Re: Practice what you preach

Submitted by Bader S (Saudi Arabia), Mar 22, 2006 at 05:27

When it is repeated often by people in the West (and many people in this forum) that the problem is not radical Islam, but Islam itself then the average Muslim is bound to feel that the war is against him/her too.

When Bush says that people are either "with us or against us" he does not leave a third alternative. When the choice is between support for American foreign policy in the Mid East (which, by the way, is seen as very much against Arab and Muslim interests), or opposition to that foreign policy then there will be many Muslims who will stand in opposition. And that is not because of the religion they follow, it is because of what they see as unjust. As a proof this anti-Americanism is not a purely Islamic phenomenon.

When a pre-emptive war is launched against a Muslim country under the pretext of WMD, while another country in the axis of evil (N.Korea) declares that it has nuclear bombs is left alone, the Muslims will see this as a war against Islam.

When Arab countries must comply with all UN resolutions while Israel needs not to do so, then the Muslims will see this as a war against Muslims.

When US foreign policy supports dictators and autocrats who repress their Muslim populations then the average Muslim will see this as a war against Islam.

When a pop star is refused entry into the US because he converted to Islam then the average Muslim will see this as a war against Islam.

When redneck nazi thugs and sexual perverts and deviants in Abu Graib torture and abuse innocent Iraqis (innocent because no Iraqi in US controlled jail in Iraq has been given any form of legal trial), then the average Muslim will see this as a war against Islam.

When an innocent Iraqi family is slaughtered by the war criminals and thugs wearing the US Marines uniform as revenge for one of their fellow soldiers, then the average Muslim will see this as a war against Islam.(http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1174649,00.html)

When, because of 3,000 Americans who died on 9/11, 30,000 innocent Iraqis (who had nothing to do with 9/11) died under a US occupation, then the average Muslim will see this as a war against Islam.

When average Palestinians in the occupied territories are treated as if they are terrorists, and when Muslim women have to give birth on Israeli checkpoints, and when ghettos are created as a result of the wall that the zionists are building, then yes, average Muslim Palestinians will perceive that they are not being differentiated with those who carry out terrorist attacks. And as a result of this perception the average Muslim Palestinian will vote for Hamas.

There is blame to go round for everyone, but while a group called Al qaeda declared war on the US, the US (in the eyes of the average moderate Muslim) seems to have declared war on Islam. And if people in the West cannot differentiate between moderates and radicals, then at least have the courage to get your Congress to officially declare war on Islam. Then everyone will know where he or she stands.

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