(Regrettably, I have been so busy over the last 36 hours that I am not completely up to date on every fact, report, investigation, or tweet that has surfaced concerning the attacks on our embassies or the deaths of our four American brethren. That said, I wrote this out in a state of fatigue last night with the information I had at the time. For good or bad, I’m posting it as is. I’ll update later.)
This statement was issued on 9/11 from the United States Embassy in Cairo, Egypt:
U.S. Embassy Condemns Religious Incitement
September 11, 2012
The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.
The reason for this statement? There were reports that Egyptian residents around the city were being whipped into a frenzy, this time concerning a “movie trailer” for an amateur movie posted on YouTube. This movie, purportedly produced in California, was said to have denigrated the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
Which begs the question:
WHAT THE HELL are representatives of the U.S. Department of State doing releasing, if not an apologetic statement, a pandering, pre-emptive, walking-on-egg-shells one, for something that the United States has nothing to do with, nor has introduced any provocative sentiment in any way toward ANY person/people/groups who may, for some bizarre reason, be offended by said video?
Just think about that for a second.
Due to a group of perpetually pissed-off Muslims who have once again been offended, the government of the United States felt it appropriate to issue an ‘olive-branch’ statement to them for something that we had nothing to do with in the first place.
This due to concern over a possible reaction to a YouTube video.
A FREAKING YOUTUBE VIDEO.
Even if nothing else had transpired overnight: If there were no attacks, no murders, no flag burnings, no violence:
WHY THE HELL WAS THIS STATEMENT RELEASED?
What does something like this say about our country in the 21st century?
What have we allowed ourselves to become? A population electing representatives so scared of their own shadows that this kind of statement is considered ‘diplomatic?’
This is made all the more absurd when considering to whom this statement was directed:
Angry Muslims.
People who have been raised on anger, taught hatred for others, and spend their days fomenting this anger and hatred, most times with the sole purpose to hurt and kill others they deem their enemies.
Considering four Americans were murdered, it’s apparent the above statement and the accepted system-wide tactic of appeasement has failed. Any attempt to engage these people in a modern, rational way is impossible, because they lack the ability to think in a modern, rational way.
This was not about some pathetic video on YouTube. That is a cop-out, for both the crazies and our diplomatic reactions. Yes, this has been used to provide another bullshit excuse for these Jihadists to commit violence against us. It has been used to fan the flames of those most susceptible to it, those filled with envy and anger, who ‘occupy’ a rung of society that feels they are somehow victims of events above or out of their control.
But it sure wasn’t a coincidence that these attacks occurred on 9/11.
These festering lunatics need no reason to morph into an angry mob, becoming hell-bent on destroying, hurting, or killing Americans.
Of course, when something like this happens, we are subjected to the obligatory preface that this behavior comes only from a small “minority” of Islamists who do not represent the larger Islamic community in any way.
Fine. However, marginalizing this scum as a minority of anything doesn’t make them or their ideology any less dangerous than they so often prove themselves to be.
There are approximately 1.5 BILLION Muslims in this world. Most of whom we’re told are peace-loving members of their religion, very much like the rest of us, and as such, they should not be held as representative of the beliefs and actions of the “few” who perpetrate these violent and murderous acts in the name of this religion.
1.5 billion Muslims is quite a large group. The small, rotten “few” which commit these despicable acts in the broader name of Islam should then be ostracized by this majority, no? They should be marginalized, condemned, and purged from the peaceful Islamic society for desecrating the true teachings of Islam, and the love and tolerance that Islam represents.
After all the turmoil, pain, violence, murder, victimization and perpetual anger that has been perpetrated by these “few” in the name of Islam, why have these acts not been met by equally vehement denunciations of these actions? Why have they not been fought and rallied against unrelentingly by the many who we’ve been told reject it?
Just what kind of acts and violations would have to occur for the 1.5 billion, peace-loving muslims to decide they have had enough? That they will no longer allow this non-repentive “minority” to terrorize their fellow-man and kill in the name of Allah and Islam? That they will no longer allow the sinful few to tarnish the majority by conducting themselves as if they were still living in the 12th century?
When will they begin their own Enlightenment?
What in the name of Allah will it take?
While there are those in the world that wait, foolishly hoping for that to happen, somehow the onus falls on the rest of us to show tolerance and moderation. We must not view Muslims through the prism of fear or hatred (a prism which, it seems, only we infidels possess). Though the ‘radical Islamists’ are the ones who commit acts of terror, war, murder, and violence, it is we who are pleaded with to show restraint in our reactions each time they kill and maim.
But, someday, this silent group of 1.5 billion ‘good’ Muslims will loudly and righteously speak out as one, from all parts of the world, finally and justly condemning and actively defeating the ‘few’ who continue to pervert their religion of peace.
If they truly believe what they preach, then they have to make this happen. Right?
Until then, their silence is deafening.
And deadly.
