 |
 |
What a bunch of CRAP! Bin Laden is not following the Islamic principles. He has formed a radical, perverted offshoot that the true followers of Islam detest. Greg 48/35/35 ----- Original Message ----- From: Camilla Flintermann <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 1:30 PM Subject: Fwd: "Understanding bin Laden" > Here is another view to add to your collection, written by a > specialist in Middle East culture---people keep sending me these > things ! > ---Camilla > > > > >>>> >UNDERSTANDING BIN LADEN > >>>> > > >>>> >William O. Beeman > >>>> > > >>>> >The United States risks a severe miscalculation in > >>>> >dealing with the destruction of the World Trade Center > >>>> >and the attack on the Pentagon on Tuesday. This event > >>>> >is not an isolated instance of violence. This is not an > >>>> >"act of war." It is one symptom of a cancer that > >>>> >threatens to metastasize. The root cause is not > >>>> >terrorist activity, as has been widely stated. It is > >>>> >the relationship between the United States and the > >>>> >Islamic world. Until this central cancerous problem is > >>>> >treated, Americans will never be free from fear. > >>>> > > >>>> >Merely locating and hunting down a single "guilty > >>>> >party" in this case will not stop future violence: such > >>>> >an action will not destroy the organization of > >>>> >terrorist cells already established throughout the > >>>> >world. Of greater importance, it will do nothing to > >>>> >alleviate the residual enmity against America that will > >>>> >remain at large in the world, continuing to motivate > >>>> >violence. The perpetrators of the original attack on > >>>> >the World Trade Center in 1993 were caught and > >>>> >convicted. This did not stop the attack on Tuesday. > >>>> > > >>>> >The chief suspect is the Saudi Arabian Osama bin Laden > >>>> >or his surrogates. He has been mischaracterized as an > >>>> >anti-American terrorist. He should rather be thought of > >>>> >as someone who would do anything to protect Islam. Bin > >>>> >Laden began his career fighting the Soviet occupation > >>>> >of Afghanistan in 1979 when he was 22 years old. He has > >>>> >not only resisted the Soviets but also the Serbians in > >>>> >Yugoslavia. His anger was directed against the United > >>>> >States primarily because of the U.S. presence in the > >>>> >Gulf Regionmore particularly Saudi Arabia itselfthe > >>>> >site of the most sacred Islamic religious sites. > >>>> > > >>>> >According to bin Laden, during the Gulf War America > >>>> >co-opted the rulers of Saudi Arabia to establish a > >>>> >military presence in order to kill Muslims in Iraq. In > >>>> >a religious decree issued in 1998, he gave religious > >>>> >legitimacy to attacks on Americans in order to stop the > >>>> >United States from "occupying the lands of Islam in the > >>>> >holiest of places." His decree also extends to > >>>> >Jerusalem, where the second most sacred Muslim sitethe > >>>> >al-Aqsa Mosque. The depth of his historical vision is > >>>> >clear when, in his decree, he characterizes Americans > >>>> >as "crusaders" harkening back to the Medieval Crusades > >>>> >in which the Holy Lands, then occupied by Muslims, were > >>>> >captured by European Christians. > >>>> > > >>>> >He will not cease his opposition until the United > >>>> >States leaves the region. Paradoxically, his strategy > >>>> >for convincing the United States to do so seems drawn > >>>> >from the American foreign policy playbook. When the > >>>> >United States disapproves of the behavior of another > >>>> >nation, it "turns up the heat" on that nation through > >>>> >embargoes, economic sanctions or withdrawal of > >>>> >diplomatic representation. In the case of Iraq > >>>> >following the Gulf war, America employed military > >>>> >action, resulting in the loss of civilian life. The > >>>> >State Department has theorized that if the people of a > >>>> >rogue nation experience enough suffering, they will > >>>> >overthrow their rulers, or compel them to adopt more > >>>> >sensible behavior. The terrorist actions in New York > >>>> >and Washington are a clear and ironic implementation of > >>>> >this strategy against the United States. > >>>> > > >>>> >Bin Laden takes no credit for actions emanating from > >>>> >his training camps in Afghanistan. He has no desire for > >>>> >self-aggrandizement. A true ideologue, he believes that > > >>> >his mission is sacred, and he wants only to see clear > >>>> >results. For this reason, the structure of his > >>>> >organization is essentially tribalcellular in modern > >>>> >political terms. His followers are as fervent and > >>>> >intense in their belief as he is. They carry out their > >>>> >actions because they believe in the rightness of their > >>>> >cause, not because of bin Laden's orders or approval. > >>>> >Groups are trained in Afghanistan, and then establish > >>>> >their own centers in places as far-flung as Canada, > >>>> >Africa and Europe. Each cell is technologically > >>>> >sophisticated, and may have a different set of > >>>> >motivations for attacking the United States. > >>>> > > >>>> >Palestinians members of his group see Americans as > >>>> >supporters of Israel in the current conflict between > >>>> >the two nations. In the Palestinian view, Ariel > >>>> >Sharon's ascendancy to leadership of Israel has > >>>> >triggered a new era, with U.S. government officials > >>>> >failing to pressure the Israeli government to end > >>>> >violence against Palestinians. Palestinian cell members > >>>> >will not cease their opposition until the United States > >>>> >changes its relationship with the Israeli state. > >>>> > > >>>> >The Mujaheddin fighters in Lebanon also direct their > >>>> >hostility against Israel and the United States. They > >>>> >also operate against the Maronite Christian community > >>>> >in their own country, who were supported by the French > >>>> >from World War I until the end of World War II. They > >>>> >will not cease their operations until the region is > >>>> >firmly in Islamic hands. > >>>> > > >>>> >Above all, Americans need to remember that the rest of > >>>> >the world has an absolute right to self-determination > >>>> >that is as defensible as our own. A despicable act of > >>>> >mayhem such as those committed in New York and > >>>> >Washington is a measure of the revulsion that others > >>>> >feel at our actions that seemingly limit those rights. > >>>> >If we perpetuate a cycle of hate and revenge, this > >>>> >conflict will escalate into a war that our > >>>> >great-grandchildren will be fighting. > >>>> > > >>>> >________________ > >>>> > > >>>> >William O. Beeman teaches anthropology at Brown > >>>> >University in Providence, Rhode Island. A specialist on > >>>> >Middle East Culture, he has written extensively on > >>>> >fundamentalism and terrorism. He has worked for the > >>>> >past four years in Tajikistan, where he has been able > >>>> >to monitor developments in Afghanistan. > >>>> > > >>>> >Copyright 2001 William O. Beeman. This article may be > >>>> >distributed for any non-commercial purpose. > >>> > >> > > -- > Camilla Flintermann, former CG for Peter 83/70/55 > Oxford, Ohio > <[log in to unmask]> > > on the web at http://www.geocities.com/camillahf/index.html > > "Ask me about the CARE list for Caregivers of Parkinsonians ! " > And visit the CARE webring at http://www.pdcaregiver.org > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn