To clarify what I mean by "understanding" these beliefs:
Every faithful Muslim accepts a set of End Time beliefs, just like every faithful Christian accepts the Book of Revelations in some interpretation. There are lots -- I mean LOTS -- I mean L O T S of Muslims who believe that the Last Days are coming soon.
Now, they don't all turn terrorist and they aren't all automatically anti-West.
But some of them are terrorists and anti-West.
There's really a delicate balance involved here. Because of the Qur'an's emphasis on "jihad" you need a careful set of interpretations in order to create a nonviolent outlook of the End Time hadith.
Mr. Yahya has one such version here. I tend to ignore them, but this article seemed like a good one to have posted at Free Republic, as FR serves as a repository of information.
As for the violent interpretations, it doesn't mean that you want to "hug a jihadist" to say that it's important to know that an enemy not only hates you, but has a book where his god guarantees him in prophecy that his side is going to be 100% victorious. And that there is no future, anyway, because the End of Time is coming soon. Someone who believes that is more dangerous than an enemy who simply disagrees with your politics, economics, support for Israel, etc.
Which is why I get so frustrated that for the last four years, hardly any attention has been paid to how these Muslim End-Time belief systems intersect with Islamic terrorism -- and zero attention from any government or major media, at least in public.
I support President Bush and the "War on Terror," including his policy in Iraq. But I wish that he's address this factor in that fight. Or assign some lower-level politico to at least mention it as an aside.
Our brave servicemen and women need all the information about the enemy -- and Muslim friends -- that is available.
Instant Karma's gonna get you
Gonna knock you right in the head
You better get yourself together
Pretty soon your gonna be dead
Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear
Why on Earth are you there
When you're everywhere
Gonna get your share
Well, we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun
Yeah, we all shine on
On and on and on, on and on
Dajjal said in part, "There are lots -- I mean LOTS -- I mean L O T S of Muslims who believe that the Last Days are coming soon.
Now, they don't all turn terrorist and they aren't all automatically anti-West.
But some of them are terrorists and anti-West.
There's really a delicate balance involved here. Because of the Qur'an's emphasis on "jihad" you need a careful set of interpretations in order to create a nonviolent outlook of the End Time hadith."
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OPINION:
Short Version:
AMERICA IS FIGHTING A WAR AGAINST TERRORISM AND TERRORISTS.
It is not a good time to be a terrorist.
That's all a terrorist really needs to know as he/she faces the "End-Times."
Important Note:
Terrorism IS terrorism.
Terrorism wrapped in "jihad" IS terrorism.
Thanks for posting the full essay.
Last night's version was an apologetic, whereas this seems more an explanation.
"hardly any attention has been paid to how these Muslim End-Time belief systems intersect with Islamic terrorism -- and zero attention from any government or major media, at least in public."
It's important to differentiate between the extremists in "end time belief" and everybody else.
I think (hope) people are starting to catch on to this, with the crazy talk coming from Ahmadinejad.
Thanks for your post