To build on what has been said here, Osama Bin Ladin started his war on the
United States after we intervened to protect his home country, Saudi Arabia,
from Iraq. He is the son of a very wealthy Saudi Prince, and he believes
that Saudi Arabian land was defiled by allowing infidels to tread there.
He apparently preferred to be captured by Saddam Hussein than to be defended
by Americans. His personal war is not on Israel, nor does it appear to be
related to our defense of Israel. It is on us for treading on Saudi soil.
Our society and culture is based on rational, critical thinking. It is very
difficult for us to devise a strategy for dealing with emotional and
irrational thinking. I might add that our university system used to have as
its goal to teach critical thinking and rational analysis. It has evolved
away from that goal, and now teaches emotionality and doctrinaire thinking.
How do you defeat irrational emotionalism? I don't know, but if we figure
it out, maybe we can take back our institutions of higher learning.
Joe Garrett
cell 425-344-1402
-----Original Message-----
From: Military Vehicles Mailing List [mailto:mil-veh@mil-veh.org]On
Behalf Of JaxInCalifornia@aol.com
Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 1:19 PM
To: Military Vehicles Mailing List
Subject: [MV] history and today
I tried to send this earlier but it never made it, so here goes again....
A number of our so-called experts have presented us with the idea we may
have
caused our own grief. That for decades American's foreign policy has
rained
down death and destruction on innocent people around the world and because
of
that, the bully (USA) has sown the seeds of it's own destruction. They
allege on Sept. 11th the oppressed people and victims of US aggression
simply
hit back.
We've heard this argument before, more often in liberal university circles
where a hidden socialistic agenda motivates their unusual opinions and
causes
our youth to be brainwashed for a few years. Thank God most out grow it!
But, that is a whole other issue. The fact remains this wrong thinking has
taken hold beyond their narrow mindedness of some wacky liberal professors.
It's caused us some self-doubt even in some conservative areas and has us
confused too many of us, when we should know better.
I suppose it is confusing because it is a plausible argument backed up by
half-truths that are not very easy to refute on the spur of the moment.
However, if one did take the time to examine those allegations of US
genocide
they would find a very short list. Zero genocide, zero campaigns against
civilians. And for as many actions taken against the Arab we have also
balanced it with support. Consider the latest action being our
multinational, United Nations, participation in the Kosovo. Ironically this
was to stop a war of genocide against a Muslim population by ethnic
Christians. Another irony could be found in our relationship with the
Taliban in Afghanistan. They are fundamentalist regime we supported their
fight with Soviet domination. We should be allies, but we are hated, why?
We didn't do anything to them, so what's their beef?
I could go on with a long list of positive policies for Moslem causes, a
list
that should cancel our transgressions, such as acknowledging Israel's right
to exist, a terrible thing to do, but I am limited for space. The bottom
line is, those claims of US bullying leading to the instigating of the
attack
fall woefully short of the truth. This comes nowhere close to justifying
the
attack of Sept. 11th. So you must wonder, what could have provoked such a
maniacal, well-coordinated suicidal attack?
Consider this, when the Koran (Qur'an) was written it commanded the faithful
to kill the infidels (meaning any non-Muslims), in loose translation it said
that if they came upon such infidels and they fled then they should hunt
them
down and kill them. Now also consider the very name Moslem or Muslim means
to be member of the Nation of Islam and to be one who surrenders to God's
will. In other words to do God's will as they interpreted God's will,
according to the dictates of certain powerful religious leaders.
The most radical branch of Islam was the Shiites, which began as a counter
revolutionary force within the Nation of Islam, against the aristocracy,
which we would now call the Sunni. Sunni and Shiite being opposite ends of
the Moslem world, the rich verses the poor. The Shiite was in truth
generally
separated from the middle and upper class Moslems by their low economic and
educational levels.
This was yet another ages old example of the "haves and the have-nots". The
rabble greatly resented the wealthy for obvious reasons were inflamed by
leaders with less obvious reasons. But, in a rather short time the poor and
more numerous elements were united by a shared version of Islam in which
they
held they were the more righteous; an army of opposition was born!
They believed their version of morality was gradually being destroyed by
those they characterized as greedy land owners and powerful rich, who had
become rulers in the Nation of Islam and they rose up to challenge their
enemy, ironically other Moslems absent any US foreign policy! The first
great battle to be fought was at the Plains of Kerbala where the Shiite Army
led by the son of Mohammed met the professional and much larger Yezid Army.
When Mohammed's son realized they were greatly mismatched and had no real
chance against the Army of Yezid, he and a few of his followers rode out to
battle them in a suicidal gesture while his own ragtag army watched in awe
and waiting for divine intervention. He was of course killed and to the
outrage and horror of his followers, his head was paraded around on a pike.
Before his death the Imam Hussain (aka Imam Husayn ibn 'Ali 'a ) gave a
rousing speech to his believers, urging martyrdom to rekindle the spirit of
what is the true spirit of Islam. Here are a few excerpts, "Death is better
than disgrace and disgrace is better than the fire of hell... I see death as
a blessing and life with tyrants as the most disgusting state one can be
in."
Thus began martyrdom and jihad (holy war against the rich and powerful ) and
to this day it is still practiced by those radical elements who surrender to
what they call God's will. Literally following a few of the more obscure
passages in the Koran they pervert their own holy Bible, the Koran, just
like
some our own homegrown fanatics have done in the name of Christ. For the
Muslim all this sacrifice has a great payoff, a guaranteed entry to heaven
and a great reward once inside! Typically they are promised numerous
young,
beautiful virgins who wait on them for eternity.
Many religious scholars might say they have chosen to misinterpret those
sections of the Koran that tend to reaffirm their radical positions. That
this is a perversity of the original religion and intent.
Did our State Dept. and our foreign policy cause Kerbala? No, we didn't
even
exist as a nation then. But eventually it did place us in harms way upon
the
very first confrontation with the radicals. When issues important the
United
States collided with a fanatical religious movement. As a wealthy and
powerful nation built upon Christian principles we were a tremendous affront
to everything the zealots held near and dear. Our current societal flaws
from our drug abuse to sexy and violent movies only affirms their zealots
take of a demonic nation, unfit to exist.
Our foreign policy touched a scorpion nest that much is true, but it had
much
less to do with Sept. 11th than our own lifestyle and religious background.
That is a hard thing for most of us to believe because it is so foreign to
our thinking.
Clearly if the facts were presented to the public fairly, the responsibility
and blame for the attack of Sept. 11th should be on religious fanaticism.
Not on the State Dept. polices. The Muslim zealots pronounced our nation as
"The Great Satan" and declared holy war on its citizens. The war has been
on
for years too; it has only just now caught up with us on the home front.
This zealotry in the name of Islam is the enemy of Islam, of the United
States and of civilization.
Our scholars try to understand and make sense of the zealot's side,
confusing
their hidden agenda and current issues with our contemporary values. This
has led to self-criticism of the United States and a finding that the route
cause must be something we did wrong. We may well have done wrong things
too, but it pales by comparison to the fundamental driving force of today's
terrorism and can in no way justify it.
Too many of us fail to see the obvious because they think in more rational
terms, absent the mindset of religious fanaticism. A fanaticism that drives
people to do bizarre and evil things. The logic of Jonestown could just as
well be applied to the attack of Sept. 11th.
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 08 2001 - 10:58:59 PDT