Militant Islam began much earlier than 1979

Submitted by Susan (United States), Jun 19, 2004 at 22:57

Islamicism began much earlier than 1979 with the taking of hostages at the American Embassy in Iran. "Death to America" is a new version of an old battle cry. The Mahdist (Sudan 1881) who slaughtered General Gordan and the inhabitants of Khartoum wished to established a pure Islamic society and return to a literal practice of Islam. The European battles of WWI, WWII and the long Cold War took precendence in our western-centric perspective. However, this issue of fundamentalistic Islam has been a long-simmering pot waiting to boil over. The issues in Sudan that have been festering for over 100 years continue to fester. Racism and religious intolerance continue to tear our world apart. In the words of Rodney King, "Why can't we all just get along?"

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