I've been saying this for years, and the LA Times has never taken any notice. Nevertheless, it's nice to see some glimmer of truth in the mainstream media. (Thanks to Peter Rockas for the link.)
Koran 9:123 tells us it is the duty of every Muslim man to "make war on the infidels who dwell around you." Osama bin Laden may be despicable, but it is hard to argue that he isn't acting in accord with at least some of the teachings of the Koran. It is true that most Muslims seem inclined to ignore the Koran's solicitations to martyrdom and jihad, but we cannot overlook the fact that some are not so inclined and that some of them murder innocent people for religious reasons.The phrase "the war on terrorism" is a dangerous euphemism that obscures the true cause of our troubles, because we are currently at war with precisely a vision of life presented to Muslims in the Koran. Anyone who reads this text will find non-Muslims vilified on nearly every page. How can we possibly expect devout Muslims to happily share power with "the friends of Satan"? Why did 19 well-educated, middle-class men trade their lives for the privilege of killing thousands of our neighbors? Because they believed, on the authority of the Koran, that they would go straight to paradise for doing so. It is rare to find the behavior of human beings so easily explained. And yet, many of us are reluctant to accept this explanation.
Religious faith is always, and everywhere, exonerated. It is now taboo in every corner of our culture to criticize a person's religious beliefs. Consequently, we are unable to even name, much less oppose, one of the most pervasive causes of human conflict. And the fact that there are very real and consequential differences between the major religious traditions is simply never discussed.
Anyone who thinks that terrestrial concerns are the principal source of Muslim violence must explain why there are no Palestinian Christian suicide bombers. They too suffer the daily indignity of the Israeli occupation. Where, for that matter, are the Tibetan Buddhist suicide bombers? The Tibetans have suffered an occupation far more brutal. Where are the throngs of Tibetans ready to perpetrate suicidal atrocities against the Chinese? They do not exist. What is the difference that makes the difference? The difference lies in the specific tenets of Islam versus those of Buddhism and Christianity.
Let's hope this becomes a trend.
Why is this clearly anti-Israeli statement here?
"They too suffer the daily indignity of the Israeli occupation".
The IDF are present in the areas "improperply" called the West Bank and Gaza, for a DAM GOOD REASON, to root out the Islamo-terrorist-scum.
Typo: "improperly"
Son of Infidel wisely pointed out "Why is this clearly anti-Israeli statement here?
"They too suffer the daily indignity of the Israeli occupation". "
Yup. Kinda spoils the sentiments a bit, doesn't it?
As long as it's perceived that Israel is in the wrong for defending itself against the Jihad, we will never be able to defend ourselves.
It is like the thinking of people who learn their friend is dying of cancer. "Well, he smoked." "She didn't eat whole foods." "I told her to take echinacea." Any explanation so there is order in the world and a reason can be determined so they will survive while the friend dies.
Israel's occupying PA territories. That's the reason. We're not doing that, we're safe.
Understandable human/western thinking but so inappropriate in this situation where we are dealing with a dark ages mentality.
This mushy thinking means prolonging the mistake of assigning blame for any or all actions on *our* part rather than placing the blame squarely where it originates--in the Koran and the Muslim world.
It allows such equations to be made:
Mrs. Hatuel was where she shouldn't be hence she and her car full of children deserved to die.
Americans are so full of hubris, how could Muslims not lash out and drive jets into the WTC?
This is Muslim math.
An excellent article which points out the obvious : Islam is the only religion to order violence against unbelievers which is rewarded by 72 virgins in that brothel in the sky under auspices of Allah 'Most Merciful and Compassionate blah, blah..'
This is why the Israeli army is in The West Bank and Gaza, which in reality is "Judea" and "Samaria".
Babes and Bombs
By Alex Safian
Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America | June 16, 2004
Why do Palestinian children become human bombs, willingly strapping on suicide belts and slipping into Israel to kill as many Jews as possible? That's the key question which the New York Times has once again failed to answer, this time in an otherwise informative story by Greg Myre ("Israel Says Children Enlist Children as Suicide Bombers", June 13, 2004).
While Myre pulls no punches when it comes to telling readers how Palestinian children are now recruiting their classmates and cousins to become suicide bombers, he shies away from telling readers why Palestinian kids have taken up this grisly task.
In Myre's rendition the child recruitment is a mystery -- he reports only that "some Palestinian leaders have condemned the use of teenagers, and opposition to the practice is widespread among ordinary Palestinians ..." Could the Palestinian kids have been indoctrinated in their schools? Myre casts doubt on this, reporting at face value the claims of one Palestinian school official that he tries to keep politics out of the classroom, "This place is for education and we don't want to talk about politics."
Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Far from being opposed to child suicide bombers, Palestinian society and Palestinian leaders revel in child "martyrdom," and the Palestinian media and schools do all they can to encourage a cult of death among children. The paramount Palestinian leader, Yasir Arafat, for example, stated in an interview on Palestinian TV that:
"... this child who is grasping the stone, facing the tank, is it not the greatest message to the world when that hero becomes a shahid [martyr]? We are proud of them ..." (PATV, Jan. 15, 2002 cited in Ask for Death, Palestinian Media Watch.)
While Arafat's words certainly carry weight among Palestinian children, perhaps the most effective recruitment tool has been music videos which are broadcast for hours on end by official Palestinian television (there is no independent television under Arafat's rule). The videos are a call to death and martyrdom for Palestinian children, promising the glories and pleasures of heaven to the young "warriors for Allah":
"How sweet is the fragrance of the shahids, how sweet is the scent of the earth, its thirst quenched by the gush of blood flowing from the youthful body." (Quoted by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook in the Jerusalem Post, January 29, 2004)
Another music video also aimed at children and broadcast repeatedly told young viewers that:
"Oh, young ones: Shake the earth, raise the stones.
You will not be saved, O Zionist, from the volcano of my country's stones.
You are the target of my eyes, I will even willingly fall as a shahid [martyr for Allah].
Allahu akbar [god is great]! Oh, young ones!"
(Quoted by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook in the Jerusalem Post, June 2, 2004)
Yet another music video shown repeatedly on Palestinian TV centered on a Palestinian child who had been killed at the start of the present violence in October 2000. A young actor portrays the child in paradise, flying a kite and running on the beach, and encouraging other Palestinian children to follow him in martyrdom, "I am waving to you not in parting, but to say, 'Follow me.' " (','CustomPopup','toolbar=0,menubar=0,location=1,scrollbars=1,status=0,resizable=1');">Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook in the National Post, April 8, 2004)
As for the claim that Palestinian parents oppose such suicide bombings, news reports, including in the Times, indicate the opposite. For example, a few months ago Myre's colleague James Bennet reported that "Many Palestinian parents have praised their sons and daughters for carrying out suicide attacks, hailing them as heroes and martyrs." (New York Times, March 25, 2004)
Palestinian support and encouragement for child suicide bombers is an ugly reality. The Times' reluctance to deal with this ugly reality will help only to perpetuate it.
People who feel "child" and "martyr" are two words that should go together don't deserve to have children. They are the vilest form of creature on earth.
Guys, be careful about lauding Sam Harris. Take a closer look at his article. He hates *all* religion and gives religion no credit at all for morality. He has disdain for all "ancient religious texts" which stand in the way of alleviating suffering, without the understanding that it was those same "ancient religious texts" which help people actually define suffering and happiness in the first place.
Regardless of the boneheaded assertion about the 'occupation' of Pali land, this article is HUGE.........Friends, we must see the bigger picture here.........Here we have a arch liberal newspaper coming out and saying it loud and clear that it is indigenous to Islam to murder and kill non muslims simply for being non muslims....
This is wonderful........what Mr. Spencer and so so many other brave ex muslims and other writers in the Free world have been declaring for years, is starting to move into the mainstream.....let us not be disappointed by some the silliness in this article.......the reason Robert posted this is absolutely clear........I cannot recall a time EVER in my 22 years of attacking Islam when we are seeing slowly and slowly more and more articles exposing Islam proper.....
It is one thing too see Ex Muslims and Blog sites doing Yeoman's work challenging Islam.....it is quite another thing.....and wonderfully so when mainstream liberal media is even doing it...
I remember nearly falling off my chair shortly after 9-11 when TIME Magazine had an article written by a lady pointing out Muhammed's marriage to a 6 year old Aiasha and the consummation of said marriage whilst Aisha was only 9........I COULDN'T believe that a liberal mainstream rag would actually point out some appalling facts about Islam............
If some good came out of the horrible day nearly 3 years ago, the Masses in the West and East are starting to shed the scales of multiculti idiocy from there eyes and hearts and relearning that Islam was always a foe of Freedom and Peace......and it was only over 300 years ago that Islam was forcibly trying to enslave the Christian West and we routed them near Vienna...
We must keep announcing to the world, in spite of the vile evil of people like John Esposito and Armstrong and others, that Islam is dangerous.......first and foremost to Muslims.....and to all of us that encompass the Islamic world!!
Kudos to the LA Times and kudos for Robert pointing it out.....
We are , albeit slowly, making progress!!
Devonator
Proud Darul Harbian
Sam Harris may be an atheist pig,but as long as he is exposing the real face of islam,he is one of the few in the madia that must be applauded.
Let`s take care of the muslim problem and we`ll deal with the Sam Harrises of the world( a lot less dangerous),later.
I hate all religion too. I didn't know that this was supposed to be a christian site. I just thought that it was an anti-Islamic site.
I hate all religion too. I didn't know that this was supposed to be a christian site. I just thought that it was an anti-Islamic site.
I hate all religion too. I didn't know that this was supposed to be a christian site. I just thought that it was an anti-Islamic site.
This is a very unusual war, in the sense that it is a real physical war about the method or manner by which an individual can achieve metaphysical bliss or paradise. If it was not so real, one would have thought that this was a Monty Python parody. But to get back to practicality, I think we need to realise, that this war we are in, can be considered a private and personal war, that each Muslim is waging on us non-Muslims. The most important aspect of this war, is the desire to convert non-muslims to Islam. The other is to get Islam accepted as the pre-eminent social ideology in the West. In this aspect of the war, we as individuals can fight right back. Fight back to dissuade as many Muslims from Islam as possible.
I wish there were some other way. I do not hate Muslims, just a kind of pity that such a large section of humanity has been so effectively brainwashed. Muslims are the very first victims of Islam the ideology, as it completely closed their minds to all that is wonderful in the onward going saga of humanity. They are trapped in a 7th century mindset, almost a prison in time.
Islam means submission, and Muslims are really the slaves of Allah. Thus Islam is the ideology of slavery, masquerading as a religion. Somehow we have to liberate them, not just for Muslims, but for us as well. The world will not be free from slavery till Muslims are released from Islam.
Our objective should be to liberate Muslims from the subjugation and slavery of Islam.
Inform, Educate , Liberate.
Voltaire,
You will find Christians where ever you go, even on a site dedicated to Jihad Watching.
Furthermore, we are ALLOWED to be here and we are ALLOWED to express our opinions as freely and openly as you. Perhaps you are not aware that the 2000 census showed that 84+percent of Americans listed their religion as Christian? With these numbers, you will be hard pressed to go anywhere and NOT find Christians.
We can express our faith in God, Christ, or anything else that we want to express in any form we want to express it...
Maybe you are shocked that so many of the people here do seem to be Christians. However, take note that few of us preach or try to convert others. I have not seen one Christian yet who voices the opinion that Atheists should not be here?
I am sick and tired of the world counting me an idiot or less intelligent than they because I believe that Jesus is the God given Savior of the World! I am an unashamed Christian, and I am a Taxpaying, law-abiding, concerned citizen as well! Note also, I am not going anywhere, anytime soon.
P.S. Voltaire...
Preview twice...POST ONCE...Repeating a statement three times does not add validity....
adela wrote:
"Sam Harris may be an atheist pig,but as long as he is exposing the real face of islam,he is one of the few in the madia that must be applauded.
Let`s take care of the muslim problem and we`ll deal with the Sam Harrises of the world( a lot less dangerous),later."
Be careful adela. "atheistic pig" is the same as "infidel pig"; a non-believer. I also don't think that you need to "... deal with the Sam Harris's [or me] of the world...later."
I am an atheist but don't consider myself a pig, immoral, or amoral. What make the USA so great is, what used to be more in vogue, tolerance. I would go to war to support your way of life and expect to more or less in return.
Peace
SusanC
Bravo. Well said.
What most agnostics or Athiests do not realise, that the secular nation state that we have at the moment, is a product of the Protestant Reformation. Western civilisation or the Universal civilisation as deemed by V S Naipaul, would not exist, but for this Christian Reformation. It is the very success of this Protestant Reformation, that transferred the redemption of the individual from the Church to the individual concerned, that leads to our present society, that places the individual and not the tribe or group at its centre. It is not a surprise that Protestant churches have the least attendance. It is an indication of their success.
Everything that we have in the Modern West, owes a huge debt to philosophers such as Blake, Locke etal, all of them devout Christians. They gave us the language of Freedom of the individual, that became the basis of crushing the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th century.
SusanC
Adela said that "we'll take care of Islam first, and then the Sam Harris's of this world, (meaning atheists) later.
This is an anti-Islamic forum, and though anyone who is anti-Islamic is welcome here, I don't think that it should be used to bash atheists or anyone else(besides muslims) who is not a christian.