6/1/2011 - June 2011 SLI Educational Update - Why Do We Have Difficulty Understanding the Muslim Jihad?
AN EDUCATIONAL UPDATE FROM
THE SOUTHEAST LAW INSTITUTE™, INC.
To: SLI Supporters
Date: June 2011
From: A. Eric Johnston
Re: Why Do We Have Difficulty Understanding the Muslim Jihad?
On September 11, 2001 the United States became involved in an overt war against terrorism. We have remained in that war since then. The war has been against Muslim terrorists and no other identifiable group of persons. Our initial response was a military campaign against wrongdoers. However, we soon realized this war was being perpetrated by Muslim terrorists based on their theology, a “jihad” – a religious struggle often referred to as a “holy war.” Those who focus on the war as simply a military campaign and not against a theology, grossly misinterpret events.
Why did Osama bin Laden direct the attack against the United States? Why do terrorists still terrorize and target the United States? Why do terrorists call the United States the “Great Satan?” It is not because these enemies are engaged in a video game mentality. It is not simply the goal of a military or geopolitical effort led by an Alexander, Napoleon, Hitler or Stalin
As we look around the world at the many conflicts, principally in the Middle East, but including the terrorist events in many Western countries, we see that it is only a Muslim war in which we are engaged. If we focus only on the terrorist acts as being part of an alien government’s military campaign against us and do not try to determine why this is happening, we deceive ourselves and can only expect worse problems in the future.
As we give aid to rebels in Libya and other Muslim dominated countries, are we exchanging local dictatorships for Muslim theocracies? Are we helping ourselves? We cannot simply view our Muslim opponents as extremists who are somehow separated from moderates, with whom we can work. While there may be many Muslims who do not seek to perpetrate heinous acts against us, they do remain a part of the worldwide Muslim community. They are all adherents to Islam. To be a member of Islam, whether extreme or moderate, is a commitment to a religious belief that exceeds the commitment of Christians at this time in history. Christianity has grown so weak and uncommitted to its principles, we do not find many sins with which we disagree. Muslims, however, are quite different in their faithfulness. And, their religion requires, as Moody Church Pastor Edwin Lutzer said, Islam to crush the “church” wherever it is. Our First Amendment recognizes the co-existence of religions. Sharia law does not.
The terrorists favor the strength of Sharia law in every community where they are. Sharia law is an integral part of their jihad. Sharia is both religious law and political law. It is inconceivable that Muslim terrorists would not favor Sharia and its repressive elements.
Consider what the Taliban did in 1998 when it was in control of Afghanistan. It destroyed Buddhist statues, imposing its strict Sharia law. Christians, Jews, Hindus and Sikhs left the country. The Taliban’s goal, like other terrorists, was, and is, to impose Sharia law on those whom they conquer.
Many American strategists and apologists view the “Muslim Brotherhood” as a harmless political organization seeking to protect the rights of Islam as a religion and as a cultural existence for Muslims. However, in all of these Muslim conflicts in the world, the Muslim Brotherhood is the entity that exists for the purpose of subduing the governments which Muslim extremists conquer. It waits and positions quietly in Libya, Egypt, and other places. It waits and positions quietly in the United States.
Though the Muslim Brotherhood’s goals are much further away for the United States, Sharia theology ultimately requires dominance of American political, legal and cultural life. America represents a different enemy and objective for Muslims. It does not have a rebel population such as in Libya. And while bin Laden hopefuls want to perpetrate terrorist acts against America, they are also working to subvert the culture.
It therefore becomes very important for us to recognize that we are not merely engaged in a military war far, far away. We are engaged in a war against not only heinous physical acts, but also virulent legal and political acts in our homeland. Already, more than 50 cases of Sharia law have been reported by American courts.[1] As a legal organization defending our constitutional freedoms of religion, speech and individual liberties, SLI is concerned that Americans understand the real war in which we are engaged.
[1] See,www.Sharihinamericancourts.com
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