Doctor arrested in Florida is a 'terrori

[BinZiad]

Doctor arrested in Florida is a 'terrorist,' too

By Arsalan Tariq Iftikhar

ccording to the FBI, a Florida doctor arrested after police found
more than 15 homemade explosive devices in his home allegedly drafted
a detailed plan to blow up an Islamic educational center. The search
of Robert J. Goldstein's residence also turned up a list of about 50
Islamic worship centers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area and other
locations in Florida. Attached to the criminal complaint against
Goldstein was a three-page "mission template" for an attack on an
unidentified "Islam education center," which included a map of the
center showing where bombs would be placed.

Referring to Webster's Dictionary, "terrorism" is defined as "the
unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an
organized group against people or property with the intention of
intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for
ideological or political reasons." According to the damning evidence
against the Florida podiatrist, there should be absolutely no
hesitation in classifying Goldstein as a "terrorist." Yet, in news
coverage from The Associated Press to CNN, there was not one mention
of the word "terrorist." However, if we change one facet of this
scenario, we would have a completely different ballgame.

Instead of Goldstein, let's say his name was Dr. Muhammad. Assume the
same bomb materials were found in the same Florida home. Instead of
blueprints of Islamic centers and mosques, his house was littered
with floor plans of more than 50 synagogues and Jewish day schools.
In addition to the blueprints and the arsenal, there were scattered
pages of his manifesto that claimed to eliminate all traces of
Judaism from America. Surely, one would be hard pressed to find one
person alive who would not consider the hypothetical man above
a "terrorist."

So why the double standard? There was not one mention of Goldstein's
religion or political affiliation in any of the media outlets. It
would follow a simple logical progression that his fiery hatred of
Muslims was either fueled by a dogmatic or political doctrine. Was
Goldstein a Jewish extremist who wanted to rid this country of
all "rags"? Was he a member of a militia group aimed at targeting
those affiliated with the terrorists of last September? We don't
know, because no one made his political or religious affiliation an
issue.

On the contrary, the media wasted no time in classifying as a
possible "terrorist" Hesham Mohamed Hadayet, the man responsible for
the shooting at the El Al counter at Los Angeles International
Airport in July. Hadayet, a disgruntled limousine driver from Egypt,
was automatically categorized as a possible "terrorist" because he
was an Egyptian Muslim. In a rare flash of brilliance, the FBI
cautioned the media against the classifcation. All evidence points to
the fact that he was just a discontented limo driver who unjustly
took his frustration out on innocent civilians. There were no AK-47s
found in his home, no treatise on his hatred of a religious or ethnic
group. Yet, Hadayet was vilified as a possible terrorist, while the
extent of Goldstein's vilification was that he was a "podiatrist from
Tampa."

Not all terrorists are Muslims, and not all Muslims are terrorists. I
know it's hard to believe, but mass violence in the advancement of a
personal, religious or political agenda is not something exclusive to
the Islamic paradigm. Before Osama bin Laden became the most infamous
terrorist known to America, Timothy McVeigh used his perverted
political agenda to slaughter 168 innocents, including many children,
who were playing at the day-care center in the Alfred P. Murrah
Federal Building on that fateful day in 1995. Last year, Irv Rubin,
chairman of the Jewish Defense League, plotted to blow up a Los
Angeles mosque and the office of a U.S. congressman. If these
dastardly men are not guilty of terrorism, then no one can be
honestly deemed a terrorist.

The incarceration of Goldstein shows quite vividly that terrorism
knows no color or religion. If we want to be consistent with the
Justice Department's current trend in the "war on terrorism," we
should send Goldstein to a military brig in South Carolina. We should
refuse him the right to an attorney and trample on his constitutional
right to a trial by a jury of his peers. We should also classify him
an "enemy combatant" and relinquish his standing as an American. All
of the aforementioned un-American activities, we have performed on
Americans even circumstantially linked to "terrorism."

Only when we rightfully classify Goldstein as a "terrorist" and
afford him the same treatment that we have bestowed on others charged
with the same crime will I ever be convinced that this is indeed a
war on terror and not on Islam.


Iftikhar serves as midwest communications director for the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim advocacy
group. He is in his final year of law school at Washington University
School of Law in St. Louis.

[Bodacious]

This is not a war on Islam...though most Muslims would certainly have the world believe it to be so. It is a war on terrorism. The thing is though, it's not the Jews that are hijacking airplanes and flying them into buildings, is it?

[BinZiad]

Assallamu alikum to members and greetings to others.

I have seen your ‘anger’ if I may say about the articles that I have posted. But as everyone tells me, the world is round and has many different interests and people with various beliefs and issues…so we either need to respect each and everyone or cause chaos on this small and populated earth. Its up to us, you and me.

