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Our Generation's World War
I’ve spent most of today browsing the global news sources on the ‘net. The Israeli government assassinated Hamas founder, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, and the world now awaits the consequences.
Through the years, I’ve learned that the people of this world have vastly different cultures. In my culture there is something repugnant about the word assassination, or maybe its because I can still recall my exact location and activity when I learned that President Kennedy had been killed.
But Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon claims his government has evidence to prove that Yassin was responsible for orchestrating countless terror attacks that has resulted in hundreds of innocent people losing their lives. Yassin’s own words add credence to this claim but he didn’t think what he was promoting was terrorism.
And there are thousands of people who agree with Yassin. They believe it their religious duty to devote their lives; literally, to killing people they’ve never even met because God commands them to.
So we find ourselves in a global war. World War III is not yet a war between nations but in almost every nation there is the very real threat that a suicide bomber will destroy hundreds or thousands of innocent people. There is no Commander-in-Chief among the suicide bombers albeit Osama Bin Laden would like the world to believe that he is. There is not one person alive in this world who can be forced to surrender, or be killed, that will stop those who have been fully indoctrinated to be martyrs for their religion.
Unfortunately, in the most tragic sense of the word, the Israeli people will soon learn that Yassin’s death did nothing to prevent the next suicide attack and that it, in fact, encouraged it. Innocent people throughout the world will die from car, train and plane bombs as the promoters of such acts are hunted down one-by-one and assassinated in a strategic attempt to cut the head off of a snake in a pit of snakes.
At the current effective kill-rate it will take 20-some years to end this war. If so, this war of attrition of suicide bombers will prove costly.
As an American citizen, I woke up on center stage of this global conflict. Since a portion of the taxes I pay goes towards defending Israel, that makes me, in the eyes of those who blow themselves up, an accomplice to the “Zionist regime who occupies Palestine.” Since I’m “buying” a few of the bullets or gallons of gas for the Israeli tanks and helicopters, that are used to blow Palestinian clerics out of their wheelchairs, then I and my family are prized targets.
A good portion of the world is depending upon America’s might to put an end to this nonsense. We’re told we are the richest, most powerful country on earth. So we are expected to use that wealth and power to rid the earth of these terrorists who don’t believe they are terrorists but line up to be martyrs in a contest of who can take the most innocent people with them. In the meantime, I often find myself wondering if I’m going to make enough money to pay my bills.
Of course, there are a few million malcontents around the globe who are so jealous of my lifestyle that they’re rooting for the underdog. The recruiters of suicide bombers have a measurable success rate with these people.
Since I am an American, and the Al Qaeda has announced that they want to blow my family and I up, I want my government to get them before they get me. I owe an immeasurable amount of gratitude and debt to the young men and women who are so bravely risking and losing their lives for my safety.
Fanatics of any religious view, or lack thereof, are likely to fan or even pour gasoline on these flames of war. It is easy to visualize Bin Laden as the extremist Muslim. He believes he is leading a war between Allah and Satan. What other vision of him could there be? But there are extremists in all religions, yes, including Judaism and Christianity who emphatically believe that Jerusalem will shine brightly as the capitol of a new world right after this war we’re in.
I think it would be a good idea to take the guns away from these people. I think even the NRA would agree with that.
Reducing their influence among those who are deprived in poverty or in self-esteem might prove more difficult than taking away their guns. But it must be done. It’s the only humane solution to this war.
We, regardless of nation, cannot rely on our governments to win this war. It is, in many ways, a war between our selves. It is going to take moderate religionists from all of the religions of all nations to have the courage in character, and faith in knowing they walk in greater numbers, to rebuke the fanatics and provide more hope for the disenchanted.
We must be vigil in looking out for each other and not let our apathy contribute to a would be terrorist act. We must speak up when we see or hear things that just aren’t right. We must try to live normal lives but in realization that we are indeed at war.
As Americans, we must hold our government accountable and hope the citizens of other nations do likewise. We cannot shy from the fact our government did at one time support Saddam Hussein and assist Osama Bin Laden. We must tell our government, emphatically through our democratic system that this is not acceptable nor will it be tolerated.
It’s going to take pretty much the entire world to get Israelis and Palestinians to knock it off. Unless, that is, they figure it out for themselves. They better not rely on their governments to solve the problems. Their leaders are too busy plotting to assassinate each other to care about how much “collateral damage” is being done. Their extremists are running amok drenched in their elevation of self-importance.
Some Jews, many Muslims and most Christians believe that, in the least, Jesus was a prophet of God. Then perhaps all could agree that the following of His words might be considered:
When the Roman guards came to take Jesus the disciple Peter drew his sword but Jesus told him to put it way and allow the arrest because, “He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword.”
He warned of false prophets and offered the following advice for figuring out whom they are when He said, “Judge each tree by its fruit.”
And for those who believe that others are less because of what their religious beliefs are: “Treat the least of my children as you would treat me.”
Mac McIntyre
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