©02 The Media Desk
One question must be asked:
What have we learned about ourselves in the past 364 days?
And there are two answers to that question.
First Answer:
We learned a great deal. Yes. A great deal. We learned lessons the Country had never even considered before. We learned a few things about ourselves as individuals that we had never wanted to.
Second Answer:
We haven't learned a damned thing.
The Desk won't bother listing the great and positive things we have discovered about ourselves and this Country, and the World at Large. Many are self- evident. Others are being touted from the highest peaks. So the Desk won't rehash them here.
But since the Desk stated the second answer in such blunt terms it feels it must at least point out a couple of examples.
The first and most annoying and gnawing is the Commercial Media, Major Networks, and Social Do- Gooders completely ignoring the reaction through much of the Middle East's, and elsewhere including here at home, reactions to the events of that morning.
YES Pakistanis were dancing in the streets chanting "Taliban Taliban Tal-i-ban!"
YES Palestinians were dancing in the streets and cheering for the hijackers.
YES Saudi Arabia has paid cash to families of those terrorists, most of whom were Saudis.
YES there were (and are) those in America (and some are Black Muslims) who believe the attack was Allah visiting Judgement on the USA's White Power Structure, and cheered then, and continue to celebrate now, as the First Strike of the Revolution.
These things are facts that need to be remembered and in some cases dealt with as we move forward.
The next one is everybody from far left teacher's unions to far right religious leaders blaming America for the Attack.
The Attack was conceived and masterminded by Hard Line Islamists. Men who believe the passages in the Quran about killing infidels in the literal sense. The Christian equivalent would be taking the Old Testament Passage about 'thou shalt not suffer a witch to live' to heart and firebomb a coven meeting. And, believe it or not, some have.
Those Americans that seek to Blame America for the attacks, or spout Conspiracy Theories which do essentially the same thing, and others breathing that air should be at best ignored and at worst, medicated.
The last that merits discussion today is people who seek to protect us from the truth.
Mrs. Bush, the current First Lady, wants to 'protect children' from too many images of the Attack.
The crashing planes, burning buildings, people jumping to their deaths from the top of the World Trade Center instead of facing the flames, the rubble, dead and injured, crushed fire trucks, endless streams of rescue workers...
She thinks it will 'upset them'.
Well DAMNIT Mrs. First Lady, welcome to the Real World as envisioned by the Social Engineers from the Islamic Republics of the World.
They Want Us Dead.
Period.
And our kids had better get used to the idea because that IS the New World Order.
Peace and Prosperity are not part of their game plan.
For exactly what is their 'Five Year Plan' read on.
Under the Wahabi Muslim school of thought which is based in and dominates Saudi Arabia (of which the Taliban are just a slightly more militant and politicized faction):
Women are Possessions, have no rights as an individual, have no voice in their own affairs, and no advocate in the Government.
Non- Muslims, and to some degree, non- Wahabi Muslims, are infidels to be either converted or killed as the mood strikes the Wahabist. This includes Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Baha'i, Atheists, and everything else as well. Even though the Quarn speaks of Jews and Christians as 'People of the Book' if they will not convert, or buy their lives with money, they should be beheaded (The preferred method of execution in the Quran).
In their world everything is within the scope of their religion and the individual has forsaken themselves to the rule of Islam. Indeed, self surrender is one of the main tenets of Islam.
The State become a Theocracy with the smallest detail controlled by a few aging students of their faith.
Under this form of Islamic Law, shari`ah (everyday life under Islam) and figh (legal and commercial law) the religious leaders (the Imans / Mullahs / and other titles for them) dictate everything down to the timing of traffic lights.
The supporters of this say it brings an orderliness to society not seen in the West.
They have lists, yes, actual written down lists of things that are 'disliked' or 'allowed but discouraged', things that are 'permitted' and 'prescribed' and things that are 'obligatory'. As well as long lists of prohibited and unlawful behaviors, actions, words and phrases, even thoughts.
