Abe F. March

What is the cause of terrorism against America?

We read about Al Quaeda, the Taliban, Palestinian militants and the efforts to crush them. Where do we read about the reason for their actions?  Why is that ignored? 

Our reaction is analogous to giving someone a painkiller without dealing with the cause of the pain. 

For thousands of years wars have been fought over religious philosophy, each sect believing their way was right.  The three religions: Christianity, Judaism and Islam, have roots in the OldTestament.  The Old Testament contains murder, slaughter, infidelity, deceit, debauchery, betrayal, lying, racism,incest, rape, etc.  It is full of revenge, not forgiveness.  The New Testament, based on the teachings of Jesus, also includes betrayal and murder, however it preaches forgiveness.  The Koran, the bible of Islam, follows the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed.  They do not look upon Jesus as Christ, the Son of God, but as a prophet.

The unresolved conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine are between adversaries with similar claims and beliefs. Both lay claim to the same territory and both take revenge.  Christian fundamentalists ignore the teachings of Christ (“turn the other cheek”) by supporting the Old Testament ‘eye for an eye’ concept of hatred and revenge.  They believe in Old Testament prophecy and work hard to make it come to pass: thus their unconditional support for Israel.  Political leaders, especially in the U.S., succumb to intimidation in order to preserve their careers and pledge their support to a country that violates human rights and the rule of law.  UN Resolutions are enforced on other countries but none against the State of Israel, most often with American vetoes. And yet Americans want to be seen as honest brokers for peace.  Is it any wonder that America has been targeted? 

Unless or until UN Resolutions are enforced there will be no chance for peace.  The two parties have proven that they cannot resolve the issues themselves.  Only by forceful means, using the rule of law, will there be a chance for peace.  Until that happens, revenge against America will continue and more people will die. Security measures cannot cover all aspects of life and those committed to revenge will use devious means to inflict their punishment on those perceived as the enemy.   Understanding why may help in pressing those in a position of power to take the tough steps required for a resolution.

The book: “They Plotted Revenge Against America” may help shed light on this subject.