Is the War on Terror really and anti Muslim crusade?

[KensPen]

There is NO doubt in my mind that the actions of 9-11 needed to be responded to.

I do not suggest otherwise.

but I do find it interesting how we responded. The zeal with which we suggest we need to topple the Middle East regimes.

We had internal terrorism.

The Oklohoma City Bombing,
the D.C. sniper
the anthrax mail attacks

and they received minimal attention after the situation was normalized.

Granted none of these actions matched the spectacle or death toll of 9-11 but to me it shows a need to spend money on internal security.

But I think it's much easier to wave a flag and bomb Iraq.

[greyl]

1. That aspect is possibly

used in some part of the marketing for it (toward Christians), but I think it's more likely a grab for control of resources.

[ComerPerro]

2. No, its a war on Americans

the whole "terrorism" angle is just a lie. All this really amounts to is a political exercise, designed to give Bush (and his controllers) all the power he could ever hope for. That's why they went through the trouble to make sure 9/11 happened, after all.

So far, its working really well for them.

And, as far as killing muslims in the name of God and America is concerend, that is just one of the fringe benifits for Conservatives. Nothing like a holy war to excite and motivate your radical, right-wing religious support base.

[Melsky]

3. I agree to some extent

the "war on terror" serves many purposes. I think they are using it mostly as an agent of wealth transfer - from the taxpayer to haliburton etc. It's convenient for them that Americans tend to group all Middle Eastern Muslims together, and have no problem blaming Iraq for 911. It also serves as a distraction from our pressing domestic issues.

As for 911 and Al Queda, I support dealing with them as an international police action, not starting wars with other countries. And working to get our FBI and CIA communicating together. The Iraq war is just breeding more Anti-Americanism.

On a related note, here is a home grown terrorist caught with chemical weapons that I hadn't heard about before:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=823455

[truthspeaker]

4. I'm not sure

I wouldn't be surprised if there is a secret agenda at work to Christianize or at least subjugate the Islamic Middle East. There are people in this country, many of them powerful, who sincerely believe that the existence of the state of Israel fulfills some end-times prophecy and that the second coming of Christ is imminent. Pat Robertson and others of his ilk have publicly said they oppose a Palestinian state because the Bible says all that land belongs to the Jews. Those cranks have a LOT of power in the Republican party. Iraq could intended as a stepping stone to controlling or intimidating other Arab states; once they are cowed Sharon can go ahead and blow up the Al Aqsa mosque and begin building the third temple. There is a group of wingnut Christians in the Dakotas who are breeding a pure red bull calf for the sacrifice to consecrate the new temple.

I have no doubt that neo-colonial aggression is a major factor as well in the Iraq war. What I don't know is who is playing whom: are the oiligarchs exploiting the religious fanatics, or are the fanatics exploiting the oiligarchs? Or does each side think they're using the other?

[DrWeird]

5. Given that Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11

and that they were absolutely no threat to the united states, unless you count being muslim a threat, I fail to see how it could be seen as anything but.

[Gringo]

6. The War on Terror is fake

It is an excuse for imperialist wars and massive war profiteering. It has little to nothing to do with combating terrorism (which is nigh on impossible to do anyway).

The Muslims happen to be on the receiving end of it, but they are convenient scapegoats because most Americans, even many liberals, dislike Muslim values. I don't think the PNAC folks give a fig about Muslims - it's all about power and money.

[el_gato]

7. it is an anti-freedom crusade

[eissa]

8. You bet it is

My ultra rigt-wing aunt and uncle are beside themselves with glee at the prospect of the Christian US converting heathens in the ME. They WORSHIP bush; think he's doing "God's work." I definitely believe it is a crusade (shrub admitted as much when he let the taboo word slip early on in the "war on terra"), with the oil resources an added bonus.

[KensPen]

9. I drive by

the post office wrapped in plastic,
and I am amazed how the anthrax issue is never mentioned.

