Quit blaming America: We didn't earn Islamofascists' hatred

Chicago SunTimes ^ | February 5, 2007

[PRePublic]

Quit blaming America: We didn't earn Islamofascists' hatred

http://www.suntimes.com/news/laney/242780,CST-EDT-LANEY05.article

February 5, 2007 BY MARY LANEY It's difficult to have calm discussions about Islamic terrorists, 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq or Iran. Too often the chats -- between friends, relatives, co-workers, or strangers on the train -- become heated and illogical. I've heard them and seen them argue. Everyone wants to place blame for the rise in violent Islamofascism. As for putting the blame somewhere, those on the extreme left and extreme right wings both place the blame on America. Instead of blaming the terrorists, these groups blame Americans. Really.

On the left, they're against the war in Iraq and have now gone so far as to state our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are mere mercenaries, being paid to fight over there and being given good benefits. They not only want us to pull out of Iraq, this group openly states there's no reason to have to "support the troops" as they have enough money and support already. One scribe even wrote this opinion in a newspaper.

At the "Peace Rally" in Washington, marchers carried signs blaming the terror attacks on America on President Bush. Then again, this group blames Bush for everything, including global warming, infertility, disease, secondhand smoke and any terrorist attack anywhere. Sen. John Kerry, speaking at a conference in Switzerland recently, referred to America as a "pariah." He was sitting next to the former president of Iran, yet never mentioned anything against Iran's current U.N.-defying nuclear buildup.

Then there are the far right-wingers who blame terrorism on America because of the television programs and movies that they consider decadent. These right-wingers state that radical Islamists had to wage war to protect their delicate culture. To this argument I might point out that their delicate culture has recently allowed them -- according to British authorities -- to allegedly plot to behead a British Muslim soldier, videotape the beheading, and post the video on the internet.

Some place the radical Muslim hate for America -- and the forming of terrorist groups -- on America's support for Israel. This view is historically void. The Muslim Brotherhood, the forefather of Hamas and al-Qaida, was founded in 1928.

In discussions there are those who will point out -- no, actually shout out -- that America's alleged atrocities at Guantanamo and the humiliation of prisoners at Abu Ghraib have made radical Muslims hate us. Actually, they've hated us for decades and plotted to attack America within our borders for years. Remember the bombing of the Twin Towers in 1993?

But what good are facts when emotions -- or politics -- are involved? Many Americans simply believe that the global war these Islamofascists are waging is all our fault.

Some believe we deserve the Muslim hatred because we invaded Iraq for the oil that is there. Members of this group say the administration lied when it said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and there was fear he might use them -- as he did when he gassed to death thousands of Kurds. It's true that no weapons of mass destruction were found. It's also true that many nations, and members of both parties in Congress, believed he had the WMDs, and said so as far back as the Clinton administration.

I don't like war. I don't like to see our nation's men and women go into battle. But I will never agree with those who say we need not support them. And I will never agree with anyone who blames America for the rise in Islamofascism or radical Muslims' violent and inhumane actions or their hate-filled rhetoric.

In the Quran, Islam's holy book, the Prophet Muhammad tells his followers to offer non-Muslims three things: Conversion, second-class citizenship, or war.

We Americans, our lifestyles, our support of Israel, our protection of Afghanistan, our actions in Iraq, didn't cause Islamofascists to hate us. They hate us because we are not Muslims. They hate us because they do not rule us. They hate us because we live with freedom and equality. They hate us because, to them, we are infidels, renegades from their true religion of Islam.

They're not offering us conversion. They are offering us war. They declared it loud, explosively and deadly in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. That's something to remember in your next discussion with friends, relatives, or co-workers.

[b4its2late]

Me either, but she was probably just looking for balance in the article.

[alligator]

People need to review the history when it comes to America and Islam. There is a good book "Pirate Coast: Thomas Jefferson, the First Marines, and the Secret Mission of 1805" I highly recommend this book for those who want to know the whole history of the US and our relationship regarding the muslims.

The book begins with a history of the Muslim attacks on the shipping and coastal villages throughout all of Europe and the Mediterranean. For well over 400 yrs these people had terrorized the people, destroying villages, raping and murdering the people, and enslaving hundreds of thousands of people. To buy peace with the Muslims, the European countries paid ransoms and tribute, which would buy a temporary lull in the attacks. And then a jihad would be called (because of any number of idiotic reasons) and they would be back at war until a new, more costly peace was purchased.

The soft-hearted liberals often feel that we caused their hatred. That just isn't so. And nothing short of all converting will ever appease them. It took Thomas Jeffereson to show the world how to handle these people... And he had to fight with his congress just as much as our current President is having to.

Those who don't remember history....
....are doomed to repeat it.

