A Hatred Beyond Understanding

Sierra Times ^ | Alan Caruba

[Sir Gawain]

	A Hatred Beyond Understanding By Alan Caruba Published 09. 8. 02 at 21:51 Sierra Time

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	"The reason Islam seems like such an angry religion today is because so many Muslims are angry. The reason so many Muslims are angry is because most of them live under antidemocratic regimes backed by America, with lagging economies and shrinking opportunities for young people." This is Thomas L. Friedman's explanation as it appeared first in one of his columns for The New York Times and now in his excellent book, "Longitudes & Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11." It's the kind of anger that can inspire 19 Muslims to attack the United States of America, but there is a largely unspoken factor that few in the mainstream media have addressed. It is the hatred of Jews. Anti-Semitism has long been a factor in the fate of Jews wherever they lived, but in the Middle East, it is embedded so deeply into its culture, its society, and the hearts of its people that it truly is beyond the comprehension of most Americans. This is because, as Shafeeq Ghabra, a professor of political science at Kuwait University, expressed it, the American experiment "represented a spirit of openness unseen elsewhere. Americans accepted, with a unique charm, newcomers, visitors and foreigners." Contrast this with the widespread Arab response when French legal authorities subpoenaed Ibrahim Nafi, the editor of Egypt's largest daily newspaper, Al-Ahram, for incitement to anti-Semitism and racist violence. The subpoena came two years after Al-Ajram had published an article on October 10, 2000 titled "Jewish Matzah is Made of Arab Blood" by journalist Adel Hamooda. This blood libel has been around a long time, but I cite it because Jews around the world have just celebrated their New Year and, on Monday, September 16 will conclude the two most sacred days of their year, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. This latter holy day is now part of history because, on October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched attacks that began the fourth Arab-Israeli war. The contempt and hatred Muslims feel for Jews is captured in the selection of Yom Kippur as a day on which to wage yet another war. Friedman, who has lived in and traveled widely throughout the Middle East, notes in the diary portion of his new book that "this sort of the-Jews-control-the-world conspiratorial thinking is deeply embedded in Saudi Arabia-more deeply, in fact, than in any country I have ever visited." He then called anti-Semitism "one of the great debilitating factors in Arab political life today, the notion that the future is always being shaped by forces or groups outside the Arab's control, so they are never at fault for anything that befalls them." We are now confronted with an entire region of the world and a religion of 1.3 billion worldwide for whom this kind of thinking is repeated daily by imams from their pulpits in mosques. "There really are people who hate Christians, hate Jews, hate secularism, hate the equality of women. At some point you have to either kill those people or be killed by them," says Friedman. And, of course, he is right. There are good Muslims who are deeply troubled by 9-11, who react in horror to the suicide-murderers, who do not sanction indiscriminately shooting Christians in a Pakistani church, who would never think to cut off the head of reporter Daniel Pearl after making him say, "I am a Jew and my Mother is a Jew." Their silence, however, makes them accomplices and, as in the case of the Egyptian editor to whom so many of Arab leaders and organizations have rallied to defend, the hatred of Jews and other "infidels" is beyond forgiveness. Not even God forgives such sins. This is why I have argued for some time now that only the brute force of military retaliation can change the face of the Middle East and of Islam where it seeks to impose its retrograde religion upon others, feeling free to kill them if they resist. Islam is, in truth, not a religion, but a 14th century warrior cult. In a recent column, "Murder for fun and prophet", Ann Coulter asks "Why should Islam be subject to presumption of respect because it's a religion? Liberals bar the most benign expressions of religion by little America. Only a religion that is highly correlated with fascistic attacks on the US demands their respect and protection." That is why the lesson of 9-11 is that not just America, but the entire world is at war with Islam until it reforms itself. Other religions have passed through their reformations, but until Islam does, no "infidel" can feel safe from attack. The Arab war against Israel is the Islamic war against all Jews and all Christians. It is the Islamic war against all Hindus and all Buddhists. This is not a war for which a single American need take blame or responsibility, nor any other citizen of the world who is not a Muslim. 9-11 was an act of war. Muslims shall reap what they have sown.

