Joel Mowbray hits the nail on the head with his postulation: But the drive for an Islamic state is probably not enough of a salient motivator for foot soldiers, as it is still a somewhat intellectual ideal. Hence the slanders. Telling young Muslims that their non-Muslim neighbors are going halfway around the world to rape Muslim women strikes a raw nerve.

Believing that members of the Ummah (the world body of Muslims) need to be defended makes someone far more susceptible to messages that violence should be waged in the name of Islam.

This is precisely what happens in all the places where the Islamists go to war, whether it be Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya, Iraq. It is common practice in the various mosques and madarasas for muslims to be fed with totally fabricated stories and statistics of their fellow muslims being murdered and raped in these various places. I've seen this happening with respect to Kashmir (from where I come) where the Indian army operates with amazing restraint considering the daily threat they experience to their lives... and, yet, the muslim propaganda machine would have you believe that they are on an orgy to rape and kill muslims everywhere. Worse still, the so-called free press (such as Washington Post, NY Times, BBC etc.), quite often takes the words of muslims at face value without bothering to investigate the truth.

Posted by: Razdan at June 13, 2006 5:48 AM

Razdan

Worse still, the so-called free press (such as Washington Post, NY Times, BBC etc.), quite often takes the words of muslims at face value without bothering to investigate the truth.

The problem is that the correspondents in these parts of the world are often muslim and they out right lie or distort the truth. It may seem like the news organizations are being fooled but they know well that muslims cannot be trusted. Today western news organizations frequently betray their principles. Take for example the restrictions imposed on reporting in Iraq during Sadams reign; CNN never told its audience that its reports were subject to the Sadam propaganda machine. See also how the AP is opening a new branch of their television news service, (APTN), in Pyongyang, North Korea. Three local North Koreans who “will adhere to the AP’s reporting standards” will man the bureau. This is absurd there is no chance of getting North Korean correspondents who won’t be government plants. The AP knows that there will be no chance of getting unbiased news out of North Korea, yet they still proceed. Why? The answer is simple socialism. Western news organizations have become socialist propaganda machines and the one thing they hate more than anything else is Western civilization, and any one who might support it.

Posted by: SnowDawg at June 13, 2006 6:17 AM

Mowbray asks:

"Thus the most important question of all is not how many Imam Jamals there are here in the United States, but rather, how many American Muslims will take a stand against indoctrination that pushes kids in the direction -- if not into the arms -- of terrorists?"

Here's a partial answer (this exerpt involves the King Fahd mosque in Culver City, California):

"On the Friday after the [9/11] terrorist attacks, the imam [Tajuddin Shuaib] says, he gave a sermon condemning suicide bombings and was shouted down by some men who leaped to their feet and accused him of 'changing the Quran.'"

http://www.leaderu.com/popculture/coveringislam.html

Posted by: PRCS at June 13, 2006 7:20 AM

"So why Canada? Because it is not an Islamic state."--from Joel Mowbray's article.

The problem with that explanantion is that there are many terrorist attacks within Muslim states. It's necessary to differentiate between the ideologies of different Muslims groups within Islam. (Of course, it's not uncommon for one Muslim group to claim the others are not true Muslims, or that the state is not truly Islamic).

Mowbray also does not discuss the fact that Canada has troops in Afghanistan, and is part of the larger U.S.-led coalition against terrorism. These are the reasons that the alleged terrorists are citing. Again, it is necessary to distinguish among subgroups. Canadian troops in Afghanistan are, on the balance, protecting the lives of most Muslims there from the Taliban and al-Qaeda. If we gave the terrorists what they wanted by pulling out of Afghanistan, releasing prisoners there (i.e., including terrorists and terror suspects), it is likely that there would be more deaths of Muslims than if we (Canada) stayed there. Also, the Taliban and al-Qaeda would again take over control of the country. Therefore, the terrorists' propaganda doesn't add up. They are clearly favouring one some Muslims (Al-Qaeda and Taliban) over others.

It must be kept in mind that the objectives of the terrorists are political. To obtain their ultimate goal of setting up an Islamic state world-wide, they need to obtain a series of proximate goals as steps. The immediate objective of this terrorist plot is to influence public opinion (of Muslims and non-Muslims) and political decisions. If there is not some support, and the potential for more support, terrorist tactics would backfire and only strengthen the public against the terrorists (this was generally the case, for example, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11). As it is, al-Qaeda and other groups have been successful in helping to turn large numbers of non-Muslims in the west against their governments, while obtaining a high level of support among Sunni Muslims.

Mowbray is quite correct that anti-infidel propaganda, such as the claim that Canadian soldiers were going to rape Afghan women, can be used as a motivator in recruiting young Muslim males into terrorist activities. But Mowbray needs to go further to expose the full extent of the anti-infidel propaganda, which permeats mainstream Islam, is enscribed in the Koran for all time, and is taught to Muslim children starting from an early age.

Posted by: Archimedes at June 13, 2006 8:41 AM

PRCS,

I agree. Social support is a big factor.

I want to revise this...
"As it is, al-Qaeda and other groups have been successful in helping to turn large numbers of non-Muslims in the west against their governments, while obtaining a high level of support among Sunni Muslims."

...it would be more accurate to add that groups such as al-Qaeda have exploited some pre-existing biases within our culture (primarily, the left) and within Islam (general anti-infidel sentiment, Islamic supremacism, etc.)

Posted by: Archimedes at June 13, 2006 8:50 AM

"because it's not an Islamic state" is the fundamental reason for all jihad activities, except for Darfur, where it is an Islamic state and some of its residents aren't Islamic, or not the right kind of Islamic.

