It's time to get passed the "political correctness" attitude and deal with the reality of radical religious fundamentalism. There has to be a line drawn that states the U.S, has seperation of religion and state that is to be obligatory of every religion and its practitioners - no exceptions. It must be clear that using a religion to hide behind, to preach, encourage, and/or support causing harm to Americans; that it will not be tolerated.
Scott Roeder, 51, of Kansas City Mo., confessed to the fatal shooting of abortion doctor George Tiller in Kansas, in May 2009. Roeder was an occasional contributor to a Des Moines-based newsletter that believes that killing abortion providers is justifiable homicide. Des Moines resident and anti-abortion activist Dave Leach publishes the newsletter, called “Prayer & Action News,” which declares it is “a trumpet call for the Armies of God to assemble.”
In August 1993 Dr. George Tiller was shot by Shelley Shannon. Leach told The Washington Post he visited Rachelle “Shelley” Shannon in prison several years ago. In the mid-90s, Leach’s association with the accused killer of a Florida abortion doctor helped persuade U.S. marshals to guard the Planned Parenthood clinic in Des Moines. Michael F. Griffin was found guilty of the murder of Dr. David Gunn of Pensacola, Florida. after Gunn had been the subject of wanted-style posters distributed by Operation Rescue in the summer of 1992.
Many of the incidents of arsons, attempted murders, death threats, assaults or batteries, kidnappings and murders against abortionist clinics, related personnel and the surrounding areas were connected to radical Christian organizations espousing violent action. Randall Terry, a leading conservative Christian, is the founder of anti-abortion group Operation Rescue. Paul Hill, a former Presbyterian minister and leader in Defensive Action assassinated a physician and bodyguard outside another abortion clinic. Anti-abortion groups Army of God and Christian Gallery advocate and celebrate violent clashes against clinics. These are only a few of the known radical organizations who espouse and stand on biblical and/or Christian religion.
The most recent incident that again calls religious fanaticism to the forefront is the horrendous shooting and killing of military personnel at Fort Hood in Texas. The tragic Ft. Hood shootings and murders are not an isolated incident as others have happened; a plot to kill soldiers at Ft. Dix; a case where one Islamic radical violently attacked a fellow soldier.
Major Nidal Malik Hassan opened fire on a brigade of engineers preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. Witnesses report that Major Hassan - a Muslim - was repeating "Allahu Akbar [God is great]" as he fired on his fellow military people. Major Hasan had contact late last year and this year with a radical Muslim cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi,formerly connected with Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center, a U.S. citizen now believed to be in Yemen. Hasan, from 2001, had worshiped at the suburban Virginia mosque, Dar al Hijrah Islamic Center, in Falls Church, that two of the Sept. 11 hijackers attended in 2001. al-Aulaqi applauds Hasan's murderous actions on his website.
Fellow workers report hearing Hassan compared suicide bombers '..to the noble soldiers in combat who fall on hand grenades to save fellow soldiers in the name of Allah'. He also has said that '..suicide bombers are helping Muslims kill enemy soldiers'. His web site validates their reports. Convenience store film shows Major Hassan on the day before the shooting. He was dressed head to toe in Muslim garb and complaining he did not want to go to Afghanistan and be involved in killing "fellow Muslims."
Major Hassan had received a "poor performance" rating from his superiors at Walter Reed Medical Center. As their psychiatrist, while he counseled wounded troops, he was proselytizing to patients to convert to Islam. As the military bends over backward to be tolerant of the diverse religions and spiritual ideologies; Hassan's behavior, in his capacity as a psychiatrist, of attempted religious recruitment is forbidden and highly unprofessional. Investigators are starting from the premise the suspected gunman in the Fort Hood massacre acted alone. But the FBI is keeping in mind that his communications were flagged by intelligence agencies in 2008.
To their credit, mainstream Christian religious heirarchy, while steadfastly maintaining an anti-abortion stance, have condemned the violent acts commited by the anti-abortion groups. They have done some work to actively ferret out these groups, detour them and disassociate mainstream Christianity from them. A spokesman for the Council on American Islamic Relations was trying to relay to his audience not to associate the killings on America's soil to Islam or its tenets. The Washington-based group noted that it had launched an anti-terrorism petition drive and a TV ad campaign against religious extremism, and coordinated an anti-terrorism fatwa, or religious ruling, condemning extremism and terrorism.
Many reporters, political officials and investigators are cautious to not cross the boundaries of "political correctness." In the case of Ft. Hood, we need to stop this political correctness. We have to ask our fellow Islamic Americans, Muslim Americans to step up and to recognize our division in this country between church and state, or mosque and state. We have to step up and expect them to not only condemn this in no uncertain terms; but to also take measures within their mosques to stop those of their following from believing that such actions are allowable or commendable.
It is insulting to us to have reporters and others in mainstream media admonish us as to how we are to perceive what happenned at Fort Hood. It is not a perception fueled by prejudice and fear; it is fueled by looking at the facts and proceeding accordingly. It is not a position based on fear and hatred to know that the Ft. Hood massacre wiil be exploited by groups like Al Qaeda. And that other fanatic groups will use it as a card to justify more religious extremism and violence.
Yes, the investigators can proceed cautiously and carefully with a thorough investigation. Once all the information is confirmed, it needs to be presented openly and honestly; and not through the filter of "political correctness." It's a slap in the face to think Americans can not distinguish for themselves between what they saw happening, and what they are told they saw through the filter of "political correctness". It is condescending to have investigators and political officials not to admit it is possible that this was a terrorist act. Information is coming forth that shows connections to al Qaeda and to radical elements of the Islamic religion. Don't tell us to connect the dots to come up with a picture of a poor victim instead of the one that reveals a murderer for the monster he is.
There are 13 dead people, and a number of wounded whose families, loved ones, friends and fellow soldiers live with the horrible reality that the pictures of the rest of their lives are forever changed.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment