He is a Lebanese born 65 year old academic who arrived in the US when he was 18. He is now the Majid Khadduri professor and Director of Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins.
I'm eating dinner right now, watching CNN and just listened to him bring up some points very congruent with my way of thinking.
He is very realistic.
The points he brings up are:
1. It does not matter who is the Head of our State, from Clinton, to Bush, to Obama, Muslims still hate us. It was not the actions of any one president that created this Anti-Americanism. Public opinion polls taken in Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia all tell one thing: over 70% of the people hate us, and they hate all of our Heads of State equally.
2. This year, Obama went to the Middle East to give a speech in Cairo, where he announced the war on terror was over, and it was time to start rebuilding our relationship with the world. Basically he said the invasionary moves are over, and its now time to talk nice to the people. He came back with his tail between his legs, and a rising insurgency in Afghanistan, a failed Al-qaeda terrorist plot to blow up a plane on Christmas, and a highly orchestrated al-Qaeda double agent suicide bombing mission later, public opinion shows Anti-Americanism is just as high in turkey and Egypt as it was before his speech, and during the presidency of W. Bush.
3. John Kerry attempted the same peaceful diplomatic approach to Iran, extending an offer for talks but was firmly rejected and declared "not welcome in Iran."
4. Its pathetic how these softies defend the Arab-Muslim and Persian-Muslim countries and still have nothing to show for it. Its even more pathetic that they defend the very people who want to kill them for their values.
5. This Anti-Americanism has a root cause we have yet to understand. When asked, the people of Arab-Muslim and Persian-Muslim countries cannot give a straight answer. We don't know what drives people to twist Islam into a fighting tool.
I have said for a very long time, the problem is not anything but the religion itself. The religion itself, not its leaders, its interpreters, or its followers, demands hostility to those who don't believe the same. The degree of hostility varies from very peaceful "moderate" Muslims to al-Qaeda, but the hostility cannot be ignored.
The book of Surah al-Tawba, translated as "The repentence" is not just a few cherry-picked quotes from the Qur'an. It is an entire book devoted towards spreading hate. This is not the Hadith, or any other post- Muhamed book, this is a Qur'an book:
Verse: 9:5 But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans (Ar: Mushrikiin) wherever ye find them, an seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.
Verse 5:14: "From those, too, who call themselves Christians, We did take a covenant, but they forgot a good part of the message that was sent them: so we estranged them, with enmity and hatred between the one and the other, to the day of judgment. And soon will Allah show them what it is they have done."
Ignominy shall be their portion [the Jews'] wheresoever they are found... They have incurred anger from their Lord, and wretchedness is laid upon them... because they disbelieve the revelations of Allah and slew the Prophets wrongfully... because they were rebellious and used to transgress. [Surah 111, v. 112] And thou wilt find them [the Jews] the greediest of mankind....[Surah 11, v. 96]
Evil is that for which they sell their souls... For disbelievers is a terrible doom.[Surah II, v. 90]
Taste ye [Jews] the punishment of burning.[Surah III, v. 18 1]
Proclaim a woeful punishment to those that hoard up gold and silver.... Their treasures shall be heated in the dres of Hell, and their foreheads, sides and backs branded with them. . . . 'Taste then the punishment which is your due. [Surah IX, v. 35]
"They [the Jews] are the heirs of Hell.... They will spare no pains to corrupt you. They desire nothing but your ruin. Their hatred is clear from what they say ... When evil befalls you they rejoice." Ibid. [Surah 111, v. 117-120]
Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall expose them to the fire. As often as their skins are consumed We shall exchange them for fresh skins that they may taste the torment.[Surah IV, v. 56]
Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews.... And of their taking usury ... and of their devouring people's wealth by false pretenses. We have prepared for those of them who disbelieve a painful doom.[Surah IV, v. 160, 161]
Allah hath cursed them [the Jews] for their disbelief.[Surah IV, v. 46]
They [the Jews] will spare no pains to corrupt you. They desire nothing but your ruin. Their hatred is clear from what they say, but more violent is the hatred which their breasts conceal.[Surah III, v. 117-120]
In truth the disbelievers are an open enemy to you.[Surah IV, v. 101]
And thou seest [Jews and Christians] vying one with another in sin and transgression and their devouring of illicit gain. Verily evil is what they do. Why do not the rabbis and the priests forbid their evilspeaking and their devouring of illicit gain? .... evil is their handiwork.[Surah V, v. 62, 63]
O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for friends. [Surah V, v. 51]
The most vehement of mankind in hostility [are] the Jews and the idolators.[Surah V, v. 82]
Fight against such of those [Jews and Christians] ... until they pay for the tribute readily, being brought low.[Surah IX, v. 29]
Allah fighteth against them [the Jews]. How perverse they are![Surah IX, v. 30]
Believers, many are the rabbis and the monks who defraud men of their possessions... Proclaim a woeful punishment to those that hoard up gold and silver and do not spend it in Allah's cause.... their treasures shall be heated in the fire of Hell.... [Surah IX, v. 26-34]
They [the Jews] spread evil in the land .... [Surah V, v. 62-66]
[The Jews] knowingly perverted [the word of Allah], know of nothing except lies ... commit evil and become engrossed in sin. [Surah II, v. 71-85]
That was a giant text wall. The point of the matter is, in Arab and Persian countries there is no such thing as moderate Muslims we can reach out to. They hate us. Its that simple. They hate us and its not anything W. did or anything else. They hate our VALUES.
Why is that so hard to digest??? Someone brings up the fact that perhaps Islam as it is practiced in the Middle East, and given its natural hostility, might be the root cause of their hatred, and that person gets branded as "ignorant" or "naive."
I say to those who call us "ignorant" or "naive", on what basis do you call us that? Have you not opened your eyes to the sad truth yet? That no diplomacy or aid giving or speech giving or amnesty will win the hearts and minds of entrenched non-secular Muslims.
It is you who are "naive".
Just my 2 cents. Let the Karma bashing begin!
