Patriotism vs. "Neutrality"

Submitted by m_valparaiso (United States), Oct 29, 2002 at 14:01

My first reaction when I heard of the killings was "jihadi"? As more and more information comes out we shall see whether my gut feeling is correct.

Thank you for the article. Something indeed to be pondered and investigated, Dr. Pipes.

I want to address some additional comments to commenter Mr. Nadir Ahmed,who asks: "Do Muslims have to be patriotic to be 'ok'? Can we just be neutral citizens? Do we really have to subscribe to the self centered ideology of patriotism?. . ."

Yes, Mr. Ahmed, if one lives in the United States and enjoys democracy and freedom, one must, MUST, be patriotic! If one doesn't want to do that, then he or she should leave and go to a country that embraces Islam more than loyalty to democracy. And, one is not a "neutral" citizen if one supports Palestinian terrorism— not freedom fighters-- but terrorists who target innocents. Just as the Chechen jihadis were terrorists by targeting civilians, so are the Palestinians who blow themselves up and take innocents with them. That is how the world sees it! You may criticize US policies, like any citizen, but you may not support terrorists against the US. To be sure, Palestinians who target innocent civilians are terrorists!

You speak of finding it morally reprehensible of America's "blind support for Israel, a country which has stolen Arab lands and ethnically cleansed millions of Palestinians from their homes and into refugee camps."

I would remind you that the Arab Israeli conflict can be placed squarely at the feet of the Arabs. They maneuvered to disenfranchise the Palestinians even more than anyone—much more than the Europeans. The Arabs are responsible in great measure for placing Palestinians into refugee camps instead of helping them to get their own country when the other Arab nations were formed. But, that is ancient history. So, let's deal with recent history. If Arafat had accepted the 2000 peace offer then Palestine might already be a reality. Instead he started the bloody 2nd intifada and as a result of that, and NOTHING ELSE, hundreds are dead. Because the Palestinians don't appear to want a compromise, they want it all. They want to destroy Israel and that will never happen because the Israelis have just as much right to live in the region as do the Palestinians. And now, because of the intefada there are ruins, everything that was built up (with donor money BTW) has been destroyed.

When will they ever learn?

It is my firm belief that if there were peace in Israel tomorrow radical Islam would still try to destroy the West. Why? Because, in their self inflicted misery, Islamists are in fact envious of our way of life --a way of life that is Paradise on earth, a Paradise forbidden to "good Muslims" in this life so that they may enjoy it in the next. Therefore, they want to use our freedoms to destroy us. Radical Islam has declared war on the West by attacking the US. Don‘t think for one moment that we will let this go by. Islam must look to itself. The way it is being interpreted today is violent and despotic.

I would suggest that zakah monies be used to help the people in poor, miserable Muslim nations, specifically the Palestinians, so the US and Europe no longer have to support them. We like the way we live in the West... We do not subscribe to having religious zealots tell us what religion we should believe in, especially an ideology that represses personal and political freedom for both men and women wherever it governs...

Unlike people who live in the Muslim world Americans are not misinformed! We get plenty of news from both sides. Israel may be wrong, but the Islamists are more wrong. Every time another murderous jihadi blows himself up, every time another Islamic assassin murders innocent people, ... this "just cause" suffers a set back. ..

We are told that Muslims and Arabs are "ignored..." No, it is not the "Zionist conspiracy" but rather the black-eye Islam (both radical and moderate) gives itself with its continual hatred spewed against the US. We see what many clerics say from their mosques, we read what journalists write, ... and most of all, we note that "moderate" Islam is not speaking out against terror.

As to "educating Americans," we are educated, we are well informed and we see radical Islam for what it is, repressive and dangerous to free people everywhere the world over. .. It must change for things to improve...

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