Are All MuslimsTerrorists?

As I learned several decades back at a meeting of the Columbia University Faculty Human Rights seminar addressed by one of Columbia's Middle Eastern experts (not a Muslim), Islam, in addition to its major divisions, works by attraction -- individuals choose the mullahs who seem to them to be most learned and inspired. Thus, there is no way other mullahs or associations of Muslims can control the appeals of the extremists.

I strongly recommend that people take the effort to get at least an educated amateur's grasp of Islam. A book put out before the most recent chaos that does this well is Islamic Thought in the Twentieth Century:

http://www.palgrave-usa.com/Catalog/product.aspx?isbn=1850437513

which happened to come to me this year as an academic and which I read with great profit. It consists of contributions mainly by American and British field experts and surveys both the history of Islam and the current divisions that have emerged and attitudes towards others candidly stated and explained. At the very least one should be aware of the conflict between the modernists (would adopt our Western ways of doing things) and Islamists (want to return to purified roots -- with some moderates and some fringe radical extremists who inspire the suicide bombers, etc.). The third group for which both of these are vying for support are the 'traditionalists' -- the great mass of Muslims in the street who variously practice their religion. Presumably polls are largely based on these last who see Aljazeera reports daily:

http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage

which tells it as it is from a Muslim perspective, e.g. how many Arabs have been killed by Americans in Iraq today or Palestinians in confrontations with Israelis. I recommend a daily check in for the latest at this site.

As we all know, or should know, our news reports (U.S. cable TV and ZOA and AIPAC influenced reports) are not exactly telling a balanced story.

If we are going to achieve peace in the Middle East, including Israel/Palestine, we are going to have to face all the facts and learn to respect the dignity of all -- particularly the lives of people whom we have been variously messing up.

For myself I see the boycotts of Israel by the dwindling remnants of the traditional U.S Protestant churches to be misguided. They feel they have to do something to counter the hate-oriented stuff of the Falwells and other crooks who have taken over and exploited the situation in the Middle East for their own gains. These latter are the real hazard to Israel, as these characters could not care less about its well-being.

For myself I worry about the long-term future as the pressures -- economic, resources, population crowding -- continue to build. We perhaps have a brief window of possibility to make a difference now. If we do not it may be too late to avoid some sort of apolcalypse such as the nuts crave -- _mass_ suicide bombing, if you will.
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort
to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
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