A long day ahead
September 11, 2006
My grandmother passed away this afternoon at 3.25pm.
This is going to be a long week. I can feel it already.
9/11
September 11, 2006
If you wanna know what a %$#@! loser is? It’s a dickhead who brings a girl home, where he LIVES with his parents and f***s her AND spends the night over. Okay now that THAT’S outta my system I shall move on to much more important things.
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Today marks the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and I’ve been tempted to write something about it since last week. To be honest I don’t know what to write about it yet I WANT to write something. Humans are such strange beings aren’t they?
September 11th 2001 began like any other day for Americans, with early morning rush hour traffic, and a ‘business as usual’ attitude. Few could have imagined the devastation that would occur this day. On this day, five years ago, over 3000 lives were needlessly lost, not by accidents, or illness, but by an act of terrorism. Without any regard for age, sex, race, religion, or even nationality, a terrorist group known as the al-Qaeda coordinated and executed an attack against the American people. Before the day was over, four commercial airliners were hi-jacked and intentionally crashed.
9/11 shattered America’s sense of security, and to a larger extent the World’s. The al-Qaeda got the world’s attention alright, leaving billions of people asking one simple question, why? Why did they do it? What do they want to achieve by killing so many innocent civilians?
So what is a terrorist? It is hard to agree on a single definition because what may seem as an act of terror will be considered a heroic act for another. For some people, certain acts of terrorism are justifiable as to benefit them. The simple fact is that terrorism represents different things to different people. It is not easy to find common grounds on several issues despite the fact that almost the entire world is against terrorism. While the Americans mourn the death of those in 9/11 attacks, thousands in the Middle East were celebrating on the streets, cheering for and blessing the ones who died carrying out the attacks while others named their newborns “Osamaâ€. Indeed, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.
The nature of contemporary terrorism has become far more frightening with fundamentalists ready to commit suicide, and fears that terror groups are seeking access to biological, chemical and nuclear materials. Old-fashioned terrorism has transformed into high intelligence networks of hard-to-track terrorist cells as can be seen in the al-Qaeda network. Southeast Asia is now seen as a breeding ground for terrorist groups threatening the security and well being of Westerners.
Osama bin Laden (who doesn’t need much introduction) and his followers regard America as their main enemy because it is America that represents what the Western and democratic world stand for, and accepts the moderate Arab regimes. Islamic fundamentalists believe that these governments should be run according to strict Islamic law by clerics.
Moreover, America is regarded as controlling and perceived as contaminating the holy places of Islam, particularly those in Saudi Arabia, through the presence of military personnel there and in other countries in the Persian Gulf. Osama also condemns America for its support of Israel, which he believes must be rooted out and destroyed. Islamic fundamentalists think the U.S. is using military force anytime or anywhere it wants to, despite the concerns or preference of the international community. In addition to that, radical Islamic fundamentalists hate American culture. They have a belief system that is incompatible with the way that Americans and other Westerners live their lives. One part of this belief system concerns women, who are to hide their bodies, have no right to property, and so on. Western sexuality, music, and women’s equality all violates their values, and the worldwide expansion of American cultural products, such as movies and music, offends them. Therefore, it is safe to say that the actions of these extremists are actually reactions to the global proliferation of U.S. and Western values.
Some consider Osama bin Laden a hero, standing up for the religion of Islam through jihad, while many see him as a disgrace, a criminal using Islam to achieve his personal goals of hate crimes towards non-Muslims. Contrary to popular belief, the word “Islam†does not mean peace. Rather, it means “surrender†or “submissionâ€, submission to the will of Allah, the one God. Muslims are those who have submitted themselves. The basic creed of Islam is brief: There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah. Islam teaches that there is one God, the creator and sustainer of the universe. This God, Allah, is compassionate and just. Because He is compassionate, He calls all people to believe in Him and worship Him.
Even more so, Islam is often portrayed as a religion of compassion and peace, yet Osama has stained it with the blood of innocent lives. Chapter 4, verse 83 of the Quran asserts that: “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his punishment is hell; he shall abide in it, and Allah will send His wrath on him and curse him and prepare for him a painful chastisement.†If anyone kills a faithful Muslim on purpose, he is going against his God and will be damned, therefore sent to hell.