Indeed, the Talib could put you to death for 'prohibited thinking'.
Among things forbidden by the Taliban include having caged songbirds, flying kites, and laughing in public by anybody not a Talib. Non-Muslim literature was seized and burned, even Muslim literature that wasn't hard line enough was taken. Mere possession of a non-Muslim religious article by an Afghani would bring immediate execution of them, and maybe their family and friends who may have been contaminated by it.
Sex outside of marriage, prostitution, and anything regarded as homosexuality can be punished by death. Not only under in what was Talib Afghanistan, but today in Saudi Arabia.
A Christian is forbidden to pray in public where a Muslim might hear them. If the Muslim is thought to have been listening, they can 'vanish', presumably to be 'corrected' maybe to be killed.
Anything Western was suspect and liable to be destroyed. Anything.
According to the Wahabi, and their kin the Talib, the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is Hardcore Pornography and is seized at the Post Offices of American Military Bases. And don't even think about getting a cold beer when away from the Western hotels, alcohol is banned, and even then, it is so restricted many places have simply stopped having it available.
The Saudi's are so restrictive in their giving of permission to visit their country if we were to implement the same rules there would be no Saudi's visiting the US for anything other than official government business, and they would all be Saudi Wahabi Men. You must state your religion, your reason for being there, who you are going to see, where are you going to go. No you cannot just go out for a ride around the countryside. If you are going to other than officially cleared areas for tourists, you must be escorted. Women must be escorted and they prefer it if they are 'covered'.
Islamic law is enforced by their Religious Police. Although sometimes they take it easy on Westerners, they have and will again make examples of you, including public beheading for seemingly minor crimes. Including extramarital consensual sex, or minor drug possession, or even suspicion of it.
Don't believe it? Tough.
The following is taken directly from the US State Department Consular Sheet for Saudi Arabia http://travel.state.gov/saudi.html
[Quote from Official US State Department Document.]
Penalties for the import, manufacture, possession, and consumption of alcohol or illegal drugs are severe. Convicted offenders can expect jail sentences, fines, public flogging, and/or deportation. The penalty for drug trafficking in Saudi Arabia is death. Saudi officials make no exceptions. Customs inspections at ports of entry are thorough. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates General have no standing in Saudi courts to obtain leniency for an American convicted of alcohol or drug offenses.[End quote]
Besides alcohol products and illicit drugs, Saudi Arabia also prohibits the import, use, or possession of any item that is held to be contrary to the tenets of Islam (please see the "Customs Regulations" section above). The private ownership of weapons is prohibited. Imported and domestic audiovisual media and reading matter are censored.
Homosexual activity is considered to be a criminal offense, and those convicted may be sentenced to lashing and/or a prison sentence, or death.
Saudi authorities do not permit criticism of Islam or the royal family. The government prohibits the public practice of religions other than Islam, although private worship by non-Muslims generally is permitted. Non-Muslims suspected of violating these restrictions have been jailed....
To ensure that conservative standards of conduct are observed, the Saudi religious police have accosted or arrested foreigners, including U.S. citizens, for improper dress or other infractions, such as consumption of alcohol or association by a female with a male to whom she is not related.
...
Women who are arrested for socializing with a man who is not a relative may be charged with prostitution. Some restaurants, particularly fast-food outlets, have refused to serve women who are not accompanied by a close male relative. In addition, many restaurants no longer have a "family section" in which women are permitted to eat. These restrictions are not always posted, and in some cases women violating this policy have been arrested.
Women are not allowed to drive vehicles or ride bicycles on public roads.
In public, dancing, music and movies are forbidden.
And this... boys and girls... is where three quarters of last year's attack's hi-jackers and a good percentage of the Talib and Al Qaeda fighters are from.
No. We haven't learned anything.
Because the US State Department and the Bush Administration spends so much time kissing Saudi Arabian....
...but that is a topic for another time.
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