WASHINGTON – One in four younger U.S. Muslims said in a poll that suicide bombings to defend their religion are acceptable at least in some circumstances, though most Muslim Americans overwhelmingly reject the tactic and are critical of Islamic extremism and al-Qaida.
The survey by the Pew Research Center, one of the most exhaustive ever of the country’s Muslims, revealed a community that in many ways blends comfortably into society. Its largely mainstream members express nearly as much happiness with their lives and communities as the general public does, show a broad willingness to adopt American customs, and have income and education levels similar to others in the U.S.
Even so, the survey revealed noteworthy pockets of discontent.
While nearly 80 percent of U.S. Muslims say suicide bombings of civilians to defend Islam can not be justified, 13 percent say they can be, at least rarely. — from this article
Aside from those many Muslims who refused to take part, one must assume that the “error” beyond merely the standard “margin of error” that is present in any pollster’s sampling is that which is created by those Muslims who live in lands of the Infidels, and still controlled by Infidels, who will naturally lie to any poll-taker about their opinions in only one way.
No Muslim would claim to support, say, the imposition of the Shari’a, or terrorist acts against Infidels, if he did not do so. (Infidels who are thus attacked, by the way, are routinely described as “not innocents” according to broad definitions of what constitutes a combatant against Islam — every Israeli man, woman, and child is so regarded by both the Sheik Al-Azhar and Al-Qaradawi, for example.) But many Muslims could deny supporting terrorism (as we Infidels understand the term), and a worldwide Caliphate, and the imposition of Shari’a, even if they most certainly did support all three. This too must be taken into account.
Finally, the article above should be supplemented by a click on the link given to the actual report, and then visitors to Jihad Watch should look at roughly the last 25 pages of the report, and particularly all of the answers having to do with “religion.” See if a chill does not go down your spine. And ask yourself if you think it likely that Bush, Cheney, Rice, Stephen Hadley, General Petraeus, General Odierno, General Kimmett, and the heads of the CIA and the FBI, along with their aides, have read — or have any intention or desire to read and thoroughly comprehend and assimilate — this telling document, or even just the last 25 pages.
You know the answer to that. And since we don’t have to ask, we can’t afford them — any of them, if they presume to fill posts where they have a solemn duty to both instruct and protect us, and yet continue to appear unwilling to do the minimal work necessary for both.
For they are being tested, and they are being found wanting. Their Final Exam is coming up. In fact, here it is:
“Either we bring them freedom or they will destroy us.” — comment of Bernard Lewis in defense of the war in Iraq
“We are fighting them over there [in Iraq], so we won’t have to fight them over here.” — statement of Bush, Cheney, Senator McCain, Senator Lieberman, and of every Bush loyalist who is standing by the policy of keeping us stuck to Tarbaby Iraq
Final Examination:
Discuss both statements above in the light of the poll of Muslims now living in the United States, to which a link is given above.
This is an Open Book Exam. You may consult any books or articles you wish, as well as any websites you find useful. Feel free to quote from the Qur’an, Hadith, and Sira, as well as from the work of Western scholars of Islam, especially those in the uncensored period from roughly 1860 to 1960.
If you are using blue books, please write on one side only. If you are typing your examination on a computer, please be aware that spelling, punctuation, and grammar matter just as much as they do for handwritten examinations.
Your work is being graded, but not by us.