Daniel Pipes: [Nepal and France:] Two Opposite Responses to Terrorism

The New York Sun ^ | September 14, 2004 | Daniel Pipes

[quidnunc]

Two terrorist dramas began in Iraq on the same day, Aug. 19, 2004, when jihadists separately seized 12 Nepalese workers and 2 French reporters. Although their fates may end differently — the former were murdered and the latter remain alive in captivity — it is striking how similarly impotent both victim populations felt and how differently they responded.

In the Nepalese case, a group of cooks, janitors, laundry attendants, and other laborers had just crossed the border from Jordan into Iraq when it was kidnapped by Ansar al-Sunna, a violent Islamist group. On Aug. 31, an Islamist website showed a four-minute video of their executions.

Nepalese responded to this atrocity by venting their anger by assaulting the Muslim minority in Nepal. Hundreds of infuriated young men surrounded Katmandu's one mosque on Aug. 31 and heaved rocks at it. Violence escalated the next day, with five thousand demonstrators taking to the street, yelling slogans like "We want revenge," "Punish the Muslims," and "Down with Islam." Some attacked the mosque, broke into it, ransacked it, and set fire to it. Hundreds of Korans were thrown onto the street, and some were burned.

Rioters also looted other identifiably Muslim targets in the capital city, including embassies and airline bureaus belonging to Muslim-majority countries. A Muslim-owned television station and the homes of individual Muslims came under attack. Mobs even sacked the agencies that recruit Nepalese to work in the Middle East.

-snip-

[mnehring]

The Buddhists in Nepal need to teach reality to many Buddhists here in the US.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

Amir Taheri said: "The logical conclusion of the theory that America is attacked because of what it does is to hand over American policy to its enemies and critics." It seems that the French like the idea of their enemies running French foreign policy.

[AFreeBird]

It seems that the French like the idea of their enemies running French foreign policy.

But of course. It takes away the reponsibility for all that crtical thinking and the hard decisions such thinking require leaving more time for fun in the sun on the French Riviera.

[kanawa]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1215458/posts

[Pearls Before Swine]

Muslims living in this country should be doing everything they possibly can to make sure that we all understand that they are not on the fence when it comes to Muslim violence-

IMHO, its a bit late for that--they should have done that three years ago, and LOUDLY. Now, I'd think they were blowing so much smoke at me.

[Coroner]

You mean they shoulda done that 14 centuries ago!!

[Coroner]

I kinda see myself as a participant!!