Amir Taheri: Exhibition Killing

Wall Street Journal ^ | September 30, 2004 | AMIR TAHERI

[OESY]

...A survey of Muslim views over the past weeks shows overwhelming, though not unanimous, condemnation of the Beslan massacre. But in all cases the reasons given for the condemnation are political rather than religious. Muslim commentators assert that Russia, having supported "the Palestinian cause," did not deserve such treatment....

Implicit in all this is that killing innocent people in the lands of the "infidel" is justified for as long as the victims are not citizens of states sympathetic to "the Arab cause," whatever it happens to be at any given time. That position was highlighted in the Arab reaction to the kidnapping of two French journalists... "France is a friend of the Arabs; we cannot treat friends this way."

...In other words the Frenchmen must be freed because they support the Arabs, not because holding hostages is wrong....

...The French delegation, led by Mohamed Bechari, went out of its way to advertise France's "heroic opposition" to the Iraq war in 2003. "I am here to defend France's Arab policy," Mr. Bechari told reporters. "In Iraq as well as in Palestine, France is for the Arabs."

...The assumption that only Americans and Israelis are targeted has proved false as Islamists have murdered hundreds of peoples from all faiths, including Islam, in a dozen countries in the past three years. Today, it is enough for anyone to designate himself as an Islamic "Mujahid," fighting for Palestine and opposing the "occupation" in Iraq, to get carte blanche from millions of Muslims, including many in authority, for kidnapping and "exhibition killing."

...Ayatollah Khalkhali wrote: "Among those we seize hostage or kill, some may be innocent. In that case, Allah will take them to his paradise. We do our job, He does His."

[OESY]

Mr. Taheri is an Iranian political commentator based in Paris.

[Smokin' Joe]

...The assumption that only Americans and Israelis are targeted has proved false as Islamists have murdered hundreds of peoples from all faiths, including Islam, in a dozen countries in the past three years

Doesn't that just make you feel all warm and fuzzy toward these murderers now?

[tkathy]

All these maniacs care about is their IMAGE!!! No interest whatsoever in butchering of innocents around the world. Unbelievable!!! Almost as much denial as liberals.

[KDD]

Ayatollah Khalkhali wrote: "Among those we seize hostage or kill, some may be innocent. In that case, Allah will take them to his paradise. We do our job, He does His."

Islamic translation: "Kill them all and let God sort them out".

[Kozak]

Sheik Yussuf al-Qaradawi, a Sunni Muslim scholar based in Qatar, was among the first to condemn the Beslan massacre. At the same time, however, he insists that a similar attack on Israeli schools would be justified because Israeli schoolchildren, if not killed, could grow up to become soldiers. (Sheik Qaradawi also justifies the killing of unborn Israelis because, if born, they could become soldiers.)

By refusing to come out with a categorical rejection of terrorism, Muslim leaders and opinion-makers are helping perpetuate a situation in which no one is safe. The 9/11 attacks against the United States were based on the claim, made by al Qaeda's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, that all citizens of democratic countries could be murdered because, being actual or potential voters, they have a share of responsibility for the policies of their governments.

Based on the above, I guess we have justification for murdering every Muslim woman and child as a source of future terrorists. What the morons need to reelize is that though they can cause us pain, we can destroy them. We are restrained only by our own values and morals. God help them if they push to the breaking point.

[Pearls Before Swine]

A very good editorial. Mr. Taheri's take on this is the same as mine. I felt there was a strong likelihood that the British and French Muslim delegations were appealing for mercy on the grounds of political expediency rather than the grounds of good and evil. Mr. Taheri has supplied facts indicating that this was indeed the case.

[cooldog]

Step 1: Legally and officially recognize Islam in this country for what it is; a criminal conspiracy to commit murder.

Victory, or at least the absence of defeat, will follow.

We have got to see past the fact that it has been called a religion.

[McGavin999]

This is not true in Iraq and most of Iran. The Iraqis are horrified by what is happening. When the Christian churches were bombed a few weeks back I was stunned to see the outpouring of love and comfort the Iraqis showed to the Christian community. They are also horrified at the beheadings and when they speak of terrorists they tend to call them Wahabists.

Iranians will be the first to tell you they are not Arabs and do not sympathize with Arab causes. The mad mullahs are Arab, but the Iranian people are Persian.