What motivates the behavior of Islamic terrorists, inasmuch as their actions are directed toward the U.S.? Why would Osama Bin-Laden order attacks on the US embassy in Kenya or at the World Trade Center?
I have some theories:
Islamic terrorists view the US as a “Christian” nation, and thus feel that it is their sacred duty to kill as many Americans/Christians as possible. This theory is plausible, but one generally doesn’t see much terrorism directed toward Western European nations or other “Christian” nations. Also, direct confrontations between Muslims and Christians seem to occur only in isolated locales such as Egypt or Indonesia.
Islamic terrorists view the US as an immoral nation and thus want to eradicate immorality by eradicating us.
There is a fairly sizable population of Jews in the US, and Islamic terrorists (who hate Jews) figure they’ll take out a few Jews in the process if they kill a bunch of Americans.
It has something to do with the whole Jimmy Carter/gas crisis thing from the 70’s.
US social norms that are considered sinful by Islamic fundamentalists.
US imperialism (troops) and influence (money)in the same places in which Islamic leaders are trying to maintain an uncontaminated Islamic/Arab culture.
The US is the biggest, strongest “heathen” cowboy on the prarie. It’s only natural that extremist warriors will attempt to score coup on it.
Elmer J. Fudd,
Millionaire.
I own a mansion and a yacht.
You may want to pick up a history book for the answer to this question.
In 1953, the U.S. helped to overthrow Iran’s democratically elected government, which we apparently felt was too leftist. They set up Shah Reza Pahlevi, and then supplied him with large numbers of arms, and trained his army and police. The shah used the army and police to form a police state.
I’d be pretty pissed off too!
In 1957, the CIA helped rig an election in Lebanon which brought power to Christians and led to a Muslim revolt and civil war the next year.
I’d be pretty pissed off too!
The U.S. has done this sort of thing many, MANY times to many countries. The message that we, the citizens, are to learn from our government is that anyone with a different religion or system of government must be completely assimilated.
At the same time, the image the media presents is a kind, gentle United States that only wants to help and protect the kindly citizens of the other countries of this Earth* , and has no vested interest.
*Earth is a subsidiary of United States of America Inc
They haven’t forgotten the Crusades. Seriously tho, their historical memory is probably a little longer than American’s (everybody’s is I think) and there’s a lot of shit that went down the pipe from Americans and the British (they may lump us together much as we do with terms like - “Moslems”).
I have several friends who are Moslem of East Asian extraction. None of them are fanatics; none of them are terrorists. But their mainstream thinking does give some insight into what may push an extremist over the edge.
The biggest problem in their eyes is the inconsistency of US foreign policy. Make no mistake – they see Saddam Hussein and Mohimar Ghaddafi as major embarassments. They can understand, in principle at least, why they are slapped with sanctions or invaded by military force. But when Israel or other nations make similar transgressions, we let them off with a stern warning. It doesn’t take a paranoid to misinterpret this as an anti-Islamic attitude.
Second, there is resentment (shared by many countries) at how the US throws its cultural and economic weight around, forcing them to follow our lead and our rules – which of course are largely for our beneift and not theirs. (Try listening to AM radio in Australia – pretty eye-opening!)
Third, the US is the biggest target around. If you want to make a statement, you do what is going to get you the most attention.
Finally, it is worth remembering that Muslims have nothing against Christians and Jews per se. We are all “People of the Book;” we all worship the God of Abraham. But Islam does allow for an armed defense of the faith (jihad). This is only allowed under VERY STRICT CIRCUMSTANCES. However, like all holy texts, these are open to interpretation. If one fanatic feels put-upon enough, he may feel justified in his actions.
(My friends also question how much of the equation Muslim = terrorist is simply a matter of perception? There are certainly terrorist acts being committed by people of all faiths. For whatever reasons, Muslim attacks on the US get more coverage, leading those of us who get our news from TV to conclude that they are the major, even only, threat.)
“The dawn of a new era is felt and not measured.” Walter Lord
I am a “European-American” Muslim, but I probably can’t add any new thoughts here that any critical-thinking person of triple-digit IQ wouldn’t already have had. But I’ve got time on my hands.
Terrorist activities, whether under the guise of Islam or Judaism or anti-Federalism are about politics and power, not about religion. Just as we cannot possibly understand how those of 150 years ago justified the massacre of Native-Americans via Christianity, nor can a Muslim reconcile violent aggression with Islam.
Frankly, I think that many, if not most, of those that actually do the dirty work are not exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer, whether Christian, Muslim, or Atheist. The world (even places in the U.S.) contains many small villages where people are dirt-poor and hardly anyone has any education at all. “Travel is broadening” goes the saying, and people who have never ventured outside their village (or county) are isolated, idea-wise. When some smooth-talking mulla or self-styled militiaman feeds the fire, the less-than-brilliant take up the charge.
The reason many Americans associate Islam=terrorism is the lack of personal experience. If a USA Today editorial asserted that many chartered accountants (or lion tamers) worshipped satan, most people would dismiss it; they know an accountant or two, or live next door to one, or work with one, and they seem perfectly normal. Because most U.S. Muslims are of Asian descent, and natural human tendencies being what they are, they are less likely to socialize together.
Only about 18% of the world’s Muslims are of Arab descent, yet for some reason they get the bulk of the attention. The media focuses on the religion of the idiots when they are Muslim, yet seldom is it mentioned if they are IRA bombers or neo-Nazis or militiamen. I hesitate to be like so many others and simply blame the media; fact is, the biggest obstacle to the acceptance of Islam in America is…Muslims themselves.