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Tuesday, October 29, 2002
Cal Thomas :: Townhall.com Columnist
It's not over
by Cal Thomas
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The headline in last Friday's (Oct. 25) Washington Times said,"Thank God, It's Over." Two suspects in the terror rampage that killed 10 people and wounded three may be in custody, but it's not over. It has only just begun. The Western diplomat murdered in Jordan on Monday is just the latest incident of targeted Americans. While the Beltway sniper suspects may have acted independently of any known terrorist organization, it is not necessary to be commissioned by a foreign national in order to effectively carry out the wishes of America's enemies. It is past time to stop worrying about political correctness and the names we might be called - such as intolerant bigoted Islamophobes - and start telling the truth. America's enemies are among us. They are here to kill us. The two men arrested in Maryland are the first wave following the 9/11 airplane hijackings. Surely others will follow, because their religion and history commission them to kill all infidels. Anyone who is a Christian or a Jew, or insufficiently fundamentalist, is fair game. They intend to hunt us down like deer in their scope sights. How do I know this? Read what they say about themselves and their objectives. In the midst of last week's murderous hostage taking by anti-Russian rebels angry over Moscow's prosecution of the war against Muslim Chechens, a Web site emerged that spelled out the beliefs of those who orchestrated the operation (see www.memri.org/bin/opener+ latest.cgi?ID=SD43402 for the translation). Featured are articles about Islam's position on how prisoners are to be treated. In"A Guide to the Perplexed about the Permissibility of Killing Prisoners," which appeared in the column"Jihad News from the Land of the Caucasus," the writer offers interpretations of the Koran from Islamic religious scholars:"(1) a polytheist prisoner must be killed. No amnesty may be granted to him, nor can he be ransomed; (2) all infidel polytheists and the People of the Book (i.e. Jews and Christians) are to be killed. They may not be granted amnesty, nor can they be ransomed; (3/4) amnesty and ransom are possible only after killing of a large number of prisoners; (5) the Imam, or someone acting on his behalf, can choose between killing, amnesty, ransom or enslaving the prisoner." Examples are given regarding the methods the Prophet Muhammad had chosen to kill, grant amnesty or ransom prisoners. He writes that the Prophet Muhammad chose to deal with prisoners in different ways to maximize the benefits to Muslims. These are the theological precepts apparently practiced by at least some of the people who took hundreds hostage in Moscow last week. Moscow News quoted one of the Chechens as saying,"I swear by God that we are more keen on dying than you are on living." That kind of fanaticism is difficult to stop, but we must make the attempt and soon. In America, some politically active Muslim groups again decry murderous acts done in the name of their religion. How many more of these acts will be tolerated before we wake up and realize our enemies are playing us for fools and that their sole allegiance is to a violent, vengeful deity who demands his followers to kill everyone who disagrees with their interpretation of him? I do not doubt there are peaceful Muslims, but they aren't the ones with the guns and the explosives. How does one tell the difference? It does not improve the safety of Americans for our leaders to spout bromides about this supposedly"peaceful religion." How would we react if, instead of one or two snipers mowing down people at will in the Washington, D.C., area, a dozen or more simultaneously turned as many towns into killing fields? It wouldn't take much - just a car, a gun, a co-conspirator - and terror would sweep nationwide. The U.S. economy would surely tank, which is a stated goal of Al Qaeda. A panel on domestic security, headed by former Sens. Warren Rudman and Gary Hart, concludes the country has become complacent about terrorism and is vulnerable to a catastrophic terrorist attack. The White House and Congress are chided in the report for failing to enact measures to defend the nation. Apparently some politicians care more about their political lives than they do about the rest of us who might die.
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About The Author
Cal Thomas is co-author (with Bob Beckel) of the book, "Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That is Destroying America".
 
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