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September 22, 2001
by Eugene Narrett, Ph.D.
There were two main themes in President Bush's September 20 address to Congress,the American people and the world. Firstly, he asserted that the contest begun by Islamic terrorists will be finished by America on its own terms, as has been the case previously. Secondly, the President repeatedly distinguished between Islamic "extremists" and the great majority of Muslims. He cited "prayers" America has received from Cairo and the "good folks," representatives from various American Muslim groups with whom he had recently met. Like every politician these days (but unlike, say the Rev. Jerry Falwell), Mr. Bush spoke often about "tolerance" and "inclusion." Like the current Congress it was an utterly hybrid speech: Republican in its externals and Nanny State platitudes in its guts. And the voices actually emerging from Egypt and the actions of several of the American-Muslim groups Mr. Bush embraced raise red flags about the direction and intentions of this new, undeclared war. Mainstream Egyptian media mostly condemned the attacks on NYC and Washington, albeit with considerable taunting and criticism mixed in ("the tyrant was thrashed soundly on the backside," Al Akhbar, 09-17). But they also demand that America change its "provocative" policy in the Middle East (Yasser Arafat should receive 'only' half of Jerusalem and the entire Jewish heartland). That's the "positive" side of our "alliance" with Egypt. The non-government papers have been more forthright in conveying the mood of typical Egyptians and students, and it ought to alarm every American about an alliance that includes nations where these attitudes are widespread. "I am happy about the great number of American dead," wrote Ahmad Murad. I have a right to rejoice. The Americans are finally tasting the bitterness of death" (al Arabi, 09-16). Muhammed Badr al-Din sounded the characteristic note of Islamic media, threats suit policies to them, or else. "Either treat the [Arab] peoples with respect, or you will die" (ibid). "I cannot describe how joyful I felt, not because of the dead but because the honor of the US has become a floor rag" (Maher Zuhdi, ibid). Salim Azzouz, added in Egypt's 'liberal' paper, "in this case, rejoicing is a national and religious obligation" (al Ahrar, 09-17). There's more. Recall: to secure the presence of 800 Egyptian logistics troops in a rear area in the Gulf War, the first Bush Administration effectively grounded the air force of our most capable ally, Israel by refusing to share with them the IFF (Identify, Friend or Foe) codes. This administration seems headed in a similar direction with Colin Powell and the State Department leading the charge to make Israel continue accepting daily doses of murders of their people by the minions of Yasser Arafat, while treating the terror chieftain as a diplomat. "America got its just desserts," wrote Magdi Shandi, "that suits its crimes of sucking the blood of peoples" (al Usbu, 09-17). "Those moments of incandescent hell were the most beautiful and precious moments of my life -- Generations past and with Allah's help, generations to come will envy us for having witnessed them" (Muhammad Mustagab, ibid). This is not the Taliban, Hamas or Saddam, this is the mass media in Egypt, our 'moderate' Arab ally. It bodes ill for Americans if Mr. Bush cannot hear this voice of Allah and refuses to identify the governments that tolerate and promote it. Perhaps there was one dissenting voice in Egypt that condemned the sort of "radical" sentiments Mr. Bush insisted were marginal rather than mainstream Islam. "Allah has created all human beings under an umbrella of peace and beauty," wrote Farouq Abaza. "But some idiots distort these lofty values and try to impose their behavior and sick ideology and malignant idiocy" on others. You think he was criticizing the attackers? No! The sick and malignant idiocy to which he referred was that of "little Bush, whom cursed fate has placed on the throne of the superpower -- His false dream of power will never recover from this drink from the bitter cup of the blood of his people. Allah is just" (al Usbu, 09-17. For sources see Middle East Media Research Institute, memri.org #274, 09-21-01). So much for the merit of the Bush Administration or NATO or any other nations trying to flatter or appease their way into the good graces of Muslims. Mind you, all these sadistic taunts came within days of the mass murder and most cited the blood of the murdered civilians as a lesson to America. Americans outside of the government are waking up to what the Israelis have been dealing with for decades, and to how vicious (and suicidal) it is for American governments to undermine Israel in its efforts to strike back decisively against the Muslim assailants within and around her borders. Instead, Syria, Egypt even Iran and Pakistan are invited into the coalition while Israel is excluded. It doesn't look good. Turn to our own shores and consider the history and agenda of the groups with whom the President huddled and praised in the days after the assault. In what has been called "a dangerous message of complacency," the President buffed his big tent credentials by meeting with representatives of three Muslim groups that have an alarming history of supporting and/or excusing blatantly racist and violent activities. The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has rationalized and publicly identified with Hamas and Hezbollah ("we are all Hamas. We are all Hezbollah" one of its leaders shouted at a Washington rally two years ago). CAIR and the American-Muslim Alliance (AMA) co-sponsored a rally at Brooklyn College which included tirades denouncing "Jewish deceit and infidelity" and chants repeating, "no to the Jews, descendants of apes," which is Qu'ranic doctrine. At its 1997 annual meeting, AMA distributed a pamphlet by its Texas chapter head, S. A. Ahsani denying the existence of murder camps like Auschwitz. The Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC) routinely equates America with Iraq and re-defined Patrick Henry and other American founders as "terrorists" like those in the Islamic world today (see the articles of Steven Emerson and Dr. Daniel Pipes, experts on terrorism and Islam, respectively, danielpipes.org. See also smartertimes.com/archive/2001). Islam teaches war against non-Muslims ("infidels," Kufir) and explicit hatred of Jews (Koran al Tawbah 9:73, al Anfal 8:59, al Maideh 5:33-49, al Nisa 4:153-69, B. Cohen, Israel, Arabs and the Middle East, 1992, Koran). As several writers have noted, moral relativism ('pluralism') has eroded America's ability to discern, define and oppose evil. Tolerance has devolved into complacency, immorality and bigotry against patriotism, Christians and Judaism. The reflexive inclusiveness writ large in immigration and "affirmative action" policies and laws has impaired America's ability to confront crises like the current one. Even as he sets out to an undeclared war, the conceptual bias of President Bush carries seeds of defeat, and not only on the battlefield. Our government has not yet even addressed the failures of intelligence and policy that invited the carnage of September 11 and already similar and perhaps graver losses are being cultivated by a sloppy (or intentionally) misguided view of allies and foes. If this fundamental error is not more soberly researched and repaired, the current war will become a giant step toward a chronically violent and impoverished global village for which Americans will be asked to sacrifice more and more wealth, security and freedom. Dr. Eugene Narrett is a writer and teacher in Massachusetts and is the author of Gathered Against Jerusalem: Essays on a False Peace (Dec. 2000). His new book, Israel Awakened: A Chronicle of the Oslo War, is currently available at www.1stbooks.com/bookview/7421.
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