Yes, Ali, There Is An "Islamic Terrorism"

As a Jew, and as one, who, despite growing up in America, is acutely aware of the pressures and fears of a possible "minority group" atmosphere, I can empathize with Saqib Ali, a Democratic member of the Maryland House of Delegates (*) and the son of a South Asian immigrant family. He was perturbed by some elements of Rudy Giuliani's G.O.P. convention address.

In a letter in today's NYTimes, he asserts that Rudy, when noting that Democrats were afraid to use the term ‘Islamic terrorism’,

chose to equate all terrorists with members of the Islamic faith

Ali has it that Rudy' words were an insult to all hard-working, loyal Muslim-Americans whereas Democratic speakers, including Barack Obama, when addressing the issue of the fight against terrorism, did it

in a way that did not imply that all Muslim people are terrorists. Mr. Giuliani doesn’t seem to know better.

Ali would want that

The fight against terrorism should be directed toward real terrorists and those who support them

I agree with that last line but disagree with what Ali implies.

You see, Ali,



whether or not you misunderstood, or misportrayed Rudy's words (another matter), there is a specific form of violence, rooted in theological religious fanaticism, that is unique to Islam. No other religion, even if it did exploit violence, highlighted its actions with such a phrase as Din Muhammed b'sayif, - "the religion of Muhammed [is spread] by the sword" although others seek to deny this.

There is political terrorism, there is ideological terrorism, there is economic terrorism and, yes, there is Islamic terrorism. There is Al-Queida, and Hamas, and Islamic Jihad, and so on. They are motivated not by the loss of specific territory, or unemployment, or oppression but by a desire to bring the Dar El-Harb into tthe Dar El-Islam.

Maybe because Ali is from South Asia where Islam is perhaps tempered by the seas and rains (and grass skirts) rather than the harsh desert, he has had a different experience. Nevertheless, Rudy was right. There is an Islamic terrorism and above all, it behooves Muslims to deal with it, before it affects them in a way that will indeed, limit their religious freedom.


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(*)

House Office Building, Room 224
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401
(410) 841-3021, (301) 858-3021
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3021 (toll free)
e-mail: saqib.ali@house.state.md.us
fax: (410) 841-3375, (301) 858-3375

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UPDATE


Read Benny Morris' book review here.