Posted on 08/19/2006 5:49:01 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Many people believe you couldn't have found a more conservative, religious and docile town in America than Greeley in 1949. There were many churches, and no bars or liquor stores allowed in town.
But a six-month stay here in Greeley by an Egyptian student in 1949 made him so angry that he wrote books to express his anti-American diatribe. His name was Sayyid Qutb (SIGH-yid KUH tahb) and he became one of the founders of Islamic terrorism.
Television specials, literary magazines, stories in major newspapers, thousands of blogs and now a new book have noted Greeley's influence on the man considered by many to be the godfather of al-Qaeda.
Qutb was a Muslim extremist who was executed in 1966 in Egypt. But his writings survived, including his reports about Greeley and the Colorado State College of Education, now the University of Northern Colorado. His execution made him a martyr to his cause.
After a story in the Tribune in 2002, Greeley's attachment to terrorism was picked up nation-wide. Interest increased even more after Qutb's writings became known and as more was learned about his influence on modern al-Qaeda followers.
A new study -- Qutbism -- was even coined by some followers. If you "Google" his name -- Qutb -- you'll find more than 600,000 locations citing his name.
In the past four years, the UNC Archives in the basement of Michener Library has been deluged by requests for information and photos of Qutb, along with any information about Greeley in 1949.
Stories have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Smithsonian Magazine, national and international wire services, and on television specials on the History Channel, CNN, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp., National Public Radio and almost every daily newspaper in Colorado.
In The Guardian newspaper, the headline on the story was, "Is This the Man Who Inspired Bin Laden?" A United Press International story began, "Communism had Karl Marx. Al-Qaidaism had Sayyid Qutb."
A new book out this summer brings more light to Qutb's stay in Greeley. "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11" was written by Lawrence Wright, a staff writer for The New Yorker Magazine and a recognized expert on the Middle East.
In researching his book he visited Greeley and UNC, giving credit in his book, "Sayyid Qutb may have been miserable in Greeley ... but he did not have the advantage of meeting Peggy A. Ford (Greeley Museums) and Janet Waters, head of archival services at the James A. Michener Library..." He also thanked Ken McConnellogue, a former UNC vice president, and Michael Welsh, a professor of history.
In the book, Wright traces Qutb's life, but also quotes from his notes on Greeley.
Football: "The foot does not play any role in the game. Instead, each player attempts to take the ball in his hands, run with it or throw it to the goal, while the players on the other team hinder him by any means, including kicking in he stomach or violently breaking his arms or legs ... Meanwhile, the fans cry out, 'Break his neck! Crack his head!'"
Music: He wrote of attending a teen dance at a church, "They danced to the tunes of the gramophone, and the dance floor was replete with tapping feet, enticing legs, arms wrapped around waists, lips pressed to lips, and chests pressed to chests. The atmosphere was full of desire..."
He also noted one specific song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Qutb wrote, "The song revolves around a conversation between a teenage boy and girl on their way home from a date. The boy holds the girl up at his house; she begs him to let her continue on home, because the night is late and her mother is waiting.
"But whenever she comes up with an excuse to leave, he responds with the refrain, 'But, baby, it's cold outside.' "
Religion: "When it comes to building churches, no one can surpass the Americans: For instance, in a town with a population less than 10,000, I counted more than 20 (churches).
"Despite all of this, no one is more distant than the Americans from spirituality and piety. Their thoughts, feelings and behavior could not be further from religion."
Qutb also made some mistakes in his writing. It's not known if they were intentional or not. He said that in 1949, the bloody wars against American Indians continued. He also wrote that the American colonists pushed Latinos south toward Central America -- even though the American colonists themselves had not yet pushed west of the Mississippi. The Revolutionary War was "a destructive war led by George Washington.'"
It's likely the connection between terrorism and Qutb's writings of Greeley will continue. Despite Greeley's role in the terrorists' hatred for America, Middle Eastern and terrorism experts don't believe the connection has made Greeley a target.
Princeton Professor Michael Doran, who translated many of Qutb's writings, explained that Greeley is well-known in the Middle East, but said, "A terrorist would select targets that are more obvious symbols of Americanism."
bttt
LOL, that looks familiar! You just like his tatoo!
This is a weird thread
This jerk and many others are nutcase cultists
I see their futures as bleak and short
greely's a long way from Dearborn.
You can tell a lot about a religion by observing how it deals with sex. You can tell a lot about the emotional and psychological stability of the religion's founders.
Does that rate a Seig Heil?
Bump
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