Who Is Our Enemy?

It's been nearly a year since I posted to The Horn, but that lapse was not because I had nothing significant to say. My family and friends know that I am providing unceasing personal care to my Alzheimer afflicted spouse. More about that, at another time! Right now, however, I feel strongly motivated to make some critical comments about the thwarted attempt by a 23 year old Muslim “terrorist” to commit catastrophic disaster while in flight from Yemen to the United States.

In retrospect, by failing to read Miranda to Umar Abdulmutallab while he was being forcibly apprehended in the act of blowing up the plane on which he, the crew and all of its passengers were destined to die in a fiery crash, we have already willfully violated his civil rights. Evidently, he was not told that he could refrain from submitting himself to any self-indicting interrogation, absent his attorney. Moreover, since the aircraft was crossing over several state borders on its way to Detroit, it remains to be seen which of those several states will eventually seek judicial jurisdiction over him. But in the meantime, where do we safely sequester him? Now that Guantanamo is about to pass into limbo this might be an appropriate time for us to establish a USA operated, properly monitored, off shore prison. Let us design it to contain what has now become an unending stream of captive jihadists, each of them eager to kill "infidels" in Israel and Israel's chief and most dependable supporter, the USA.

Until we and our political leaders make a genuine and intelligent effort to understand the core nature of our centuries long conflict with Islam, we will remain deluded about the true identity of our current attackers. It is crucial for us to be aware that Muslim attackers are jihadists who believe that Allah is beseeching them to exterminate American and Israeli infidels. While their attack methods are indisputably terroristic, make no mistake, their motivation is rabidly religious!

Our survival demands that we keep our surveillance and retaliatory defenses at their highest possible level, but we should not fail to assiduously pursue every possible means to ameliorate the deplorable relationship between Muslims and the West. To continue to urge Islam to welcome true democracy into its heartland is undisputably prudent. Bringing Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan (and yes, even Iran) into the fold should be looked upon as a doable, rational and fundamentally sound policy. But it requires that we stay committed for as long as it takes. To be politically naive and demagogic at this critical time will insure our ultimate demise!

Indeed, this could be a propitious time for Islam (and we Infidels) to come together and seriously address all of those ancient and now no longer really understood whys and wherefores that have perpetuated our centuries old conflict? How much better it would now be for all of us to cease expending our energy and resources in meaningless and destructive fighting and join together to find ways to resurrect those glorious days when Jews, Christians and Mohammedans enjoyed nearly two centuries of true harmony, prosperity and cultural stimulation. May God help us to once again love and respect each other! Hallelujah!

Comments:

Dec 27: You're spot on! And the longer we avoid profiling based upon behavior, the more our citizens are in jeapardy. It's time to move beyond 'offending' these criminals. In addition, I keep wondering where the outrage from Islam is. There needs to be leadership from the Imams and their communities. Until the good Muslims take a real leadership role (and there are many, many good Muslims), this activity will continue, unfortunately, to be tolerated. - Julia G.

Jan 5: Your blog keeps getting better and better! Your older articles are not as good as newer ones. You have a lot more creativity and originality. Now keep it up! - Anonymous (bona fide e-mail)

Jan 6: Many thanks. Perhaps by 2014 when I turn 100, I'll be eligible for the Nobel Peace Prize. - Dom Gabriele