Joel Mowbray: One common enemy: Radical Islam

TownHall ^ | July 25, 2005 | Joel Mowbray

[Tolik]

After the terrorist attacks in London, the Sun Online in the UK published a special feature of Islamic terrorist attacks that have occurred around the world since 1993.

The newspaper listed the 1993 World Trade Center bombings, the explosion on a Philippines Air jet in 1994 that killed one and injured 10, the Khobar Towers bombing that killed 26 U.S. servicemen in 1996, the East Africa Embassy bombings in 1998, the USS Cole in 2000, September 11, bombings in Bali and Jakarta, recent attacks in Saudi Arabia, the 3/11 Madrid bombings, and several others.

The world map posted by the Sun for this feature showed dots all over the atlas—except one area that is notably dot-free. 

If this feature is to be believed, then practically the only place in the world to have been untouched by Islamic terrorism in the past decade is Israel.

Obviously, this was no accidental omission.  Europeans, like much of the world, have long believed that the terror faced by the Jewish state is a particularized domestic dispute, or more specifically, a “resistance” to “occupation.”  Few have linked Palestinian terrorism to the larger, global movement of Islamic terrorism depicted in great detail by the Sun Online.

While the old PLO, led by secular Communists under the banner of Arab nationalism, had no connection to the older European terrorist groups like the Irish Republican Army or the Basque separatists in Spain, brainwashed Palestinian youths blowing themselves up are motivated by the same ideology shared by Islamic terrorists from Indonesia to London.

With Wednesday’s announcement by British authorities that the terrorists behind the attacks were suicide bombers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to argue that Israel faces a different enemy than the rest of the West. 

As even Tony Blair himself noted, the perpetrators killed in the name of Islam—just as young Palestinian suicide bombers do.  It was only after Arafat turned to Islam as his rallying cry that he was able to get young children to strap bombs onto their chest.

Palestinian children are indoctrinated to believe that violence is inherent in Islam, and those die in the course of murdering Jews will be rewarded with eternal paradise.  “Martyrdom” is so glorified in Palestinian schools and society at large, in fact, that kids barely into puberty clamor for the “privilege” and “honor” of becoming a “shahid.” 

The exaltation of terrorism under the guise of Islam helps explain why most of the suicide bombers come from middle- and upper-middle-class families.  Early reports indicate that the four suicide bombers in the London attacks also were not from impoverished backgrounds—and all were born and raised in Britain.

But even before the London attacks, abundant evidence demonstrated that the Palestinian terrorist organizations were fellow travelers with the likes of al Qaeda.  The views and goals of Hamas and Hezbollah, among other terrorist groups, are, if anything, in sync with those of al Qaeda.

Hamas founder and former “spiritual” leader Sheikh Yassin said repeatedly during his life that the entire world should become Islamic, that there was no legitimate government without Shari’a law—a position indistinguishable from that of Osama bin Laden.

Hezbollah’s founding charter calls for the destruction of the United States for its role in preventing the spread of Islam.  And long before the start of the current intifada, Hezbollah had killed more Americans before 9/11 than any other terrorist entity on earth.

It’s not just the leadership of Palestinian terrorist organizations, however, that are of like mind with Osama bin Laden.  Lest we forget the images of thousands of Palestinians cheering and gleefully burning American flags on September 11.

Already, many have attempted to claim that the “reason” for the London attacks was Britain’s involvement in the war in Iraq.  What this ignores, however, is that adherents of al Qaeda don’t need a reason to attack other than the existence of freedom—a concept that goes against the core belief in Shari’a law and the necessity of Islamic states.

In the decade before 9/11, many U.S. targets were hit: the World Trade Center in 1993, Khobar Towers in 1996, the East Africa embassies in 1998, and the U.S.S. Cole in 2000.  Each time, we did nothing.  Yet al Qaeda struck anyway on September 11.

There is a “reason” why four young British men took their own lives in order to murder more than 50.  But it’s not Iraq.  It’s not Afghanistan.  It’s not Israel.  It’s radical Islam.

[Tolik]

Nailed It!
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[CHICAGOFARMER]

They didn't go back far enough to satisfy me and millions of Americans.

http://www.geocities.com/ktkris.geo/freedom.html

[PaulaB]

There is a “reason” why four young British men took their own lives in order to murder more than 50. But it’s not Iraq. It’s not Afghanistan. It’s not Israel. It’s radical Islam

I worry that more of these people will move away from the title "radical Islam" to make the rest of us believe there are moderates out there. Like the article states....these people are taught from birth to kill. At this point my theory is...Kill them before they kill us.....brutal but what else are we to do???

[thoughtomator]

It's not "radical" Islam. The radicals in Islam are the few who want to live in peace with non-Muslims, which is grave heresy to traditional Islam.

[Licensed-To-Carry]

As Laura Ingram said on her radio show, "All Muslems claim to be moderates, right up until they blow themselves up."

[PaulaB]

Amen to that.....

[Little_shoe]

Excellent Link.....

[swarthyguy]

Articles like this make me laugh nowadays.

Who would've thunk RI was the enemy, 4 years after 911 and all the jihad we've seen.

A better takeoff point would have been -

OK, Radical Islam - where's the ideological fount, the financial, who's been training them, after, you just can't wakeup one morning and aribitrarily explode - you need training, motivation, indoctrination, logistics and support -

As long as we deal with mindless euphemisms like RI, we aren't even close to shutting down jihad.

[Sam Cree]

"There is a “reason” why four young British men took their own lives in order to murder more than 50. But it’s not Iraq. It’s not Afghanistan. It’s not Israel. It’s radical Islam."

While I agree with the above, IMO it's also worth noting that any sort of response to 9/11 would be good reason for terrorists to strike. The nations of Europe cannot hope to escape a reckoning with terror, they can only hope to postpone it. Tony Blair did right to join George Bush in the war against it.

[kublia khan]

"Palestinian children are indoctrinated to believe that violence is inherent in Islam,"
Thank you for using the word "indoctrinated". We in the west can not comprehend a religion that teaches in its sacred writings slavery or death to every living human being who will not convert to Islam. But if one takes the time to read the Quran then the only conclusion you can reach is as long as there is Muslims who take their faith seriously there will be terrorist and Jihad.

[BayouCoyote]

BUMP!

[SJackson]

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[Valin]

With Wednesday’s announcement by British authorities that the terrorists behind the attacks were suicide bombers, it is becoming increasingly difficult to argue that Israel faces a different enemy than the rest of the West.

Some of us have NEVER believed that.

[Valin]

The world map posted by the Sun for this feature showed dots all over the atlas—except one area that is notably dot-free.

If this feature is to be believed, then practically the only place in the world to have been untouched by Islamic terrorism in the past decade is Israel.




Israel not in al Qaeda's sights, for now -official
Reuters ^ | 7/24/05 | Dan Williams
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1449488/posts

[RipSawyer]

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