First of all, I welcome you dear friend and traveller to this site, for I haven’t seen you before. I hope the forums are helpful to you and appeal to you.

Let me start with a quote, for this is a practice that I tend to do; Abdullah Ibn Masood radiallahu anhu said: ‘If you desire knowledge, then delve and concentrate on the meaning of the Qur’aan, for it contains the knowledge of those who have past before us, and of those yet to come.’

“The greatest crime since World War II has been U.S. foreign policy.” Ramsey Clark, Former U.S. Attorney General

Now this topic of 11 sept has been debated and discussed here many times and across the whole world, in small offices to colleges to family dinner tables. I am not in a position to discuss it with you or anyone, for it has been debated and there are only two outcomes that I have seen. If you want to discuss it or to ‘point’ the finger without learning about islam, then you are free to, but it is not my loss rather yours. If you want to debate or discuss this, then continue with other members. I hope that is clear.

You keep on mentionshining the ‘flying planes or hijacking planes’ when discussing with muslims. Now if I was to say ‘who won the world cup? Sorry Americans don’t know anything but cnn’ wouldn’t that make you angry or upset with my ignorance? ..so there are people who love gardening, others love football and so on. Based on few individuals of the American population should I make such conclusion that they don’t know anything but only cnn? Wouldn’t that be wrong? And utterly stupid? So please do reframe from mentionshing the flying planes and other ‘silly’ comments and generalising to such low lengths.

As sister lulua would say, and as a wise saying goes by ‘ the world is like a mirror, if you smile at the world, it smiles back’ I hope u know what it means.

Now the issue is about sept 11, right? I see only two conclusions.

1-it was done by muslims. Now if IT was done muslims or arabs or those who claim to muslims, then the act was wrong. Simple. Now if you want to find out about Christianity, then the example set by the priest who are at the top of Christianity, should make the whole world runaway from this religion, for what the acts they do with little children. Now as Christian ‘mates’ of mine tell me, who I truly agree with; if you want to find out about any religion, then one needs to examine the sources or scriptures. This will give the true picture of that religion. For man and humans are weak and not all follow their religion properly.

So if you wish to ‘judge’ islam based on these individuals, if they were muslims, I am yet not sure, then..that is sheer ignorance. For if I was to judge Christianity based on few priests or few murders who claim to be Christians and they commit such acts, then that is sheer ignorance on my part. Or to ‘conclude’ that all Americans are fat or they don’t know anything about the world but cnn, then that is sheer stupidity and completely wrong, wouldn’t you say? So why should u chose that path to ‘conclude’ about islam and muslims?

As most religion leaders have said the act was wrong and it is not found in any religion and I stand by that. But if they ‘were’ muslims, then shouldn’t one find out more about that religion and see if that was right or wrong?. I sincerely ask you to ask questions and not just ‘attack’ us. For we are not here to ‘fly planes’, rather to help you see through your life with the guidance of almighty allah.

2-It was not muslims. If that is the case then, one should not make such statements. For a Islamic scholar who has got a PHD in engineering has requested all the engineers of the world to come together and to re-construct the building (smaller version) and to try the ‘act’ to see what the results are. He has told us that, there is no possibility of one or two planes or more taking a whole building down or making it into crumble. He has tested and said, it is no way possible for the whole building to come down like that. He has said there are many possibilities of what has made the buildings to come down; 1- bombs 2- dynamite, if that is the case then surely it has links to ‘inside’ job, for it will take a great deal to plan such and the structure of the building is not known to more than 2 persons.

There are many ‘assumptions’ made by muslims and non musims experts and building engineers. And even the statement that ; America has got more than 100 satellites on the sky, such security and is 10 years ahead in technology with the rest of the world, couldn’t they ‘stop’ this act?.

These are the two outcomes have seen; 1- it was muslims 2- it was not muslims. Now whether it was muslims or not, why should Americans hate us? Or make conclusions like this. If you want to find out more about islam, then please do find scholars in your area/ country, ask questions to them or here , but if one attacks, and makes silly comments, then the world is a mirror, and the result is the same back to you.

"What is hateful to you, do not do to another. That is the whole of the Law, all else is commentary." Rabbi Hillel

BinZiad.

[Bodacious]

The facts have already been established that is was Muslim terrorists. Does that mean that all Muslims are terrorists, or that all terrorists are Muslim? Of course not...I wouldn't begin to pretend to believe that.

However, in this case they were, in fact, Muslims. The war is certainly NOT against the Islamic faith...and I do respect anyones beliefs in regards to religion. This war is against those people who seek to slaughter innocent people to make a political (or religious) point. One would think that all true Muslims would also want this.

I myself...am an atheist. I am not a Christian, or a Muslim, or a Jew or a Hindu...I am me. I do, however, seek to understand how ANYONE could have conceived of such hatred towards a people (America).