Posted on 01/26/2005 2:01:23 AM PST by JohnHuang2
I want you to try to imagine how the major media might cover the following story.
A Muslim family of four, known for boldly proselytizing the Islamic faith in the shadow of where the World Trade Center stood before Sept. 11, 2001, is bound, gagged and murdered execution-style, throats slit, jewelry left behind.
I don't know about you, but I can almost envision the Page 1 New York Times coverage of this apparent "hate crime." I can almost hear the hand-wringing pundits fretting about this undeserved, unwarranted backlash against innocent Muslims. I am almost certain a week after such an attack there would be calls for new sensitivity in the way Muslims are portrayed in newscasts and entertainment programming. You can be certain the self-appointed Muslim-American and Arab-American spokesmen would be getting maximum face time brining international attention to America's intolerance toward Islam.
Tragically, an attack like this actually took place last week in Jersey City, N.J. – though it wasn't a Muslim family, it was a family of Egyptian Coptic Christians who fled persecution in their homeland for the safety and security and freedom of the USA.
Yet, the media's focus hasn't been the horror of this kind of centuries-old anti-Christian persecution apparently coming to America. Instead, there has been a concerted effort, it seems, to downplay this gruesome slaughter as some kind of anomaly, to search desperately for motives other than religious hatred – in effect, to ignore the kind of oppression that Christians and Jews in the Middle East have been experiencing since Islam became dominant in that part of the world more than 1,300 years ago.
I don't like it.
As an Arab-American, Christian journalist, it reminds me of the way law enforcement officials and the news media discarded any evidence that the Washington-area "Beltway snipers" had an Islamic terrorist motive. This mindset almost certainly resulted in more deaths as vital information – the kind of descriptions that ultimately led to the capture of John Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo – was withheld from the public to avoid "hysteria," "panic" and, worst of all, "racial or ethnic profiling."
Hossam Armanious, 47, his wife, Amal Garas, 37, and their two daughters, Sylvia, 18, and Monica, 15, were found stabbed dead in their home earlier this month. Their friends and many members of their Coptic Orthodox Christian community are all but certain they know why.
"The Armanious family members are modern-day martyrs in Islamic fundamentalists' war on Christianity," explained Michael Meunier, president of the U.S. Copts Association
The Armaniouses loved to witness their faith – especially to their Muslim acquaintances. They never missed an opportunity to do so – whether it was in an Internet chat room or in their home.
Since there were no signs of forced entry into the Armanious home, some suspect the murderers were let in – just like dozens of other "inquisitive" Muslims before them – pretending to be curious about Christianity and possibly conversion.
Since the Armaniouses were not wealthy people, and the fact that jewelry was left behind by the perpetrators makes robbery an unlikely motive.
Since the jihad has already come home to America in real terms with the destruction of the World Trade Center building and the murder of 3,000 people just a few miles from the Armanious home, why is there such seeming resistance to making the logical assumption about this crime?
Rush to judgment? No.
But good detective work requires that we don't allow political correctness to lead an investigation. And so should good media work.
Bump
bump
ping
The killers are muslim, long gone and there will be no arrests. Ten years from now this slaughter will be an episode of Unsolved Mysteries.
Thanks for the update!
Yes, the method went from "Throats slashed" to "Puncture wounds in the throat" or "Stabbed in the throat", a major difference.
And who knows what the scene was REALLY like other than JCPD and FBI? They often leave out pertinent facts to use against the suspect during questioning.
Perhaps they were beheaded as has been suggested on another thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1327136/posts; perhaps Christian items were destroyed; perhaps the women were molested.
If any of these conjectures got "out" it would inflame community passions more, true or not, because of the animosity hat already exists;
Remember, the Coptic Christians came to America to worship and live free from threats by the Islamic religion, at least here they are protected more equally than in Egypt. The victims apparently were proud of their faith and tried to convert people with Islamic beliefs.
This is considered worthy of a Death Sentence under Islamic law, you be the judge.
"Maybe I should shut up about the Crucifiction while I'm at it?"
I think that curcifiction was a pretty common way of execution at the time, not reserved for followers of Christ. Wasn't the guy next to Jesus a simple common thief ?
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The family members who saw the scene on day one and told local TVnews that nothing had been stolen. I saw the interview.
10-4, I saw it too...then they were kept away from the cameras, and the story of the "empty wallets" came out.
I think the LE folks are trying to keep it quiet because it will help their investigation; riots will hurt it.
"Perhaps they were beheaded as has been suggested on another thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1327136/posts; perhaps Christian items were destroyed; perhaps the women were molested. "
????
Perhaps their blood was drained and there was a pentacle drawn on the floor with a dead cat.
Perhaps they were replaced by dummies and they are living in a witness relocation program in Tacoma ?
Terrorist organisations don't terrorize by making people speculate on what happened.
... " the dog barking is suspicious.... but there was no dog barking, Holmes... that is what is suspicious about it, my dear Watson...."
You said:
Well, that is a good point. Modern Christians sure aren't facing things (including physical danger and possible death) in a "Christ-like" manner, or with the courage of early Christians. Christ certainly didn't take the position of "those Romans are killing us so we need to kill them off!" or "Don't mingle with those sinners out there."
How about these folks:
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-duin010202.shtml
or here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1308816/posts
and here:
http://www.martinrothonline.com/MRCC19.htm
and for an overall view:
http://www.persecution.org/newsite/index.php
Christians are being persecuted world-wide, and the "perpetrators" of the persecutions are generally Communist or Islamic.
The possibility of "destroyed" Christian artifacts was brought up by another poster, and the other items were merely illustrative, to relate to my next sentence
If any of these conjectures got "out" it would inflame community passions more, true or not, because of the animosity that already exists;
Terrorist organisations don't terrorize by making people speculate on what happened
Generally, no, but speculation on the "unknown" can create as much terror as the actual act; TERROR is the key and sometimes it is the imagination that makes the Terror more Terrifying...do you know what I mean?
There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it. Alfred Hitchcock
I realize that all subtlety has been lost on most of these "Neo-Islamofascists" who are more sadistic than idealistic
Yeah, I'm afraid this is going to disappear into the void as well. Wouldn't wanna inflame those Christians out there and remind them how strong they are when roused.
I also think that's whats behind President Bush's "Islam is a religion of Peace" mantra. Wouldn't want us to actually act to defend our country. Much better if he leads us like lambs to the slaughter.
Neither the President nor the Jersey City PD/Prosecutor is doing their sworn jobs.
Godspeed
"There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it. Alfred Hitchcock"
Until DB Cooper hijacked that 727, we had no anticipation that it would happen, therefore no terror.
Since there is very little publicity given this incident, the anticipation of it repeating has not spread - therefore little terror, probably a good move on the authorities part until the facts are known.
... but the dogs should be barking their heads off, why are they so quiet ? ....
Farah has other sources, NOT just the MSM
And, of course, the motive might not be "terror," per se, but simple carrying out of what this hypothetical Muslim perceived as religious duty.
But how about another idea...let's not jump to conclusions....?
See #11.
I haven't trusted WND since they tried to pawn off a photo they claimed was a sat photo of a Chinese neutron bomb test - that on a modest inspection was a completely bogus fake.
We can't hold WND to a lower standard than CBS just because we like what they say.
bttt
'twas wonderful! We should get together like this more often (though hopefully on a more upbeat thread!) :-)
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