[agrace]

Slightly different perspective where how I can see this applying, with regard to our decadent society - a missionary to Dearborn MI spoke at our church last week and she said this, that because most Muslims live in countries were Islam is the official state religion, they look at America the same way. Since America is called a "Christian" country, most Muslims think that CHRISTIANITY sanctions the ridiculous behavior that they see in our various forms of media, the fact that our mainline denominations are allowing gay clergy, etc. They believe that American culture is the personification of Christianity, so they hate both entities and see them both as a threat to Islam.

Does that give them justification to murder? Of course not - more like an excuse. But for missionaries here and elsewhere trying to reach Muslims, it sure puts up a big misconception that has to be broken down.

[ZULU]

"In the Quran, Islam's holy book, the Prophet Muhammad tells his followers to offer non-Muslims three things: Conversion, second-class citizenship, or war."

The key sentence in this article which is a very good one.

From the time Islam was founded by its "prophet" in the 600's it has used violence and force to expand. At one point, it had conquered a good part of Europe, in addition to its continual expansion in Africa and Asia. In the Middle Ages, Islam was thankfully purged from western Europe. Much of Eastern Europe had to suffer until the 1800s to be relieved of this scourge.

This situation was only reversed in the mid 1800's when western European military technology and power reached the point of not only checking Islamic expansion, but actually dominating a good part of the Islamic world militarily.

During the "Cold War", the dynamics started to change.

Western military technology and weaponry had found its way into the hands of these primitives from western powers and Soviet forces, struggling to control the world.

At the end of the Cold War, a significant number of these primitives now had modern military capabilities - both their sheikdoms and the individuals themselves.

Globalism and increased racial and religious tolerance resulted in the ability of these primitives to expand their populations into areas once excluded to them. The Internet and the television allowed them to view our society and permitted them to compare it with what they were accustomed to and taught to believe was a "correct" society. Those who had infiltrated our society did not come as other immigrants in the past and indeed many immigrants do today - because they admire our society and wanted to be a part of it. They come to convert, to destroy, to kill - and to report back to their homelands on the "degeneracy" of the west.

Due to their own peculiar perspectives, historical experiences and total incapacity to comprehend a free society's tolerance of varying social mores and views, along with the injunctions of their "prophet" and the "Koran", they could only judge our society as defective.

Accordingly, they are attempting to convert us by the sword, by preaching and by example.

What they think of us is not as important as the equal inability of most western liberals to understand THEM and the past historical and present threat posed by them and their "religion".

Nearly any other of religious belief or non-belief is compatible with western civilization.

Islam is not.

[Condor51]

Too often the chats -- between ... strangers on the train -- become heated and illogical. I've heard them and seen them argue.

Then there are the far right-wingers who blame terrorism on America because of the television programs and movies that they consider decadent. These right-wingers state that radical Islamists had to wage war to protect their delicate culture.

First of all, that must be some Train Ride you're on Mary. I've taken METRA a gazillion times and all the folks do is sleep, read or do the crossword puzzle. This is of course all since METRA got rid of the 'Club Car' and the booze :-)

Secondly Mary, stop hitting the bong. "Far right-wingers" do not blame America. IIRC Pat Robertson was they only 'wing-nut' who blamed America's decadence for the Islamic Fascists attacks. And Pat and his ilk are in the extreme minority with that line of thinking. So stop with the "Right Wing" nonsense.

Not that (most) television programs and movies aren't perverted, deviate, filthy trash, they are. If the Hays Production Code was brought back today I'd be pleased as punch. And Pat does have one point; We weren't being attacked when Leave It To Beaver was the top TV show and actors kept their clothes on. I really don't need to see Mel Gibson's butt, Sharon Stone's crotch, or Meryl Streep's teats. And I certainly don't want to see remakes of The Maltese Falcon, The Third Man, Shane, or The Big Sleep with nude scenes or that Citizen Kane was gay. (yuck, spit, puke!!)

[SmartAZ]

You earn hatred by being good. If God had a house on earth people would break His windows.

[Burlem]

WOW ........ is this laying it on the line or what?

The lady who wrote this letter is Pam Foster of Pamela Foster and Associates in Atlanta . She recently wrote a letter to a family member serving in Iraq ......... Read it!

"Are we fighting a war on terror or aren't we? Was it or was it not started by Islamic people who brought it to our shores on September 11, 2001 ?

Were people from all over the world, mostly Americans, not brutally murdered that day, in downtown Manhattan , across the Potomac from our nation's capitol and in a field in Pennsylvania ?

Did nearly three thousand men, women and children die a horrible, burning or crushing death that day, or didn't they?

And I'm supposed to care that a copy of the Koran was "desecrated" when an overworked American soldier kicked it or got it wet?

Well, I don't. I don't care at all.

I'll start caring when Osama bin Laden turns himself in and repents for incinerating all those innocent people on 9/11.

I'll care about the Koran when the fanatics in the Middle East start caring about the Holy Bible, the mere possession of which is a crime in Saudi Arabia

I'll care when Abu Musab al-Zarqawi tells the world he is sorry for hacking off Nick Berg's head while Berg screamed through his gurgling slashed throat.