[adriennel]

10. definately a crusade

first, a comment, yes, the actions of 9/11 needed to be responded to, but not by attacking Iraq, because even though they did not like the US I don't believe they had anything to do with 9/11. Since we have heard very little about Afganistan lately, I have no idea what is currently taking place in this country which was also a focus of the war on terrorism.

the actions of 9/11 needed to be responded to by making the US more secure. and I don't mean by making everyone take their shoes off at airport security. I'm not a security expert, but I think this country needs to be more proactive and creative when it comes to security, instead of reactionary and fairly blind to the fact that the United States is vulnerable to attack on their own soil. It seems like for many years Americans accepted that their homeland was safe and war only occurred elsewhere. well, globalization has arrived, and you can't have the good without the bad.

I agree there is too little focus on domestic terrorism. someone is shooting random people over a five mile stretch of highway near Columbus, Ohio and this is not called terrorism in the media. The DC sniper is being prosecuted under a recent terrorism law, but I don't think it was labeled as terrorism until after an arrest was made.

terrorism at this point in time seems to refer only to actions perpetrated against the US by persons from or affiliated with the Middle East. Discussions in the media about the "War on Terrorism" do not include the DC sniper or anthrax sender. These issues are discussed separately.

Our country has exhibted extreme prejudice towards persons of Arab descent for a variety of reasons (religious, ethnic, political, etc.)Bush believes it is time for "democracy" in the Middle East and he is the soul "divined" to bring about this democracy. When Bush speaks of American democracy, it is pretty clear he is referring to "one nation under God", "in God we trust", Christian-endorsed government. If that does not smell like a religious crusade, I don't know what does.

[Scott Lee]

11. Some in the Right have made it so.

Take General Boykin. His anti-Islam remarks shocked a lot of people, but in context with what has been going on, they didn't shock me at all. A great number of Americans are so abysmally ignorant of Islam and the Arab culture that they easily use that as a springboard for hate.

American Evangalism is very much based upon the Biblical end-of-times game, which involves Israel and was also at the heart of the first and second Holy Crusades. The purveyors of this end game envision Islam as the anti-religion, the belief of a people that will one day attack Israel so forcefully that the Second Coming will be brought on. Therefore this "battle" in the MidEast is the thing they have been waiting for and they think they actually know the enemy.

Yet another reason that religion in America has become part of the sickness, not the cure.

[knowledgeispower]

12. I think its pretty obvious that it is

We are trying to "westernize" the muslim nations. You can call it a bunch of different things, but what it comes down to is that that the Bush admin (and really anyone in the foreign relations wing of the government) thinks that the muslim religion is antithetical to the western world. Since we have to spread the western world (so that we can open up new markets and whatnot), that means we must first eliminate the muslim religion. It is a holy war, but not for the usual reasons.

And no, 9/11 didn't need to be responded to. Or rather it did, but it should have been responded to by a full investigation of what exactly occured, and then after that appropriate action could have been taken against whoever the perps turned out to be (but it surely wasn't Iraq or even Afghanistan).

[sistersofmercy]

13. Anti-Arabic and anti-muslim disinformation did not begin with 9/11.

Seriously, search media for past portrayal of Muslims and Arabs, you will find a complete imbalance in reporting whether it be I/P issues or others such as woman's rights, no balance whatsoever. No stories about the Turkey 95% Muslim, very secular and women are entitled to an education the same as men or Iraq for that matter. For the past two decades at least, there has been no balance, only an extremely skewed version which has aided in fueling anti-Arabic and anti-Muslim sentiments. I believe it started with the Reagan administration.

[sistersofmercy]

15. And yes I do believe it is a crusade which has been in the works for

quite sometime.

[ithacan]

14. it's a war by the "christian" right on religious freedom

both at home and abroad.

Iraq is full of "christian" missionaries at this very moment. Have you heard or read anything about this?

"Christian" right wingers are at this moment sending Christmas packages, including Bibles, to the poor benighted Iraqis. Have you heard or read anything about this?

Meanwhile, at home, Bush and Delay et al are shoving the entire "Christian" right's agenda down our throats...

So yeah, it's a war on Muslims, but it's also a war on anyone who does not agree with or believe the extremist theology of the "Christian" right. Including people who believe the true message inherent in Christianity, which is the exact opposite of the Delay gang's version.

For more details see:

http://www.right-wing-pseudo-christians.com/