Institutionalized Support for Terrorists

Muslim Extremists Seek the Total Destruction of Christianity and Judaism, Not Just the American Economy

An Editorial by Christos and Mary Papoutsy

Over the last year, Americans have been given a ringside seat to a circus of terrorist acts by Islamic militants. Condemnation of heinous violence, such as the attacks on the World Trade Center was, of course, swift and unambiguous. Such condemnation, coming from all corners of the world, cost nothing, required no real commitment on the parts of the persons or countries simultaneously expressing their condolences. Some of the expressions were sincere, others were not.

Following the events of 9-11, many countries volunteered cooperation in combating terrorism worldwide. Scores of terrorists -- and suspected terrorists -- have been rounded up. So-called charities fronting for Islamic militant groups, soliciting funds for them, have been either closed down entirely or placed under close scrutiny. Afghanistan has been purged of many Taliban fighters who were staunch supporters of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda.

After a yearlong public scrutiny of the entire issue of terrorism, several patterns have emerged. And we all need to pay greater attention to them. For the very survival of our own country--the future of our children and grandchildren -- and that of our staunch allies in Israel, depends on it. One of these patterns -- the most important in our opinion -- is institutional support among Muslims and Islamic countries for the goals of fundamentalist Islamic terrorists. The key word here is "institutional."


One doesn't hear in the U.S. of a prominent government or religious leader calling for ethnic cleansing, outright killing of adherents of other religions or persons of other races -- these are among the hallmarks of institutionalized racism and discrimination.
Our Israeli friends have been trying for decades to tell us what this means, but we haven't listened. And we should know better, since the U.S. represents one of the greatest ethnic "melting pots" in the world. We have faced -- and continue to face -- prejudice and discrimination against minorities here. To our credit, we have enacted legislation outlawing discrimination and hate crimes. We developed educational resources promoting multiculturalism and understanding of other races and ethnicities; these are now requirements in many school districts and among many corporations and governmental agencies. When instances of hate crimes do occur, the public justifiably expresses outrage and calls for swift action. One doesn't hear in the U.S. of a prominent government or religious leader calling for ethnic cleansing, public discrimination, or outright killing of adherents of other religions or persons of other races -- these are among the hallmarks of institutionalized racism and discrimination.

But that is exactly what we hear on a regular basis from Muslim clerics and governmental leaders of predominantly Muslim countries. One need only scan the latest issue of any international newspaper to read about the latest death threat from a mullah or imam against Americans and Jews. And some of these clerics even voice such discriminatory and illegal opinions at mosques here in the U.S. Muslim leaders of non-democratic countries, either by the absence of corrective actions and policies, or by covert direct assistance, lend support to such radicalized and angry voices.

Again and again, news stations carry guest speakers who assert that the violence of radical extremist Muslims does not represent the majority of Muslims. We intuit that they must be right. But what we see and read daily refutes their very words. We might be better persuaded by this if we could see concrete steps taken by avowed peace-loving leaders of Muslim nations to bring to an end support for such criminals as Osama bin Laden. Certainly enough time has passed over the years for Muslim governmental and religious leaders to deliver addresses, propose or decree legislation or codes, develop and institute educational programs aimed at eliminating discriminatory behavior

Enough time has passed over the years for Muslim governmental and religious leaders to deliver addresses, propose or decree legislation or codes, and develop and institute educational programs aimed at eliminating discriminatory behavior and curbing violence.  But we just haven't seen it.
and curbing violence. But we just haven't seen it. Largely absent are governmental calls -- in Arabic or other native languages -- among Muslim leaders to end terrorism, to end institutionalized discrimination and hate crimes.

Perhaps even worse is the slowly emerging revelation that wealthy Arabic countries, apart from Jordan, have really contributed little to the uplifting of the Palestinian people, those whose cause they use, openly or secretly, as a rallying cry against all Jews and Americans. Over the many decades, we see no infrastructure created by them among the Palestinian populated areas. No new schools. No companies to employ Palestinian youth. In other words, no real future offered the Palestinians by their fellow Muslims except a daily diet of anger and hatred, guaranteed to keep the conflict going.

This daily diet of anger is directed against other religions, not particularly against Israelis or Americans, as some would have us believe. The language spewed forth from religious zealots demonstrates this unfortunate truth. The hatred is directed, by these radical elements and their supportive governments, toward Jews and Christians. America is a predominantly Christian nation, just as Israel has a largely Jewish populace. The ultimate goal of these radical Muslims is exactly what we have been reading in print, a holy war against Jews and Christians, and exactly what our Israeli friends have been telling us, the complete destruction of our way of life. Stated in other words, among these militant radicals, there is an institutionalized intolerance of other religions. Such hatred, discrimination, and intolerance are antithetical to the basic principles of freedom supported in America and other industrialized societies around the world.

It's time for Americans to take a closer look at Muslim support of terrorist violence and to recognize its full significance for the future of America and her allies.