As for attacking Canada for any other reason, I think Mowbray overlooks the Canadian presence in Afghanistan, its initial support for Israel, which goes back to 1948 when Canada put forward the motion to recognize Israel at the UN, and even to the Harper government's decision to cut off funding to the PA that was paid directly to the government. (It still sends money by way of "NGOs".)

Posted by: waterdragon52 at June 13, 2006 1:36 PM

But waterdragon52 -- Rather than chasing down supposed Muslim grievances such as those you mention, wouldn't it be more accurate to say that Muslims will concoct transgressions or gin up events with the intention of fomenting Muslim anger, recruit more fighters for Islam, and unify and energize their constituency no matter what we do?

To accept Muslim premises for ANYTHING they do is risky, and probably leads us astray from their real motives and actions -- Those are, always have been, and always will be: The promotion of Islam into new domains -- the securing of those new territories and slaves therein by any means at hand. Mosques, "Islamic schools", the weekend coffee clatch with Christians and Jews for "outreach", the talking head on TV, the 'concerned Muslim' telling 'infidels' that "It's only a tiny minority of extremists" or "It has nothing to do with Islam!" --- all of these are one and the same -- subversion of our systems, invasion of our domain, destruction of our moral, our social fabric, our laws, customs, and beliefs, all to further Islam. ALL of it.

Posted by: jsla at June 13, 2006 4:20 PM

Just last year around September a now Federal MP for the NDP socialist party praised George Galloway who was touring Canada as a guest of Islamic Org's and Mosques.
Olivia Chow of the NDP cheered Galloway as he bashed the USA and accused Canada of killing Muslims and being an invader and occupier of Muslim lands, he also implied the 9/11 attack was deserved because of the global attacks on Muslims .

MP Chow still blames crime and drug issues on Bush and the USA, the NDP voted to get out of Afghanistan and send troops to Darfur and peace-Keepers which is only moving from one Muslim war to another Muslim war that is based on Arabs and Blacks instead of Afghan Muslims and Taliban Muslims.

Tonight at 6:00pm there wiil be four self-professed "True" muslims debating islam and the recent arrests of the B-17 Jihadist bombers for a "Root-Cause" to how Canada made them terrorists.
http://www.michaelcoren.com/

Posted by: ala-sux at June 13, 2006 5:31 PM

Galloway is the modern day Robespierre -- let us hope he has less success ushering in a reign of terror, but meets a similar fate to his historical counterpart. Make no mistake, that flea bitten cur thinks he's signed on to the winning side.

Posted by: jsla at June 13, 2006 6:56 PM

Western news organizations have become socialist propaganda machines and the one thing they hate more than anything else is Western civilization, and any one who might support it. Posted by: SnowDawg

Gees, you mean that socialists are motivated by market share, stock prices, revenues, global trade, and the bottom line?

Posted by: Nariz at June 13, 2006 8:08 PM

Sorry folks, Al Hindy didn't appear on the Coren show and I'm hoping it's becuse he was arrested for promoting Terrorism by coaching his followers to stay in Canada and do Jihad here instead of Iraq and palestine.

But the fill-in female guest made me wonder what the hell is going on in our Universities , this 19 year old Political Science graduate justified the B-17 bombers in canada because of their "Brothers" around the world that are suffering under non-Muslims.
She also repeated many of the Jihadists lies and when challenged about the Gitmo suicides
from inhumane treatment, she cited the internet stories and anti-Government/anti-west Newspapers. Coren was in shock that she insisted her source for the truth doesn't change the story about abuse to Muslims.

It was a really sad display of 4 Muslims living in denial and using fabricated Islamophobia as proof for fabricated "Backlash"
that has yet to net just one arrest to ID the person vandalizing all these Mosques.

Too bad it's taken all these years for the general public in Canada to finally wake-up to many of JW/DW posters knew for several years and yet heard screams or Racism and ignorance.
Hopefully we can drain the swamp fast enough to expose the brain-dead Jihadists before they actually kill anyone in Canada.

Posted by: ala-sux at June 13, 2006 8:11 PM

The two UK Muslims arrested in Forest Gate and released a week later gave a news conference today. The one who was shot gave a traumatised account of their arrest,in a helpless puppy dog voice (without a single umm... or errr...) including references to his concern for his 'mum' during the incident. Their performance was a little belied by their appearance: shaved heads and upper lips and 8", spade like, squared off beards. Nothing could be designed to look more alien to western culture and (to my mind) intimidating. What really made me suspicious was when a reporter asked him if he believed in jihad. The guy's reply was that to him jihad was what his father had always taught him: "Striving to help people." Sounded like a pretty weaselly definition to me. The media have taken them at face value and the plods have had to make yet another grovelling apology 'for the hurt they caused' while the Muslim community is 'angry and it will take the police a long time to regain their trust.'

Posted by: wallyUK at June 13, 2006 9:33 PM

jsla:

That's why I prefaced my comments by acknowledging that no matter what, Muslim animosity always boils down to the fact that 80% of the world doesn't kowtow to "the Prophet".

For the "self-wrongeously indignant", any pretext, no matter how lame, will do. It just happens that for the jihaddists, finding justification in attacking Canadian targets is not that difficult. For they could never understand that Canada supported a Jewish state within the 1948 borders in the context of it being what... ...12% of the original "Mandate", and the remaining 88%, called Transjordan at the time, being more than enough territory ceded for the purpose of establishing a "homeland" for the so-called displaced "Arab refugees".

Ironically, most of the accused 17 terrorists are of Pakistani descent, a country created at roughly the same time, by partitioning a Hindu-majority country along boundaries that were more dictated by religion than ethnic differences/similarities.

Posted by: waterdragon52 at June 14, 2006 8:48 AM