[Sir Gawain]

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[RonF]

These people have lived under non-democratic regimes since time out of mind. Yes, we work with their governments. And if the people overthrow their governments and set up new ones, we'll deal with those, too. What would they have us do?

[Maceman]

The reason so many Muslims are angry is because most of them live under antidemocratic regimes backed by America,

You mean like Iran?

[RonF]

Contrast this with the widespread Arab response when French legal authorities subpoenaed Ibrahim Nafi, the editor of Egypt's largest daily newspaper, Al-Ahram, for incitement to anti-Semitism and racist violence.

What was the widespread response?

[Monty22]

reform itself? Does this guy not realize how islam has been at war with everyone else since 650AD or so?

[Vigilantcitizen]

"This is not a war for which a single American need take blame or responsibility, nor any other citizen of the world who is not a Muslim. 9-11 was an act of war. Muslims shall reap what they have sown."

[Stand Watch Listen]

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Saving Islam from bin Laden [Christopher Hitchens]
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Muslim leaders pledge to 'transform West': 'If Islamic state rises, we will be its army'
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Today's Criminal Will Become Tomorrow's Islamic Terrorist
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David Horowitz: Know The Enemy (And What He Believes)
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The Islaming of Europe
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Why Islam Can't Join the Modern World
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It's The Attitude, Stupid [re: Palestinians]
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Reports of Moderate Islam's Existence Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
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Source: National Review Online; Published: September 28, 2001; Author: Jonah Goldberg

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[The Scorpion King]

"The reason Islam seems like such an angry religion today is because so many Muslims are angry. The reason so many Muslims are angry is because most of them live under antidemocratic regimes backed by America, with lagging economies and shrinking opportunities for young people."

I refuse to believe that the U.S. (a.k.a. "Great Satan" in the Middle East)has that much influence anymore. Besides, misplaced anger is no justification for terrorism.

[STD]

ARAB Rulers that push blame the USA while they are the true oppressors. You guys can't have it both ways either you want the USA to leave you alone or you want us to police the planet?

Stupid Camelpoops!

[Carry_Okie]

Caruba >The reason so many Muslims are angry is because most of them live under antidemocratic regimes backed by America,

Maceman > You mean like Iran?

Monty22 >Does this guy not realize how islam has been at war with everyone else since 650AD or so?

Explanation: Alan Caruba is an avowed lightweight.

[TightSqueeze]

"There really are people who hate Christians, hate Jews, hate secularism, hate the equality of women. At some point you have to either kill those people or be killed by them," says Friedman. And, of course, he is right.

When the only tool you own is a hammer, everything resembles a nail. I never swim in shark infested waters nor do I ever allow sharks into my swimming pool, hance rarely do I find the need to kill sharks. The arab/muslim problem is not my problem, screw them.

[buffyt]

TRUE!!!! This isn't a new war at all!

[Cicero]

Contrary to Friedman, the corrupt, unjust, and tyrannical Arab governments are none of our doing. That's how Arabs have always run their affairs, for 1,500 years and more. Even Egypt, which we support with billions of taxpayer dollars, goes its own way. About all our money has succeeded in buying from them is a pause in open warfare against Israel, which they likely would have done in any case, because they know they would only lose again.

[norton]

I know that this single line is being beat to death today, but wouldn't you think that...
"so many Muslims are angry is because most of them live under antidemocratic regimes backed by America, with lagging economies and shrinking opportunities for young people..."
would be more likely to encourage a popular uprising against those lagging & anti-democratic governments AT HOME rather than taking it out on strangers on the other side of the earth?

How's about, muslims are angry today because they are dumb as peat moss and enjoy being led by the nose!

[Right Wing Professor]

I never swim in shark infested waters nor do I ever allow sharks into my swimming pool, hance rarely do I find the need to kill sharks. The arab/muslim problem is not my problem, screw them.

Hard to believe someone could have missed what happened 363 days ago. The sharks just took a chunk out of your leg, buddy. But a bigger problem seems to be that you don't seem to have noticed.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt