President tiptoes around militant Islam

Old news by now, militant Muslims burned churches and killed more than 200 people in Nigeria last month because the country was hosting the Miss World beauty pageant. Apparently beauty pageants are offensive to the Quran, but murdering innocents is OK.

More than 200 people were stabbed, bludgeoned or burned to death and scores more were seriously injured. One young man was stabbed and then a tire with gasoline placed around his neck so the pious rioters could burn him alive. At least 50 churches were destroyed or damaged. The local newspaper was also burned since it apparently sparked the riot by having the audacity to publish a story questioning Muslim groups that condemned the pageant.

And remember, this was with the country on its best behavior because of world attention directed at the pageant. Imagine what happens when the cameras leave and the fundamentalists return to free rein.

Though the beauty pageant made for unique context--and made the world take notice--what happened in Nigeria was hardly unique. Unfortunately, Nigeria is reflective of what's been going on around the globe for some time. Despite such common incidents all over the globe, President Bush continues to tip-toe around the real threat in our year old "war against terrorism": militant Islam.

Recently Bush stressed that "Islam, as practiced by the vast majority of people, is a peaceful religion, a religion that respects others." Of course, he is correct. After all, only a minority of people who practice Islam are actively seeking to kill non-believers ("infidels"). That said, Bush's statement, however well intentioned, misses the point for a number of reasons.

First, we must ask why the president feels the need to declare any religion peaceful. When an abortion clinic is attacked, he doesn't make an announcement that Christianity is a peaceful religion. Why the need with Islam?

Second, debating whether the Quran is peaceful is misguided. Frankly, it doesn't matter. As we know, there are peaceful passages and hateful passages in the holy texts of all the major faiths. There is enough ambiguity in scripture that each of us is free to use--or abuse--the texts as we see fit. Such debates are best left for religion professors.

What matters is not whether the Quran, Old Testament, or New Testament is "peaceful," but rather the actions of those who follow the different good books. Whether Islam--or any religion--is peaceful based on underlying scripture is irrelevant. Instead, what is hopefully most relevant are actions.

This leads to the third, most important, and most touchy point: Islam--as judged by actions--has not proved peaceful lately. Right now, almost all the hot spots on the globe involve militant Muslims on one side. Some of the places are old and familiar like Israel and Kashmir. Some of the places are becoming familiar like Chechnya and Bali. And some of the places sport names still largely unfamiliar to us, like Mauritania.

Look at the Sudan, which we don't hear much about. In just the past decade, 2 million Christians have been literally butchered by militant Islamists proclaiming "convert or die." Or look at the Philippines, where on Aug. 15 an Islamic group beheaded two Jehovah's Witnesses and left their heads in bags with the note, "Those who do not believe in Allah will suffer the same fate."

Peel back the political correctness and take an uncomfortable look around the globe--Algeria, Egypt, Turkey, Philippines, Indonesia, Kenya--the list goes on and in each instance militant Islam is the root cause. As for human rights, suffice to say that there are no human rights abuses in much of the Islamic world because there are no human rights to abuse. In Saudi Arabia there are no churches, no Bibles, no Christian artifacts, no non-Muslim worship of any kind.

In Egypt, Christian Copts have been persecuted to the point of near extinction. Women's rights? Forget about the right to vote--in many Muslim countries women lack the right to drive.

We can address these realities or apologize for them. To be clear, it is not suggested that Islam has a monopoly on genocide, as Bosnia reveals. However, the fact that most conflicts on this globe involve militant Islam is no coincidence either.

Whether terrorism strikes New York, Africa, India, Bali, Pakistani churches or downtown Jerusalem, freedom and democracy everywhere are threatened. Finally, if, as is often suggested, militant Islam is an aberration, then why haven't the moderate Muslims carved out the cancer amongst themselves? Any organization--whether it is the Girl Scouts or a religion--has a duty to police itself and guard against extremism. If the majority of Islam's peace loving followers believe the radicals are an aberration, then why do they tolerate--if not support--this murderous minority? The majority's silence is deafening and deadly, as the graves of 2 million Sudanese Christians reveal.

All said, in our "war against terrorism," the president should focus on conduct, not scripture.

It is worth pointing out the monumental hypocrisy of the Left in this and other Western countries. The tyranny of the Left's "political correctness" movement will cause most of us to, for example, rise up in "outrage" over Trent Lott's witless puffery at a birthday party for a frail, very old man. Yet that same Leftist tyranny handcuffs us in speaking out against true outrages around the world. It hampers our ability to protect our own lives and liberty, as well as those of our allies. The same Left that wants us to stand down in the face of radical Islamism, has been systematically eroding many of our Constitutional rights. If we cower before them anytime they manufacture the latest outrage-du-jour, what chance have we against radical Islamism as it spreads further havoc across the globe?

In years to come, historians will look back with some glee to note George Bush was the final destruction of America. Paradoxically, he will have done it with fanatic support from conservatives.

This is a great article with only one flaw. A statement that is not true.

To be clear, it is not suggested that Islam has a monopoly on genocide, as Bosnia reveals.

No evidence has surfaced of any genocide in Bosnia. Instead evidence points to this incursion as being a leftist plot to help their muslim friends kill Christians.

The tyranny of the Left's "political correctness" movement will cause most of us to, … Yet that same Leftist tyranny handcuffs us in speaking out against true outrages around the world.

You are correct about the Leftist Tyranny (LT). I wish we could use something more negative to describe this Orwellian behavior besides “political correctness (PC)”. There certainly is nothing correct or political about the intolerent Leftist Tyranny!

I don't fault President Bush. Most of us — certainly all politicians and the media — bow before the Left's tyranny. They destroy free speech in the name of not offending key parts of their constituency, and most of us go along. They destroy free thought through "hate crimes" legislation, and most of us willingly tolerate it. They destroy our nation's ability to protect itself thanks to anti-profiling and pro illegal immigration nonsense, and most of us shrug our shoulders. We allow them to turn our colleges and universities into Gulag Archipelegos, and don't even bat an eye. And on it goes, metastisizing into all areas of our lives. If we, the American people, don't show a spine in the face of Leftist tyranny, how can we expect those we elect to do so?

In years to come, historians will look back with some glee to note George Bush was the final destruction of America. Paradoxically, he will have done it with fanatic support from conservatives.

The enemy within is worse than the enemy at the gates? This time I don't think so. Flake off flake.

America's Fifth Column ... watch Steve Emerson/PBS documentary JIHAD! In America
New Link: Download 8 Mb zip file here (60 minute video)

Who is Steve Emerson?

No better words of truth have been spoken. Who would have thought that the most intrusive actions yet imposed by the feds, and the lessening of our Bill of Rights would have come at the hands of a republican administration, supposed defenders against "big government".

Republicans are socialists with a tax cut. As a lifelong republican, it took "King George" to push me into the Libertarians and the Constitutionalists camp.

Republicrats suck. Liberty or death... doesn't anyone remember those words?

I agree. Bush is so obsessed with Iraq that he is making up to our worst enemies. Our main problem is not a country, it is the idealogy of Islam. I'm tired of his going to a mosque and singing Kumbaya with some Imam every time Muslims do something violent. They should be quarantined in their own countries until they can behave like civilized human beings.

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