Posted on 09/05/2004 4:19:05 PM PDT by freedom44
CAIRO, Egypt Expressions of shame and self-reproach swept the Arab world yesterday as Muslims mourned the deaths of Russian schoolchildren and voiced unusually critical condemnations of the social ills widely blamed here for breeding terrorism.
The Arab world has watched with mounting disgust in recent weeks as a wave of civilian hostages some of them Arabs and Muslims were slaughtered by masked insurgents in Iraq. This weekend, newspapers and satellite channels were dominated by pictures of bloodied, naked children in southern Russia fleeing armed guerrillas suspected to be Islamic rebels supporting an independent Chechyna.
Many Arabs faced an ever-more-common dilemma: struggling to reconcile their sympathy for a political cause with growing revulsion at the wrath leveled by self-described "holy warriors" against innocents.
Ahmed Bahgat, an Egyptian Islamist and columnist for Egypt's leading pro-government newspaper, Al-Ahram, wrote that the TV and newspaper images "showed Muslims as monsters who are fed by the blood of children and the pain of their families."
In an editorial, the Saudi Arab News condemned the school hostage-takers, "who had put themselves in a position where no one would shed tears when the punishment came. They reached a new low when they chose toddlers as bargaining chips."
Grand Sheik Mohammed Sayed Tantawi, Egypt's highest-ranking cleric, also railed at the attackers.
"What is the guilt of those children? Why should they be responsible for your conflict with the government?" Tantawi said during Friday prayers in the Egyptian town of Benha. "You are taking Islam as a cover and it is a deceptive cover; those who carry out the kidnappings are criminals, not Muslims."
Tantawi's refrain was a familiar one among Muslims who've felt unfairly tarred by the bloodbaths carried out by fellow believers: This wasn't Islam.
Yesterday, some prominent Arabs came forward with a more sobering interpretation: Corrupt, repressed Arab and Islamic societies have turned into breeding grounds for terrorism. It's a judgment often heard among Western critics, but rarely voiced in heavily censored Arab rhetoric.
"Most perpetrators of suicide operations in buses, schools and residential buildings around the world for the past 10 years have been Muslims," wrote Abdulrahman al Rashed, general manager of the Al-Arabiya television channel. In a blunt column in the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Rashed listed attacks carried out by Muslims in Iraq, Russia, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
"Our terrorist sons are an end-product of our corrupted culture," he wrote. "The picture is humiliating, painful and harsh for all of us."
Who gives a bloody damn if they condemn it, WTF are they going to do about it is the question????
Yeah, these folks look like they're "struggling" real hard. Poor things.
Arabs as a rule seem to suck at "struggling".
One step on the road to reformation.
"Bad ZOOT, naughty Zoot." How many times do we have to tell you, you don't HAVE TO stab, rape and shoot them. According to Islam and mohamed; children get sold into slavery. "Bad ZOOT, naughty Zoot."
".....WTF are they going to do about it is the question????"
I agree. The facts are, they know they are in hot water now, given that this was school kids and the pictures are everywhere and graphic. So they are covering their ass. But it is too little too late, and too disingenuous as far as I'm concerned. I hope the Russians lay the wood to them.
While I'm sure that some folks over there are completely disgusted by what has taken place in Russia, we have to remember that their own holy book commands them to lie to infidels. I believe these statements are lies.
I say the Russians should load every attack fighter aircraft, and bomber they have and should hit a differant mosque for each victim of the terror they just suffered in the last two weeks.
But hit the mosques on fridays when they are full. As to the one they've got captive that claims to have children, find them and his wives. Make him watch as the families of his victims take out their rage on his children and wives. Then make him watch them covered in pig blood before he is turned over to them.
Take terror home to the terrorists and those who support them and terror may, just may go away.
If I was Putin, I'd blow Chechnya off the map.
In fact, we can go back 1,000 years and is-slime has maintained remarkable consistency as a murderous cult that delights in torture, rape, and murder.
And now, they're shocked at the murder of children?
Nonsense. The only thing they object to is that pictures got out. And their friends in the U.S. media are doing their best to suppress those.
There is only one way to end this reign of terror - and that is to end is-slime.
You got that right! The moon-god worshiper's 'holy book' tells them its OK to lie to the infidels while they plot our destruction!
A few will act outraged while they continue funding the baby-raping jihadists.
media's going all out apology mode.
Am I wrong or aren't these the people Bill Clinton and the democrats went to war for?
As we speak, phones of former KGB special operatives are ringing in Moscow:
"Hello Comrade.....it's your old friend.....I have a special job for you....."
I wouldn't be surprised if this tragic event awakens the bear and foments a revitalized nationalism.
I've said it before: We supported the wrong side in Bosnia.
I concur, it is already in motion
As they should. Now let them turn in the terrorists and let Muslim fight Muslim.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.