Fighting terrorism with Empathy???
A college in Minneapolis is hosting a “Nobel Peace Prize Forum”, and on the program is the following tidbit: (hat tip: BOTW)
Fighting Terrorism with Empathy: a Model for Peace
Amy Nell Concordia College
The word terrorism strikes a deep nerve among Americans today–having sparked an entire nation to the defense of its country and the subjugation of those who stand in opposition. One of these men who stand in opposition is the man who planned the September 11 attacks. In November 2004, Osama Bin Laden released a tape giving his recipe for a healthy nation. This seminar would dissect his message and use audience participation in doing so. Discussion points would include counterterrorism methods, the possibility of peace, empathy etc. The aim of this seminar would be to help understand the position of Osama Bin Laden as presented in the video and explore in what ways the origins of terrorism are to be found, not in some foreign citizen, but in the actions we take out of fear, hate and retribution
Let’s do that, then. Shall we begin?
Selected excerpts from the Bin Laden tape, as translated by Al-Jazeera.
The first half involves casting the United States and Israel as the perpetrators of all evil. Especially the parts about the intentional killing of women and children. And then excuses what is done by Hamas and Hezbollah as merely responding-in-kind.
More canards about how the Bush regime set up a dynasty using the Patriot Act to emulate the corrupt kings and dictators of the Middle East. He also takes credit for the destruction of the Soviet Union.
And then ties it all together with corporations and oil.
No solutions to be found here, just Michael Moore’s talking points.
We go farther back, to see what Bin Laden “wants” from us.
IT has been put forth that Bin Laden’s original beef was with the Saudi royal family, and his impression that the U.S. was “propping them up”. He wants to control Saudi Arabia, or perhaps he just wants revenge because he was kicked out of that nation. Who can say. But he keeps adding causes to his list as the need arises.
He published a list at one time for all nations to follow if they wished to be unharmed. The terms of his list have changed several times, and they have been violated as well. This list was called the “Letter to America”, and was published in 2002.
Even though we have already determined that Miss Nell references the 2004 tape in her excerpt, we will assume she meant the 2002 letter instead. We won’t even call her clueless. (Did I say that out loud?)
Again, I only excerpt pieces. The first half of the letter is simply a litany of all the evil that America has (supposedly) done to Muslims to protect Jews.
So, he eventually gets around to how we resolve the issue at hand, which is terrorism.
(1) The first thing that we are calling you to is Islam.
This means, quite simply, convert or die.
(2) The second thing we call you to, is to stop your oppression, lies, immorality and debauchery that has spread among you.
This one’s tough. He goes on to basically say that everything about our existence has to go. No more sex, drugs, or rock’n'roll. No more loaning money for interest. No more gambling. The homosexuals are right out.
He goes on under this heading to insist that the existence of representative government in itself is an affront to Allah, and must be replaced with Sharia.
After that, he hits each of the other complaints in turn (usury, intoxicants, immorality, gambling, women in the workplace, the acknowledgement of sexuality, AIDS (which is our fault), Our failure to sign Kyoto.
(b)Your policy on prohibiting and forcibly removing weapons of mass destruction to ensure world peace: it only applies to those countries which you do not permit to possess such weapons.
We don’t like tyrants having big bombs, so we’re bad.
(3) What we call you to thirdly is to take an honest stance with yourselves – and I doubt you will do so – to discover that you are a nation without principles or manners, and that the values and principles to you are something which you merely demand from others, not that which you yourself must adhere to.
I guess he thinks that we are busy raping and pillaging while we demand that the government of Iran stop executing 16 year-old girls for having opinions.
(4) We also advise you to stop supporting Israel, and to end your support of the Indians in Kashmir, the Russians against the Chechens and to also cease supporting the Manila Government against the Muslims in Southern Philippines.
Islamists must never be prevented from using violence to take that which they want from those that already have it.
(5) We also advise you to pack your luggage and get out of our lands. We desire for your goodness, guidance, and righteousness, so do not force us to send you back as cargo in coffins.
This is gonna be a toughie too. See, Bin Laden considers most of Europe to be Muslim land. There’s some passage in the Quran that says that any land that was once held by Muslims belongs to Islam for all time. Muslims controlled most of what we know as Western Europe until the Spanish kicked them out in the late 1400s.
(6) Sixthly, we call upon you to end your support of the corrupt leaders in our countries. Do not interfere in our politics and method of education. Leave us alone, or else expect us in New York and Washington.
read: Let us overthrow the governments we oppose and institute Sharia, regardless of what it does to you or anyone else.
(7) We also call you to deal with us and interact with us on the basis of mutual interests and benefits, rather than the policies of sub dual, theft and occupation, and not to continue your policy of supporting the Jews because this will result in more disasters for you.
Oh, and you gotta let us kill the Jews too.
So, there it is in a nutshell. Convert to Islam. Wrap your women in burqas, get rid of television, music, entertainment of all other varieties. Replace your elected governments with Sharia. Kill all the Jews. Get out of everywhere they don’t want you (although I think conversion might mitigate that).
Only after we do that will the terrorism stop.
Wouldn’t it just be simpler to kill the terrorists and destroy the nations that support them and their Wahhabi sect of Islam?
Don’t expect Amy Nell to make that conclusion. Amy – you might want to go burqa shopping before the rush hits.