Here’s a quote from an al Qaeda magazine interview of 24 year old American citizen Samir Khan who was born in Saudi Arabia, grew up in Queens NY, and use to live in North Carolina:
“I am proud to be a traitor to America.”
“I am a traitor to America because my religion requires me to be.
We pledge to wage jihad for the rest of our lives until either we implant Islam all over the world or meet our Lord as bearers of Islam.”
The NY Times did a story on him several years back and exposed him as one of the young American Muslim bloggers involved in al Qaeda’s ‘Jihadi Media’ network.
For several years Khan translated radical Islamist works and al Qaeda propaganda statements into English and published them on his flashy American blog that was reaching out to hundreds if not thousands of young American Muslims. The FBI kept an eye on him but apparently while in the USA he only supported and wrote about Jihad rather than being a participant in any terrorist acts.
Samir has since moved to Yemen in order to more fully participate in al Qaeda and particularly their media and propaganda network.
Response: I am bring up this example in order to address a major dilemma facing all Americans of good will. How are we to understand and treat Islam and Muslims in America?
Shall we become Islamaphobic and oppose everything Muslim because of the threat that comes from the radicals as some propose? -or- Shall we white-wash every jihadi act committed by radical Muslims in America and excuse them as crazy individual acts?
No on both accounts!
I believe that Islam and Muslims in America should be treated with the same respect and freedoms that every other religion receives in the USA. On the other hand it is time to also realize that there is a substantial minority in Islam that is radical even in America. Also there are social, judicial, political, and economic components of Islam which could never be enacted in this country as long as we have a Constitution and our present form of government.
Khan says that ‘his religion’ requires him to oppose America and the West. This is not an isolated radical idea but very much a part of the mainstream in Islam. What many in the West find it hard to understand is that Islam is not just a religion but also an economic, social, and political system that proposes to dominate the world. Also, that proposed Islamic system is actually antithetical to America and the West which is presently dominating the world economically and militarily.
The pledge to wage jihad against America, the West, and every other religion in the world ‘until Islam rules over all’ is not an idea that is all that radical in the Muslim community around the world. It is part and parcel of what their founder Muhammad taught in the Quran and demonstrated during his lifetime as a conqueror.
At least 10% of the Muslims worldwide (100 million) would support this statement of Khan:
“We pledge to wage jihad for the rest of our lives until either we implant Islam all over the world or meet our Lord as bearers of Islam.”
Another 30% would be somewhat sympathetic this cause in varying degrees. Fortunately in America the radical percentages are said to be considerably less.
The point is, we should be careful not to react against Muslims in the USA that are here to peacefully raise their families and be part of the melting pot that is America. However we should also not allow our goodwill PC tendencies to discount reality and completely ignore the radical threat that is also obviously there.