Death was mandated for people refusing to submit, and who had the temerity to assert the right to enter into commercial and military relationships involving presence in Daar Islam, or to promote and protect the existence of non-Islamic countries in regions close to the ummah. Whether those killed in the ensuing jihad were involved in any way with the struggle between Islam and others was largely irrelevant, as all were “infidels” subject to slaughter.

Initially and long-term, the West’s reaction was mixed. President Bush rashly referred to Islam as a “religion of peace”, which most assuredly it is not. The President even made a visit to a mosque. Correctly, the U.S. and other allied countries invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, with a goal towards clarifying the relationship between the West and Islamic lands. That relationship ought to be based upon equality mutual respect for each other’s interests. Clearly, that is not the basis of the relationship, where planes smash into buildings, exploding jihadis slaughter people at random on commuter trains (March 11, 2004 in Spain), subways (July 11, 2005 in Britain) or attempt to do so again in Britain (June 27-28, 2007 in London and Glasgow). Muslims’ attempts to equate those attacks with collateral damage inflicted in the course of wars not aimed by the West at civilians, and/or off-course and non-deadly events such as Abu Ghraib are fatuous at best. The West vigorously prosecutes any military activity aimed at civilians. This is well-known, and to deny this borders on fraud.

In the West, newspapers and politicians seek the easy course; withdrawal (of volunteer troops) from Iraq, appeasement of Muslim interests, etc. Footbaths designed to facilitate prayer are being installed at universities [URL=a href=http://www.nysun.com/article/59485](link to article)[/URL], supported by people who express opposition to the idea of Christmas displays in public, and/or display of the Ten Commandments in court houses. The West needs to understand what is at stake, and push back. That way, Muslims, Christians and Jews can live in peace, cognizant of the boundaries, and what happens when those are transgressed.

If you think that’s bad, ask the Japanese whether life was better under Tojo and dictatorship than it is now. Did we win their “hearts and minds” by appeasement. Oops, I forgot, we dropped the ultimate weapon on them. They are not expressing their “anger” by blowing themselves up to kill people. Nor, for that matter, are Jewish victims of the Holocaust. The Muslims can learn to be a constructive, contributing part of this world. They do not have to limit their contributions to rapine, death and destruction, in search of domination.

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Originally posted by tostig:
The day when Bush morphed from being the laughing stock of the world and turned into the saviour of the free world.

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quote:

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Originally posted by tostig:
The day when Bush morphed from being the laughing stock of the world and turned into the saviour of the free world.

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When did THAT happen?

(Frankly, I think several hundred thousand Iraqis would take issue with that assertion.

That is, if they were still alive to take issue with it.)

And "followers of a false god?

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Originally posted by Ken Burch:
Er...Bush saved the world?

When did THAT happen?

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9/11/07 was a day when the deaths of several thousand innocent people in the World Trade Center(who killed them is still in some question)was exploited to start a war against a country that had nothing to do with their deaths at all.

It was a day when the shock of a nation was manipulated to justify restricting the civil liberties of that same nation and when that nation's unelected government used that shock and grief to silence debate and implement an extreme right-wing agenda it had no mandate to enact.

9/11 was, so far, the worst day of the milennium. Perhaps the day when the hopes and dreams of that milennium were strangled in the cradle(or at least that is what our leader wished to have happen.)