Hijacking, guerrillas blew up three planes (TWA, Swissair, BOAC) in the Jordan desert, September 12, 1970
Terrorism works.
Posted on 07/24/2005 11:50:33 AM PDT by Inkie
Back to you, Mr Blair
It is wrong to put the onus on British Muslims to defeat terror
Osama Saeed Saturday July 23, 2005 The Guardian
Faced with the events of the past two weeks, it would be the easiest thing in the world for me to say the Muslim community must do more to combat terrorism. Many community figures have done just that.
Shahid Malik MP told the Commons: "The challenge is straightforward - that those voices that we have tolerated will no longer be tolerated." This raises the question: did we really hear people planning violence in this country but do nothing about it?
Article continues The position of Muslim organisations and mosques has been consistent for years. Killing civilians is murder, and a crime in Islam. We have consistently said that Muslims must help the police to track down those responsible.
This is why I've found it strange that many Muslim leaders have offered to look deep within our community now. It's a tacit admission of negligence that I simply do not accept. The prime minister has of course welcomed this attitude. Indeed he has led from the front, ratcheting up the rhetoric against Muslims, laying the responsibility solely on us. "In the end, this can only be taken on and defeated by the community itself," he said last week.
Mr Blair has attacked the idea of the caliphate - the equivalent of criticising the Pope. He has also remained silent in the face of a rightwing smear campaign against such eminent scholars as Sheikh al-Qaradawi - a man who has worked hard to reconcile Islam with modern democracy. Such actions and omissions fuel the suspicion that we are witnessing a war on Islam itself. If there is any thought that Muslims are fine but their religion can take a hike then Mr Blair should know that we will never be in the corner, in the spotlight, losing our religion.
By putting the onus on Muslims to defeat terror, the prime minister absolves himself of responsibility. Muslims are not in denial of our duties, but who are we meant to be combating? The security services had no idea about all that has gone on in London, so how are we as ordinary citizens to do better?
It is not Muslims but Mr Blair who is in denial. He was advised that the war in Iraq would put us in more danger, not less. Silvio Berlusconi has admitted Italy is in danger because of his alliance with Bush; Mr Blair should do the same.
Jack Straw has just apologised for Britain's role in the Srebrenica massacre. This is a welcome development, but these apologies need to be extended to Britain's explicit roles in creating the injustices in the Muslim world - from the mess that colonial masters left in Kashmir to the promising of one people's land to another in Palestine. We need to recognise our past mistakes and make a commitment not to repeat them. Western leaders are outraged about London but show no similar anger for other atrocities across the world. What happens abroad matters to British Muslims as much as what happens here.
The British Muslim response is to engage politically, as we did in our opposition to the Iraq war, when we tried to keep our country, as well as innocent Iraqis, safe. We'll continue to try to win the arguments.
Unfortunately, a handful of individuals have eschewed this to carry out the attacks in London. You can regard these acts as part of Islam, or as an irrational reaction to injustice taking place in the world. If it's the former you have to explain why this started only 12 years ago and not 1,400. To us it is evident that it is the latter, so we're batting the ball back in your court, Mr Blair.
· Osama Saeed is a spokesman for the Muslim Association of Britain
osama@mabonline.net
Islam is a spiritual and political disease, far more dangerous than Communism. It would be best to deport this member of Parliament and all Muslims from Britain. The work has to begin sometime.
These are the words of Prime Minister Howard about the terrorist attacks which happened before the war in Iraq:
Australian Prime Minister John Howard, speaking at a press conference in London after last week's failed bombings:
Can I just say very directly, Paul, on the issue of the policies of my government and indeed the policies of the British and American governments on Iraq, that the first point of reference is that once a country allows its foreign policy to be determined by terrorism, it's given the game away, to use the vernacular. And no Australian government that I lead will ever have policies determined by terrorism or terrorist threats, and no self-respecting government of any political stripe in Australia would allow that to happen.
Can I remind you that the murder of 88 Australians in Bali took place before the operation in Iraq.
And I remind you that the 11th of September occurred before the operation in Iraq.
Can I also remind you that the very first occasion that bin Laden specifically referred to Australia was in the context of Australia's involvement in liberating the people of East Timor. Are people by implication suggesting we shouldn't have done that?
When a group claimed responsibility on the website for the attacks on the 7th of July, they talked about British policy not just in Iraq, but in Afghanistan. Are people suggesting we shouldn't be in Afghanistan?
When Sergio de Mello was murdered in Iraq -- a brave man, a distinguished international diplomat, a person immensely respected for his work in the United Nations -- when al Qaeda gloated about that, they referred specifically to the role that de Mello had carried out in East Timor because he was the United Nations administrator in East Timor.
Now I don't know the mind of the terrorists. By definition, you can't put yourself in the mind of a successful suicide bomber. I can only look at objective facts, and the objective facts are as I've cited. The objective evidence is that Australia was a terrorist target long before the operation in Iraq. And indeed, all the evidence, as distinct from the suppositions, suggests to me that this is about hatred of a way of life, this is about the perverted use of principles of the great world religion that, at its root, preaches peace and cooperation. And I think we lose sight of the challenge we have if we allow ourselves to see these attacks in the context of particular circumstances rather than the abuse through a perverted ideology of people and their murder.
I stopped when he said attacking the caliphate was the same as attacking the pope. Maybe true 500 years ago but to do so now is to convienently disregard the renaissance, reformation, the scientific revolution, the American revolution and the rise of secular states which allow freedom of religion. In other words--garbage in- garbage out.
I don't think it is that difficult to understand the mind of a suicide bomber. Just keep in mind that his religion teaches him to hate infidels (even innocents) and tells him that by his martyrdom he is buying a ticket to paradise.
Just as the cornerstone of real Christianity is "love." The cornerstone of real Islam is "hate."
The suicide bombers believe they are doing something good...they believe they are doing the will of Allah. They just haven't realized that their Allah is probably Satan.
Such was my response to this screed, that I at first forgot that this meant 'for your information'.
So Mr. Blair, who is behind the terror in London?
I adore Mr. Howard. Recall that just before 9/11, one of the two primary international stories was the boatload of refugees -- or so-called asylum-seekers - off Australia demanding to enter (from Afghanistan and other Muslim nations). The other was the kindergarten girls being harrassed in Northern Ireland for taking the wrong road to school. (The local story here in the US was Chandra Levy.)
By not letting the boatload of Muslims into the country, despite a lot of protestors and calls of "racism," Mr. Howard led Australia to dodge a great big bullet and possibly, a coordinated 9/11 attack on their soil. He is the best. And a great ally, too.
I think I probably initially posted the same thing as you were thinking, but then I thought I'd get banned!
"Jack Straw has just apologised for Britain's role in the Srebrenica massacre. This is a welcome development, but these apologies need to be extended to Britain's explicit roles in creating the injustices in the Muslim world - from the mess that colonial masters left in Kashmir to the promising of one people's land to another in Palestine. We need to recognise our past mistakes and make a commitment not to repeat them. Western leaders are outraged about London but show no similar anger for other atrocities across the world. What happens abroad matters to British Muslims as much as what happens here.
The British Muslim response is to engage politically, as we did in our opposition to the Iraq war, when we tried to keep our country, as well as innocent Iraqis, safe. We'll continue to try to win the arguments. "
Clearly this man does not know what he is talking about, if he spoke what he believed actually represents the truth and known history. The talk around in circles, partial truths, etc., because they always come out on the bottom no matter what they engage in. History is not on their side.
Hard to tell if The Guardian is happier demanding apologies or appeasement.
You know, I had never known that, Inkie. What a good memory you have. And yes, Mr. Howard is strong and smart as a whip, and did indeed dodge a bullet keeping those folks out of his country.
We took great interest in those "asylum seekers". We were in Ireland at the time, and it was on the news every night. Of course, everything that happened during that holiday is still clear in my memory, as we were there when, only a few days later, it was 9/1l and the world started looking very, very different.
John Howard is the best. I care a great deal because I lived in Oz for nearly 10 years.
Could go way further back but this is as good as any.
Dawson's Field Hijacking, guerrillas blew up three planes (TWA, Swissair, BOAC) in the Jordan desert, September 12, 1970
Terrorism works.
This guy needs to be put on the next plane out.
In a political email group I debate, rant and share news with, a fellow emailer posted another great set of words from the great Sir Winston Churchill regarding the Muslim dangers...I found it astounding, visionary and dead on.
It was posted in an email dated 7/23/05, and is magnificent, imo!:
" LGF reader Allon emailed to point out that the London Times article we noted earlier today neuters the full force of Sir Winston’s message; political correctness strikes again. Here’s what Churchill really wrote in its entirety, after the horrific battle to wrest control of Sudan from the jihadis of the 19th century:
—Sir Winston Churchill, from The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50 (London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899)."
He was a brilliant man, wasn't he? I am bookmarking that statement by Churchill and will try to use it where appropriate.
Thank you so much for posting this.
Great words. Thanks for posting.
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