Muslims must root out the extremists
Contrary to what Mr Grant and Mr Duhigg claim in letters, Sharia law has no compatibility with constitutional laws and guarantees fought for and enshrined in founding documents throughout most countries of the free world.
This bone of contention was settled in 1786 by Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja of Tripoli when he replied to Americans John Adams (ambassador to England) and Thomas Jefferson (ambassador to France) as to why the Barbary pirates were seizing US ships and sailors on the high seas.
His answer was that all Muslims had a right and duty to make war on all nations that did not adhere to Sharia Law, take prisoners (hostages) and make slaves of all who did not believe, and they were unafraid because “Every Mussel-man who should be slain in battle is sure to go to paradise”.
There are good historical reasons why those wearing masks have always been viewed as outlaws and for this to change all those masking their faces would have to change the thinking of the world by weeding out the outlaws among them. After all, every time there is a political event in Thailand the first question is: “Who are the masked men behind the scenes?”
If one will murder over a caricature, which most of the world understands is an exaggerated portrayal, it is obvious that one will murder over words said personally.
From popes to presidents caricatures (or cartoons) have been used to depict what the drawer/writer intends. If the Pope in Rome sent out his tiny contingent of Swiss Guards to murder any editor allowing an unflattering depiction the streets would run red with blood. Did the West and East have programmes that tortured and murdered “unbelievers” in the past? Yes, they certainly did. But one would hope we have learned to outgrow that time.
Did the West also enslave? Most certainly they did but hundreds of thousands died in the USA to rid the nation of the scourge (keeping in mind that most were purchased from the proponents of Islam).
If the goal of the world is to rid itself of ideological and certainly religion-driven terrorism from all sources, then all excuses made in the name of the terrorists by apologists must not merely be ignored but shouted down.
Major Mark A Smith, USA, retired
Bangkok
