In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, 200 Islamic students rallied outside the US Embassy in Jakarta, the capital. No violence was reported, despite threats from some activists to attack US interests. "Holy war! Holy war! America is the great Satan," chanted many in the crowd. "America is the real terrorist." The embassy was protected by rows of razor wire, a water cannon truck and hundreds of riot officers with batons and firearms.
I hereby provide a speck of evidence that some would dismiss as “anecdotal” — a popular putdown when you’re made uncomfortable by what someone is reporting. I know an Egyptian woman, very well educated, widely traveled — about as “Westernized” and “liberal” as you can get in Arab society — and she e-mailed me to tell me, essentially, that Osama bin Laden, even if he really existed, couldn’t have planned and carried out the attacks of Sept. 11, it must have been you-know-who: the Jews, or, more specifically, the Israelis, the Zionists. The father of terrorist Muhammed Atta has said the same thing — It couldn’t have been my son; it must have been the Jews. The father is a distinguished Cairo lawyer.