Posted on 09/01/2006 6:45:16 AM PDT by Guard Dog
"... disbelievers will be cast into an eternal fire. But Allah is also ever merciful, and the West can change its ways and turn to the purifying power of Islam ..." -- Kidnapped Fox reporter Steve "Khaled'' Centanni, channeling his captors.
We don't often get to watch our media people convert to Islam, so the footage of Fox News' Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig has been riveting.
Some people can't get enough of watching planes fly into the World Trade Center towers; I can't get enough of Centanni and Wiig pledging allegiance to Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him.
The common thread between the two is disbelief. I keep rerunning the tapes, now posted on the Web, trying to read the kidnapped men's body language and translate the meaning of deep breaths and eye movements.
Trying, alas, to imagine being in their place.
As everyone knows, reporter Centanni and cameraman Wiig were released several days ago after being seized in Gaza City by masked gunmen and held hostage for 13 days.
It's not clear exactly who their kidnappers were, whether part of the Holy Jihad Brigades, as claimed, or whether they had ties to Hamas or the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an offshoot of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah.
You need a scorecard to keep up with all the region's disaffected. Apparently, when three or more angry Muslims gather in a garage, a new jihadist group is born.
What's perfectly clear is that video is the new weapon of mass destruction. A billion people manipulated into religious frenzy is a formidable force. It is also clear that the West's continued existence -- at least from the perspective of Islamist militants -- depends upon our willingness to bow to Islam.
Those two conclusions are made possible by the images of Centanni and Wiig holding up an index finger and proclaiming allegiance to the Prophet Muhammad.
Says Centanni: "My name is Steve. I'm an American. After I entered Islam, I changed my name to Khaled. I have embraced Islam and say the word Allah, and my leader is the Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him.''
Wiig -- new name "Ya'aqob'' -- repeats the liturgy.
Then the two men proceed to read a script outlining all the reasons why the West is wrong -- from invading Afghanistan and Iraq to the tortures of Abu Ghraib. They also ask that all prisoners be released from Guantanamo and that President Bush cease referring to Islamic fascists as "Islamic fascists.''
It's not nice, and it makes the kidnappers mad.
"Yeah, they were very angry about that,'' said Wiig in an interview after his release.
In his role as Khaled, Centanni said he hoped to help Westerners see the light of Islam, which "helps people to love mercy, brotherhood, equality and justice.'' Especially -- we can't help filling in for him -- when a gun is pointed at one's head. Or a knife poised at one's throat.
One of Wiig's interrogators, a dark figure framed by two AK-47s and with a bayonet at his feet, provided a grim reminder that death is always an option for uncooperative infidels. Thus, the journalists did what they thought necessary to survive.
Obviously, none of us can imagine what we'd do under similar circumstances. Yet despite our empathy and relief at the men's release, there is nevertheless something about that video -- of seeing those two decent, open-hearted Western men surrendering to these lowlife fanatics -- that makes me want to take a shower.
How dare those thugs lecture Westerners about the loveliness of Islam while forcing religious conversion at gunpoint?
Their objective was clear from the beginning, according to Centanni and Wiig. They wanted a video. The two Fox journalists were far more valuable shown as cowardly Westerners converting to Islam than as severed heads on the tip of a dull knife.
Let me be clear: I don't think they were cowards. But those who are willing to strap explosives to their bodies -- or enlist their children to become suicide bombers -- surely see them, and us, that way. It is easy to imagine that rancorous Muslims are as attuned to the video as we are, watching replay after replay in the smug satisfaction that they have scored another victory against the infidel and the Great Satan.
Those few minutes of choreographed horror affirm for the Islamic world that Westerners are weak, while they reiterate the jihadist's message to the West:
Convert to Islam -- or die.
"Absolutely! I'd take a bullet to the brain any day over converting to Islam."
I think a true conversion only happens in your heart, and cannot be forced. If I was reasonably sure it would save my live I would go through the whole shpeil if necessary, knowing that it was empty words that meant nothing real to me, and I could renounce it immediately afterwards.
I can't fault them for what they did, pretending to convert to a mockery of a "religion".. these guys probably have families..
Maybe we are at a place in time where we need to start killing some people who really need killing.
"Why in the world is this reporter putting "Peace be upon him" in this sentence? Is she a muslim? If not why in the world would she include that in the sentence?"
Maybe she's so dumb, she thinks that it's his full name...
"Mr and Mrs. Peace Be Upon Hum, table for two... paging Mr. and Mrs. Peace Be Upon Him..."
"I think this should be a wake-up call to all Americans, especially Christians, to start thinking about what we would do in this situation."
I have a better idea. Let's put all of our energy into fighting back against those who would place us in such a situation in the first place. Instead of being on the defensive, let's be on the offense...for our sake and the sake of our children!
"The overall fight against Islamic fascism will be long and hard, but our individual, personal roles in it may boil down to a split-second decision."
That's exactly my point. I want this type of threat to cease before my child has to deal with it. The muslims are keeping us on the defense with this line of thinking and IMHO, it hampers our fight against them. I want the muslim fanatics to start worrying what they would do if they were put in such a situation.
Unfortunately the muslim fanatics don't seem to care if they live or die, which is understandable, as they are just exchanging their self-imposed Hell on earth for eternal Hell. Civilized people are always at this disadvantage when fighting barbarians. But if they are going to take this attitude, then I have no problem giving them the Hell they are asking for. I don't want my children to have to worry about this either, but realistically, I know they will. I hope that by time I have grandchildren, the outlook will be better by then.
"then I have no problem giving them the Hell they are asking for."
We think alike!
I think she's just using the same terminology that Centani used. She isn't muslim as far as I know.
A man named Saul, persecuted Christians, until he met with the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. (See the Book of Acts, New Testament.)
Then, as Paul, he spread the Word throughout the known world. Most of the New Testament was written by Paul, to help other Christians to persevere their own spiritual trials.
He became the persecuted, was jailed several times, and died in prison, for his Faith. "... If we died with Him, we will also live with Him." II Timothy 2:11.
The time will come when we all are tested. I'm not a scholar, just a brother hoping that we all can pass this final exam.
That is so true. I hope God would give me the grace to perservere, because I know I could never do it by my power.
Or we can give those Neanderthals a nuclear foretaste of the eternal hellfire that is coming THEIR way. I will personally go out in a blaze of gunfire before I bow to Is-Slime.
See 20 above.
To a Christian, accepting a false god to save your mortal life, only rejects your eternal life.
"Left Behind" is an interpretation of the last Book of the Bible, Revelations. It helps some of us to understand the prophesies of John about the end times.
In the series, you are given a choice, reject Christianity, or die.
Maybe I'm just old, but me, I'd rather give up this old body for my beliefs, than to give up my soul.
Amen to that brother. Got my guns, got my ammo. Am ready for the war; I get some before they chop my head!
"To a Christian, accepting a false god to save your mortal life, only rejects your eternal life. "
By verbally saying something atpoint, you are not accepting a false god. You could hold a gun to my head and make me swear the sky is green, nothing will ever make it true. "Left Behind" is but one of many interpretations of that book. Just sayin'.. :)
"atpoint" should read "at gunpoint"
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