Fighting faith / Radical Islam poses a grave threat to the United States

Cavalier Daily (University of Virginia) ^ | Nov 16, 2007 | John Nelson

[ml/nj]

STANDING before Iran's parliament earlier this year, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad asked his countrymen one question: "Who are our enemies?" His answer: godless America. This past Monday, before a crowd of University students, former Sen. Rick Santorum posed the same question for Americans. In his speech, Santorum accurately identified radical Islam as a major threat to the United States, but he did not identify the complex nature of faith that underlies this threat. The faith of radical Muslims fuels, complicates and intensifies the conflict in the Middle East.

I do not mean to defend Santorum's record in Congress, his past remarks or his term "Islamo-fascism." I believe, however, that we can accept his argument without supporting the man himself. His underlying message that radical Islam threatens America is important. Terrorists in Iraq and Iran and jihadist organizations across the world are fighting a religious war. As such, their faith plays a crucial role in determining the course and consequences of this conflict.

[ml/nj]

The author, Nelson, has some PC nonsense in this article particularly:

The history of Christianity involves as much, if not more, bloodshed as Islam's past. A particular faith in Christianity inspired the crusades and inquisition.

He obviously didn't take the same history course I sat in on on one of my UVa visits. The professor was talking about the spread of Islam taking about 100 years vs. 300 years for Christianity, and he attributed the difference to the use of the sword by Islam. Of course many of those areas that Islam "spread" to were Christian, and the times when Christians tried to fight back got to be labeled "Crusades." It's hard to see why this imputes violence to Christianity rather than Islam. I guess some think the Israelis are the violent ones now.

Still, the overall tenor of the article is positive. It is a follow-up to a speech given by Rick Santorum last Monday at the University.

ML/NJ

[gunnedah]

It really doesn't matter who the foe is,America is a doomed nation!