There were loyal and faithful Muslims in the World Trade Center. Muslims died in those towers that day. Those killed were not being unfaithful just because they were staying in New York, working and earning money. Osama is a firm believer of fundamental Islam and believes that worshiping Allah should be the main priority of every Muslim. He automatically assumes Muslims in American had defiled Islam and they ought to be killed. His actions, based on the Quran, will send him to hell.
In chapter 5, verse 51 the Quran states that: “O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.†Essentially, this verse suggests that Muslims should try not to befriend a non-believer, but does not suggest killing them. In verse 82 of the same chapter, the Quran states: “Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists, and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly.†This verse basically implies that Muslims should tolerate the possibility of friendships with Christians but not Jews and polytheists, which goes completely against Osama’s claim that it is the duty of every Muslim to kill Christians and Jews (especially Americans).
While both verses are contradictory, it surely does not state anything about killing Christians or Jews. There is no order from Allah to kill the Americans and its allies. Osama is acting as if he has the authority of a prophet and that Allah ordered him to instruct all Muslims to kill Christians and Jews.. He is twisting the meaning of Islam to serve his own purpose. The Quran states nothing that supports his claims of killing Americans and their allies, whether civilians or military. He plucks out phrases and sentences from the Quran to support his views on non-Muslims.
Obviously, the passengers and airline staff on the highjacked planes, along with the workers and rescue personnel in the buildings were innocent victims but President Bush may have over exaggerated when he stated the night of September 11th that “America was targeted for attack because we’re the brightest beacon for freedom and opportunity in the worldâ€. More likely the United States was not attacked to destroy freedom or democracy, but instead because of its government’s foreign policy in the Middle East. Even the 2003 invasion of Iraq would be likely to inspire terrorism because there will be an increase in insurgent groups. Various foreign nationals in Iraq have been captured and beheaded by militant groups with the sole purpose of intimidating countries to remove their participation in the Iraqi invasion or its reform. Though not officially linked to the al-Qaeda, these groups are in fact acting like terrorists. Their actions are preventing Iraq from returning to any kind of a normal way of life.
Personally, I feel that the U.S. government needs to analyze its own policy towards the Middle East before considering any further military action in pursuit of terrorists. The UN exists for a reason, and the U.S. should be more willing to use its UN resources, as well as be more cooperative with other member countries. Not every conflict requires an immediate full military response. Few could blame America for wanting to bring the 9/11 terrorists, or the entire al-Qaeda, to justice. The idea of a war on terror even sounds like a purpose with a good intention. The steps taken by the U.S. to rid the world of terrorists began with a fair amount of support. Now, many nations question the actions and intentions of the U.S., and wonder if it has gone too far. Both the U.S. and terrorists are using force and violence to achieve its goals. Therefore, both sides are equally to be blamed for the death of innocent lives, whether Westerners or Middle Easterners.
It is human nature; we always have to blame someone. Militant Islam has been responsible for destabilizing numerous regions in the world in different ways. Consequently, Islam, as a religion, has become a victim of western stereotyping and misconception. The emphasis has shifted from underlining the causes leading to terrorism in the name of Islam to a religion that is militant by definition. Arab Americans have also faced verbal and physical abuse in the streets. Internet message boards burst with anti-Arab and anti-Muslim slogans and threats. The blame now is on the Muslims. It is a great injustice to Islam and to Muslims all over the world to be blamed for the acts by Islamic fundamentalists.
The attacks on the United States on September 11th killed innocent people, whose only crime was being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It has left a huge scar in the history of the United States and as Victor Hanson said in his book An Autumn of War, “the most calamitous day in our nation’s 225 yearsâ€.
Here’s a video I’d like you all to watch. I didn’t make it and the person who made it did a hell of a good job. It sent goose bumps up and down my spine while I watched it. Let us offer our prayers to these innocent people and the families that are left shattered by this atrocious event five years ago and thank the almighty power above that we didn’t die that day.
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Bear in mind, these are MY thoughts on the issue. I’m not trying to generalize nor incline that anyone should agree with me. This is, after all MY blog. =) And don’t plagiarize okay?
I think that’s enough psycho babble from me for one day. Heh. I’m off to grade some juveniles’ English essay. *yuck*