I'll care when the cowardly so-called "insurgents" in Iraq come out and fight like men instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in mosques.

I'll care when the mindless zealots who blow themselves up in search of nirvana care about the innocent children within range of their suicide bombs.

I'll care when the American media stops pretending that their First Amendment liberties are somehow derived from international law instead of the United States Constitution's Bill of Rights.

In the meantime, when I hear a story about a brave marine roughing up an Iraqi terrorist to obtain information, know this: I don't care.

When I see a fuzzy photo of a pile of naked Iraqi prisoners who have been humiliated in what amounts to a college-hazing incident, rest assured that I don't care.

When I see a wounded terrorist get shot in the head when he is told not to move because he might be booby-trapped, you can take it to the bank that I don't care.

When I hear that a prisoner, who was issued a Koran and a prayer mat, and fed "special" food that is paid for by my tax dollars, is complaining that his holy book is being "mishandled," you can absolutely believe in your heart of hearts that I don't care.

And oh, by the way, I've noticed that sometimes it's spelled "Koran" and other times "Quran." Well, Jimmy Crack Corn and ---- you guessed it - - I don't care ! ! ! ! !

If you agree with this viewpoint, pass this on to all your e-mail friends. Sooner or later, it'll get to the people responsible for this ridiculous behavior!

If you don't agree, then by all means hit the delete button.

Should you choose the latter, then please don't complain when more atrocities committed by radical Muslims happen here in our great country.

I am not deleting this, I am sending it on, but only after

I add:

--"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem."

-- Ronald Reagan

I have another quote that I would like to add AND.......

I hope you forward this such as I have.

"If we ever forget that we're One Nation Under God,

then we will be a nation gone under."

also by... Ronald Reagan

[ZULU]

The overwhemling number of Muslims, like the overwhelming of westerners, are prisoners of their own historical and social perspectives, which prevents them from accurately assessing the danger (as this applies to of Islam) or the merits (as this applies to western society)of the opposite culture.

Muslims simply don't understand "freedom" as we do.

Westerners, shackled by political correctness, simply view Islam as just another religion and the terrorists as abberrant renegades.

[baiamonte]

When was the last time you saw a so-called moderate Muslim speak out against terrorist? Anyone? Anyone? The answer is there are no moderate Muslims. They're all natural born terrorists.

[ZULU]

GREAT BOOK.

But the episode of the Barbary Pirates is but a single snapshot in the sordid history of this cult - others include the invasion and focrible conversion of western Asia and Anatolia, Egypt and North Africa, Sicily and souther Italy, and Iberia.

This is being repeated right now in the Sudan, in Egypt, in Nigeria, in India and in many other places.

[ZULU]

A "moderate" Muslim is one who wants to use your own government, courts and laws to convert you and your children by transforming your society.

[ZULU]

Even if our society was purged totally of what we consider purient aspects, Islam would still make war on us.

This isn't just about our view of moral degeneracy - its about Islam versus "unbelievers".

[Basheva]

I've never heard a right winger say the things this author says they do - never.

In any event....Islamic culture is just about the most perverted there is. A huge porno industry, sex vacations in Egypt and Thailand, gay activity rampant. And if treating the females of one's culture as sex slaves isn't perverted, I don't know what is.

And if they are so incensed about our sexual/social depravity - well, why do they keep looking at it and buying it?

[ZULU]

GREAT POST!!!!!!!!

[steve-b]

I have yet to hear someone of the extreme right blame America.

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

[steve-b]

I've NEVER heard anyone from the right blame anyone but the "Religion of Peace" for terrorism.

See links in previous message.

[theBuckwheat]

The way we "earned" the "hatred" of Islamists is because we have not accepted Islam's Three Questions: Convert, submit or die.

As much as the Left in the west hates and fears evangelical Christians, their efforts to spread the Gospel of Christ is peaceful in all ways. Contrary-wise, the "gospel" of Islam is spread through coercion and suicide bombers.

If a Christian confronts a non-believer with a plea to accept Christ, but is rebuffed, he will just move on. The Islamist, on the other hand, gets to meet his virgins all the sooner if he dies while trying to force the non-believer to "believe" (as if honest and sincere belief can really be coerced by violence).

[johnnyd]

What about those idiots in Kansas that protest at soldiers funerals?

[Long Island Pete]

Good point. I guess I tend to ignore the lunatics

[SuziQ]

They're not offering us conversion. They are offering us war. They declared it loud, explosively and deadly in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. That's something to remember in your next discussion with friends, relatives, or co-workers.

Very Good point! The Muslims have been fighting America since our founding. The Barbary Pirates were Muslims who were exacting tributes from all other trading nations, because they were not Muslim. America paid protection money to them, for a time, so that we could continue trading. Thomas Jefferson decided to fight them and end that practice, and did so. Those were the 'shores of Tripoli' sung about in the Marine Hymn.

Their hatred of America is nothing new, and as the author stated, doesn't stem from anything we've done. They hate us because we exist, free, and outside of Islamic control.