From Zachary Constantino in FrontPage comes more confirmation of something I have written about several times: jihadists are generally not poor and desperate, but relatively affluent and well-educated. And this is true even of Muslims in America.
The spread of Islamist radicalism in the United States, where demographic surveys indicate that 66% of American Muslims earn over $50,000 per year, confirms this thesis.[v][5] Moreover, the top ten Muslim occupations in America include engineering, medicine, and corporate management.[vi][6] Daniel Pipes, a scholar of Islam, notes, “In socioeconomic terms, certainly, Muslims can find little fault with America. They boast among the highest rates of education of any group in the country—a whopping 52 percent appear to hold graduate degrees—and this translates into a pattern of prestigious and remunerative employment.”[vii][7]However, in keeping with Krueger and Maleckova, this progress has hardly insulated America’s Muslim community from extremism. In 1999, at a forum sponsored by the State Department, Sheikh Mohammed Hisham Kabbani, a courageous Sufi cleric and opponent of Wahhabi Islam, argued that 80 percent of all mosques and Muslim charities in the United States had come under the influence of radical Islamic agents.
For this statement, Sheikh Kabbani endured severe criticism and even a death threat.[viii][8] Other Muslim scholars, like Khalid Duran and Tashbih Sayyed have also received death threats for their criticisms of Islamist radicalism. Sayyed warns, “Militant Islamist organizations in the US have created the perception that they are the sole voices of Muslims in the US, making their opposition [to] US efforts to eradicate fascist and totalitarian Islamist regimes a popular Muslim trait.”[ix][9]
Other troubling examples of the affluence of American-based Islamic militancy:
• Socially advantaged Americans join the jihadist ranks. Consider the case of former Taliban fighter John Walker Lindh. According to The New York Times, Lindh grew up in an “old, moneyed Marin County suburb” and his father is a “corporate-lawyer.”[x][10] The Boston Globe described the place of Lindh’s upbringing as a “comfortable home” located in a county prominent as “an address for millionaires.”[xi][11] Like Lindh, Mike Hawash, recently sentenced to seven years in prison on “charges of conspiring to wage war against the United States”[xii][12] enjoyed affluence as a software engineer for Intel.[xiii][13]• Jihadists have set up sophisticated networks. The Washington Times explains “The terrorist organization Hamas invested millions of dollars during the past decade in real-estate projects nationwide, including in suburban Maryland, as part of a scheme to raise cash to fund acts of terrorism.”[xiv][14] The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement testifies that BMI Leasing, Inc., BMI Real Estate Development and others “conducted financial transaction with persons who were or are now Specially Designated Terrorists or Specially Designated Global Terrorists, including Yassin Kadi, Mousa Abu Marzook and Mohammad Salah.”[xv][15]
Americans who turn to militant Islam as a way of life are not looking to improve their socioeconomic status but for identity, meaning, solidarity, and solutions in a utopian moral order. To win the war on terrorism requires doing combat against the real enemies of the West – the jihadists, the networks that support their cause, and sympathetic regimes – and not non-existent “root causes.”
The more affluent ones are certainly at the forefront of jihad, but I wonder how many of these "rich" muslims are dying as martyrs; i.e- fighting as insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan, or sending their bodies flaming particles in every direction allover the west bank as suicide/homocide bombers. Methinks a big fat zero,nada,zip.
They're far more content sitting and laughing while all the islamic peasants do the dirty'n'dangerous work. Then when these same peasents die, "rich" muslims of more or less the same circles as the terror-organization "bosses", working for that great tool of Allahs: Al Jazeera, report that these poor hard-done-to peasants are "being oppressed".
Yeah!And by whom I wonder?
The question is are these Islamic Terrorist Groups big shots really as devoutly religious as they profess to be, or are they part of a very clever and manipulative plot to use their religion to further their cause , using their not-so-bright muslim peasant brothers and sisters in any way they possibly can. And all for the love of Allah (or maybe some of them get paid).
Yep....only proves that this is a core ingredient of their holy book. Most middle class Muslims from what I have read give their support to Osama and what happened on 9/11.
Fanaticism knows no socio-economic barrier. Muslims have ONE aim and they are working in unison to achieve this.
Its only the dim whitted academics who push this line of "poverty makes the terrorist" barrow. Granted poverty is conducive to the recruiting system , but the Saudi's are hardly "Fagans".
Would say affluence controls and directs Jihad.Funds it as well. Actual dying and suicide
bombing is carried out by poor,ill educated lower
class cannon fodder.After all Osama B is still alive, we think. Why rich non Muslim boys and girls might be attracted to Islam!! Well, they are bored and many weak folk are attracted to authoritarian ideals. Certainly Islam is totally controlling, what other religion
do you know that regulates farts??
I'm confussed if they are predeterminded why fight of do anything? I know now why the mulsum countrys are sh-tholes because they think they can't make it better?
What a life full of no hope no wonder?
This is why they are so Jelous?
Bukhari:V6B60N473
“Every created soul has his place written for him either in Paradise or in the Hell Fire. His happy or miserable fate is predetermined for him.”
Bukhari:V6B60N473
“While we were in a funeral procession, Allah’s Apostle said, ‘Every created soul has his place written for him either in Paradise or in Hell. They have a happy or miserable fate predestined for them.’ A man said, ‘Apostle! Shall we depend upon what is written and give up doing deeds? For whoever is destined to be fortunate, will join the fortunate and whoever is destined to be miserable will go to Hell.’”
So they are going to hell!!They will not be saved?
Just look at all the mulsums killed in the earthquakes in mulsum lands?
Muslim:C14B39N6759
“Aisha, the wife of Allah’s Apostle, reported: ‘Allah’s Messenger left my apartment during the night. Then he came and he saw me in an agitated state.’ He said: “Aisha, what has happened to you? Do you feel jealous?” I said: “How can it be that a girl like me would not feel jealous in regard to a husband like you? Thereupon Allah’s Messenger said: “It is your devil who has come to you.” I said: “Allah’s Messenger, is there a devil with me?” He said: “Yes.” I said: “Is there a devil attached to everyone?” He said: “Yes.” I said: “Allah’s Messenger, is there a devil attached to you also?” He said: “Yes.”’
Bukhari:V6B60N475
“Allah’s Apostle became sick and could not offer his prayer. A lady came and said, ‘Muhammad! I think that your Satan has forsaken you, for I have not seen him with you for two or three nights!’
Ishaq:166
“‘You have recited to the people that which I did not bring to you from Allah, and you have said that which He did not say to you.’ The Messenger was grieved and feared Allah greatly. So Allah sent a revelation to him, consoling him and making light of the affair [of worldly bargains and Satanic indulgences]. He informed him that there had never been a prophet or messenger before who desired as he desired and wished as he wished but that Satan had cast words into his recitation, as he had interjected them on Muhammad’s tongue and into his desires.”
Qur’an 22:52
“Never did We send a messenger or a prophet before you, but, when he framed a desire, Satan threw some vanity into his desire: but Allah will cancel anything (vain) that Satan throws in.” [Another translation reads:] “He recited (the message) Satan proposed. But Allah abolishes that which Satan proposes.” [A third claims:] “Satan made a suggestion respecting his desire; but Allah annuls that which Satan casts,” [A fourth:] “whose recitations Satan tampered with, yet Allah abrogates what Satan interpolates; and Allah will confirm His Signs/Revelations.”
So who is it that these people worship? Think that the Earthquakes make a clear statment?
Part of the American Tribe
God Bless the USA and her Fighting Forces and All who Fight with her give them Wisdom,Strength and Courage to stay the course to Victory [FREEDOM] Amen
Underemployed, young and disaffected, or radicalized because of zeal is not a new problem. we found the same characteristics among the Anti-War group of the 1960s and in every revolution in modern times. There is even a survivor occupying the "presidency" of Cuba at this time.
However, in those days the radicalized did not have access to weapons of mass destruction and they were not willing to incinerate, poison, or hack up millions for the sake of their ideals. The group that is being used by the terror brokers have no such scruples.
"Americans who turn to militant Islam as a way of life are not looking to improve their socioeconomic status but for identity, meaning, solidarity, and solutions in a utopian moral order. "
Well, it's consistent with the socialism that Western academia espouses. Nice alliance.