Newsweek has thrown a match into the Islamic tinderbox

The Newsweek story of the desecrated Koran has been retracted, but that will make little difference to the damage done. As Henry Champ, the CBC's American correspondent points out, it probably will make no impact. In the Islamic world, the logic or truth of a story never effects the twisted reality the masses want to believe. Newsweek, in its liberal desire to discredit President Bush and the war on terror, has been totally remiss in publishing a volatile report without checking its source fully. The reprecussions will continue, no matter how loud the denials are. Mind you; it doesn't take much to inflame Muslim sensibilities. Just remember the orgy of murder and mayhem that occurred when a NIgerian TV woman made a remark about Allah and the beauty contestants. Christians were slaughtered in the streets and their churches were burned down. These victims had nothing to do with the woman's remarks--remarks that, while perhaps insensitive, were basically innocuous. But then there are supposedly intelligent Muslim scholars who perpetuate the nonsense that Mossad was behind the Sept 11 terrorist attacks. Another myth that has become a truism for millions of Muslims around the world is that the West is on a crusade to conquer them. The endless attacks by Muslims against Christians around the world seems to be conveniently forgotten, or if acknowledged, then perverted into its opposite. Nevertheless, for all their hatred of the infidel West, they flock to it by the millions--either legally or illegally. There is no reverse movement by Westerners to their countries. Unless huge financial remuneration is offered, no Westerner would choose to move there. And with the increasing fear of the natives running amok over some slight or wild rumour, even those workers are going to be hard to find.

As a Westerner, I remain perplexed about the irrationality of the Iraq situation. On the one hand the Sunnis feel they have lost their death grip on power, while on the other hand they refused to participate in the Iraqi elections--therefore effectively marginalizing themselves. Plus the mainly secular Baathists have aligned themselves with the religious fanatics. Even if as a combined force they could topple the government, they would soon be at each other's throats. Finally, I am mystified by the insurgents' barbarous attacks on the Shiites, Chaldean Christians and Kurds. Yes, these people are all seen as infidels and apostates; nevertheless, they make up the majority. A religious war could annihilate the Sunnis. All those communities are armed to the teeth. It is not like the good old days when only the Sunnis had the weapons and secret police force. Besides, I hardly think Iran would sit idly by and let the Shiites be wiped out again. It all smacks of a collective death wish on their part. It has surprised me that the Shiite and Kurds have not exacted revenge by now. However I think that time is coming soon. The American appetite for holding such a country together is weakening. When they depart, vast butcheries will begin with Syria, Iran and Jordan drawn into the fray and the "noble experiment of democracy" will be reduced to ashes.

© Bud Talkinghorn


My Perspective

Bud, I have known intelligent Muslims who must or should be outraged at the mindless malicious misinformation bruited about as truth in their communities abroad and, I fear, here. Think of madrassahs and mothers who see jihad suicide as a viable career move on the road to finding compliant maidens. I suspect Allah does not hold the allure of those 72 virgins awaiting a young man who has just blown his face off. Look at how much of the Muslim world educates its children in hatred. Is there something missing that I just don't get? Hatred is burning the Muslim world up from within.

One of my acquaintances, whom I considered to be a fine young man happens to be Muslim. I cannot believe he would agree with the above described mindset; he was too intelligent. Where is he today? He intended to study immigration law. I hope he has done something worthy. He was a handsome, highly capable young man; yet, he raised my eyebrows when he said his concern in Canada was whether he would be the victim of racism, and that was long before terrorist activity had arrived in North America. No, not racism then I didn't think but today likely a victim of furrowed eyebrows when he and his fellow Muslims do not speak out against insanity like the above is quite likely. Where are the moderate voices? NJC

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