Of course, by now you’ve figured out I’m talking about the events of 9/11. It is obvious that questions were not asked by the terrorists that flew into the two towers. The significant of these: was America really intent on subjugating the Islamic peoples? The estimated adult Muslim population in the United States had more than doubled between 1990 and 2001.1 The Islamic religion was expanding under the umbrella of democracy. If the United States itself had a vendetta against Muslims, it would have stamped their existence within its own borders first. Given Iraq’s stores of oil, greed rather then prejudice appears to have been the major driver in America’s presence within the Middle East. Even Osama bin Laden seems to concede the point that the American presence may have had an economic element in his fatwa.2
Given that the US’s presence within the Islamic powers was economically driven, it would have made much more sense to restrict the oil sold to the US, instead of attacking the interested country. Spreading news of atrocities that the Islamic fundamentalists claimed were committed by the US, especially by way of the internet, would have been an even better manner of attacking the problem, as it would have softened support for America. By, instead, using violence, the terrorists gave the US government the excuse it needed to place more troops in Iraq. This reaction should have been obvious. Had the terrorists asked questions and thought about their options instead of taking the road of violence, they might have avoided so much tragedy on both sides.
But, blinded by rage, they struck.
Of course, such blindness is not a trait of Islam itself. Rather, it is an addictive habit developed under anger, fear, and hatred. Killing someone for a cause takes an overabundant amount of all three. George Tiller’s murder stands as a recent illustration of where such actions lead.
Abortion, an issue well connected with the Christian right, has long been a bonfire of debate within the US. With his willingness to perform late term abortions and his successfulness in the field, George Tiller brought the wrath of anti-abortion activists to his door. The protests continued on for thirty years, with all the attempts to stop his practice without success.3 It is even arguable that his actions were criminal. But the end of his practice did not come in a court, but with a gunshot in his church.4 His killer’s rage at the deaths of so many unborn children demanded that the doctor’s life be ended. Perhaps, the murderer was able to write off the sin of murder as a necessary sacrifice in his own mind. He was also, apparently, blind to the fact that he was committing such a grave sin on sacred ground. The murder, however, cost not only George Tiller and his family, but also the cause that the murderer was fighting for. The negative publicity that followed the death of George Tiller hurt the position of Pro-life movement, making them seem like violent extremists. George Tiller’s practice might have ended more peacefully had negative press been given a chance to damage his reputation.
But, in ignorance of possible outcomes, the killer shot.
Citations
1) "Largest Religious Groups in the USA." World Religions Religion Statistics Geography Church Statistics. Adherents.com, Apr. 1999. Web. 14 Sept. 2009. .
2) "World Islamic Front Statement Urging Jihad Against Jews and Crusaders." Federation of American Scientists. Web. 16 Sept. 2009. .
3) Barstow, David. "An Abortion Battle, Fought to the Death." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. The New York Times Company, 25 July 2009. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. .
4) Davey, Monica. "Witness Tells of Doctor’s Last Seconds." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. The New York Times Company, 28 July 2009. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. .
No comments:
Post a Comment