November 06, 2007
Why do they hate us?
Because we're not Muslims, you fools!
As Ed Morrisey notes, when you look at what Al Qaeda is saying in Arabic -- as opposed to the bilge being peddled to useful idiots in the Western media -- what the terrorists want becomes much clearer.
Ray Ibrahim has painstakingly translated hundreds of previously unreleased al-Qaeda documents that he found in a search of the Library of Congress. His efforts led to the publication of The Al Qaeda Reader, published in August. He told a recent George Washington University audience that these documents address jihadis directly and have a much different message than the propaganda AQ aims at the West (via Newsbeat1):
The documents address many ideas supported by Al Qaeda, such as suicide bombings and violence against the west. Bin Laden and his allies use Muslim beliefs and laws to show that these actions are acceptable in certain cases, Ibrahim said.
He said the documents offer three options for non-Muslims - submit to Islam, live under Islam or die.
"The bottom line is the West is damned if they do and damned if they don't unless they accept the three choices," Ibrahim said. ...
In the documents, Bin Laden proclaims that the root of terrorism rested in Israel. However, Ibrahim said support for Al Qaeda would not dissipate even if the western world ceased supporting Israel.
"Once they do have the power, the next step will go back to waging a powerful jihad," he said.
The hand wringing over American friendship with Israel, and the supposedly central place this has in the war on terror, seems a little overblown. Undoubtedly, Muslims in the region oppose Israel and the Palestinian standoff makes the region less stable, which amplifies the impulse for radicalism. However, Osama bin Laden treats Israel as an appetizer for a much larger banquet, according to the theological arguments he makes to his followers. Israel's destruction will only begin al-Qaeda's real mission, not end it.
What does Osama want? He wants a world that bends its knee to Islam, one way or the other. He has actually made this plain in his propaganda, too, although Western analysts dismiss it as meaningless rhetoric. Osama doesn't see it that way at all. He offers the West the peace of submission -- to Islam, to Osama's authority, and to the Muslim world as our new benevolent despots.
As we have repeatedly seen over the last 14 years, these are not idle threats. Anyone who doesn't want to submit will die. Those who believe that we can buy them off with trade will die. Those who want to surrender Israel will still die. Even pulling back from the Middle East entirely will not save us from their intent to kill those who will not submit to Islam.
They are lunatics, put simply, with lots of money and lots of company. They may play on regional friction points, but al-Qaeda is not interested in scoring a few policy victories and capturing Jerusalem. They want it all -- and they want it now.
Sometimes, when your enemy says he wants to conquer or kill you, the reasons don't really matter all that much. The more compelling question is whether or not you're willing to submit, to comply or die.
Those who continue to ignore the ultimate goal of Muslim supremacists are engaged in the worst kind of denial -- with lethal consequences.
Why do they hate us?
Because we're not like them, because we dare to reject their values, their prejudices, their intolerance, their veneration of an 8th-Century warrior chieftain.
And most of all, they hate us for our success, our power and affluence, all accumulated despite -- in spite of -- our rejection of Islam.
And no amount of multi-culti inclusiveness will make them hate us any less.
As is often the case, the Jews are the canary in the coal mine. When the Muslim supremacists decide the time has come to target Israel for "special treatment," it will be only the most delusional Westerners who believe that the jihadis will be satisfied, their bloodlust sated, the West made safe by the sacrifice of Israel.
Bad times are coming, unless we can face the unpleasant fact that Al Qaeda means what they say: The West can convert, submit, or die.
I prefer the fourth option: We can fight.
Posted by Mike Lief at November 6, 2007 12:46 PM
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