By: Mary Mostert, Analyst, Banner of Liberty (www.bannerofliberty.com)
September 21, 2001
It seems that the greatest challenge to most people in the world is change. I've seen it in the inner cities of America and I've seen it in Africa and I've seen it in my own generation in its reluctance to learn how to use e-mail and the Internet.
However, one of the great strengths of America is its occasional ability to turn almost overnight and make sweeping changes in its direction and way of thinking. We did it on December 7, 1941. And, we seem to be doing it again in response to the events of September 11, 2001.
And, last night the world saw a truly remarkable change. We saw the American media that has spent barrels of ink telling the world what an inarticulate not too bright a man George W. Bush was praise him for his "Churchillian speech." It was not so much the words he spoke, as the steely determination of his body language that inspired us and made us understand that he meant what he said.
Even the usually critical Washington Post was impresse: "Mr. Bush's speech was clear and confident. The struggle to which he called the country last night is a just one, and we think he was right to leave no room for retreat." Freedom is under attack and that has to stop. He named the enemy:
"The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated terrorist organizations known as al Qaeda. They are the same murderers indicted for bombing American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, and responsible for bombing the USS Cole."Al Qaeda is to terror what the mafia is to crime. But its goal is not making money; its goal is remaking the world -- and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere. "
And what are some of those radical beliefs? One is that the education of women and girls must be stopped. My friend Andy wrote last night to say:
"Since westerners have largely become involved in feeding Bangladesh, they also have decided to provide other western social tools to the people. As a result, women in Bangladesh now only give birth to an average of two children vs. six only one generation ago. And even though Bangladesh can now not only feed themselves, but exports food, the Muslim men are pissed. Now there are reports of Muslim men in Bangladesh burning schools funded and operated by western organizations (primarily British) that were teaching women how to read.
"This violent behavior would baffle the mind of most Americans if they knew about it. They would ask, as I do, 'how can a country that had a life expectancy in the 20s be upset about improving literacy, and reducing hunger.?' We can't fathom it but evidently, we have grossly miscalculated their desire to have a better life on this planet. We try to fix things for these people, but to the village elders, the husbands and fathers, we have totally destroyed the fabric of their culture (as messed up as it was) that served them for a hundred generations.
"So while there is absolutely no justification for the attack on us that we can possibly comprehend, in these peoples' minds our values are an affront to God. We help feed them, but as a result encourage them to have fewer of God's children, we chide them for their behavior toward their women and in the process undermine their family values and religion.
"Ironically, some people think that a global government is the answer to global terrorism. But any global government is going to try to enforce legal standards that are not remotely common to all the people of the earth. Even more ironic, is the fact that the radical Muslims (and I suspect a large percentage of the rank and file) believe in global government too.... only under the flag of Islam, not the UN. Their response to western inspired global government is Islamic inspired global government."
Should we, then, merely continue to embrace the fuzzy minded multi-culturalism of recent years that says there is no moral difference between their culture and our culture? The President has said "NO!" He pointed out:
"The leadership of al Qaeda has great influence in Afghanistan and supports the Taliban regime in controlling most of that country. In Afghanistan, we see al Qaeda's vision for the world."Afghanistan's people have been brutalized -- many are starving and many have fled. Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailed for owning a television. Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate. A man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough.
"The United States respects the people of Afghanistan -- after all, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid -- but we condemn the Taliban regime. (Applause.) It is not only repressing its own people, it is threatening people everywhere by sponsoring and sheltering and supplying terrorists. By aiding and abetting murder, the Taliban regime is committing murder."
So are we, then, engaged in a Holy War against Islam? The President said to the Muslim world:
"I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world. We respect your faith. It's practiced freely by many millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that America counts as friends. Its teachings are good and peaceful, and those who commit evil in the name of Allah blaspheme the name of Allah. (Applause.) The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them. (Applause.)
What is at stake here? Why do we fight? We fight for freedom. We fight, in fact, for our survival. The President says:
"What is at stake is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom. ...Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. (Applause.) From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime."
All behavior is NOT equal. Some behavior is evil and we don't need to apologize for fighting against it.
To comment: mmostert@bannerofliberty.com