Religion of Hate

NEW YORK -- They stood on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, on the afternoon of September 11, 2001, looking west to Manhattan, toward the fires that had turned the horizon a bright orange that rose to great heights against a perfect, pitiless blue sky. Observing this terrible beauty, the residents of the neighborhood danced in the streets, laughing, shouting to each other, shaking hands. These people were not what one would suppose to be fanatical or militant Muslims. They were people who had come to these shores from the Middle East, mostly shopkeepers, bakers, purveyors of eastern spices, tradesmen, cab drivers and the usual diversity of people found in a New York ethnic neighborhood on a warm fall weekday.

They were American citizens, however, expressing their judgment -- joy -- at the events of that horrible day that forever changed our world and America's place in that world. They were also the followers of Islam: religion of oppression, discrimination, violence, terror, war, superstition, intolerance and prejudice. They were the followers of a religion of hate who, at the very least, if not active participants in the events of that world-changing day, took unashamed pleasure in the violence visited upon those -- including their fellow citizens and neighbors -- who did not share their beliefs.

"...Islam inspires countless individuals to lead lives of honesty, integrity and morality/." (12/5/02)

"The Islam that we know...teaches the value and the importance of charity, mercy and peace." (11/15/01)

Well, he is the President, and like Tony Blair, probably has to say these sorts of things in the belief that they have to be said, because to declare otherwise would threaten the maintenance of order or provoke an outraged citizenry to retaliate in a vengeful and illegal way, jeopardizing domestic tranquillity. We have no such impediment and trust that the truth can only serve to enlighten and not to incite.

Islam exists as it is taught in the Koran and lived by Muhammad. Muhammad, by the way, was hardly an example that one would wish to emulate. He had affairs with maids and slave girls and was also a pedophile --and before we get outraged e-mails on the latter point, here is chapter and verse: the girl's name was Aisha, she was 9, he was 53. He was also involved in the slave trade, assassinations, and genocide. But, what the heck, nobody is perfect.

Let's, as the sportscasters say, go to the record book, which, in this case is the Koran.

"Fight and slay the pagans [translation: that's us], seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem." (9:5)

Further apropos disbelievers, "...garments of fire shall be cut and there shall be poured over their heads boiling water whereby whatever is in their bowels and skin shall be dissolved and they will be punished with hooked iron rods." (22:19).

The Koran also instructs Muslims to slay or crucify or cut the hands and the feet of the unbelievers (5:33), fight unbelievers until no other religion except Islam remains.

Given these basic teachings of Islam there is little reason to be surprised at the recent beheading of Americans taken hostage.

OF COURSE, NOT ALL MUSLIMS participate in violence or even express joy at the perpetration of violence against the West in general, or Americans in particular, just as all Germans in the forties did not believe when they heard their anthem, Deutschland uber alles, that it meant literally that Germany must conquer all other nations. Some Germans embraced a passive longing for Germany to be victorious; some few actually despised fascism, and some, an almost non-existent few, acted against it. So it is with Islam and the Muslims. About the best the civilized world can expect is a joyous but passive reaction to the mindless violence.

Empires have come and gone. Rome, Portugal, France, Holland, Germany and even in our time, Great Britain, have seen their moment of world dominance -- have seen it flicker, and then, extinguish. And yet, they accepted it as part of the panorama of history, and have moved on. Not so with Islam.

It is not by accident that our enemies call the coalition forces in Iraq the Crusaders. To Islam the war, which they lost centuries ago, continues.* The enemy is not really the United States, nor even Israel. The enemy is modernity itself and the forces of change that have made them irrelevant. The West has persevered and they have lost. They are the have-nots, and to the degree that they have the economic power of oil, even this has been denied to them as a society by the corruption of their own despotic rulers. They are the past in a present and future that belongs to the West. There is a chord that joins them with other losers like Lee Harvey Oswald and Lee Boyd Malvo, devoid of any distinction or ability to even control their own lives, who strike out in spasms of hate-filled rage.

Muslims, married to a failed past, offer little hope for integration into modern society. Israel giving them land to which they are not entitled, or the United States not punishing them for criminal acts, will not assuage their rage. America must learn it cannot negotiate or reason with people who consider us infidels. It must recognize that the enemy is often among us and all the exposure available to them in Western civilization with its tolerances and respect for individual rights will not affect their seething anger at imagined wrongs, injustices, and illogical sense of entitlement.

Historically, use of strength, swift and certain punishment, and resolve of purpose are all that is left us to effectively deal with their primitive madness. And until we recognize this, there will be many more beheadings and September elevenths.

*It is of interest to note that the United States went to war with Muslim powers in 1801. Barbary pirates kidnapped and made slaves of our citizens, demanding tribute for their release. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson asked of the envoy of Tripoli by what right did he make his claim for payment. As reported to Congress by Jefferson, "The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the Laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found and to make slaves of all they could take as Prisoners."

Not to pick, But this part is comparing apples to oranges, that is,comparing nation states with a religion. Islamic empires have come and gone as well. The Turkish Empire for example. While these nations may have moved on, Like Islam Christianity itself has not. Nor should it ever.

"It is not by accident that our enemies call the coalition forces in Iraq the Crusaders..."

I agree calling coalition forces in Iraq "Crusaders" is propoganda and extremely inaccurate. For one that coalition consists of other islamic forces! I KNOW the Crusaders would not have gone to war as in '91 to free the an islamic monarchy from another islamic state, then form a buffer zone to protect Israel(Jews) and Saudi Arabia(Islamist) etc. These so called "Crusaders" gave their blood to DEFEND Arabs! That's gratitude eh? I agree that the Jihad must be aggressively countered, And so far, in spite of their murder frenzy, IMO the "big picture" see's the anti-Jihad forces winning this one.(ie. No more Taliban rule. No more Baathist rule. Pakistan and Libya bending, Iran possibly on the verge of a revolution etc.)The Islamic Empire although growing increasing violent, is also growing increasingly smaller. Thanks GWB!

Great reporting of sick responses - by those who practice a sick religion of hate and barbarism. As you say Islam's enemy is MODERNITY - the western way of life and western thought. America must wake up to the true intentions of those live in our midst - and practice Islam in all its primitive barbarity. The responses of those Brooklyn Muslims dancing in joy - at the most tragic day in America's history - should give a mental snapshot of the true nature of what they really are and the content of their character.

Same stuff in Montreal:

You know, I was at Concordia University on 911 ( checking out a graduate diploma in journalism) and what I witnessed dovetails well with what Jackie relates in his article.

When the towers were hit and people began leaping from the upper floors the Muslim students began to snicker (isn't it just a hoot to watch people jump to their deaths!), but when the towers collapsed they ALL jumped and shouted and cheered... as though 'team Islam' had just scored a touchdown. They were the "moderates". Did you know, though, that an all-out knock-down drag-out brawl ensued involving HUNDREDS. Spilled over onto DeMaisoneuve Blvd blocking all the traffic and requiring the intervention of dozens and dozens of Montréal's finest. Wasn't even reported on the evening news...

Any other Montrealers (or anyone else) with similar stories of local Muslim reaction to 9/11? Let me know. The young Middle Eastern FedEx guy who came to my door that afternoon was visibly shaken and said something like, "See. That's why my family moved here. To get away from those..."

# posted by religion news weblog : 7/9/2004

Source:

http://relapsedcatholic.blogspot.com/

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