Counter-Terrorism: Blaming the Victim

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July 20, 2007: The war on terror is all about religion, but in more ways than many people realize. The mass media in the West does not like to deal with the religious aspects of terrorism. Why this is, well that's another matter. Meanwhile, the Western media make a big deal out of Moslem grievances, and the claims that Moslems are being persecuted in the West, and under attack in their own homelands.

But the reality is that most Moslem nations are fundamentally hostile to other religions. Saudi Arabia simply forbids the practice of any other religion. If foreigners wish to hold non-Islamic religious services, they have to do it in their homes. The only houses of worship allowed in Saudi Arabia are Moslem. Trying to convert a Saudi to a religion other than Islam can get you killed, legally.

While many are aware of the extreme religious bias practiced in Saudi Arabia, less known is a similar bias present in all Moslem nations. While many of these countries don't have anti-infidel (non Moslems) laws, they tolerate crimes by Islamic vigilantes against non-Moslems. These Moslem nations know they are doing bad things, because the governments will go to great lengths trying to deny or cover up these acts. The leaders of these nations know that religious persecution is evil. That's why they attempt to ignore it, or admit that it even exists in their midst. Energetic efforts will be made to assert that it is Moslems who are being persecuted in non-Moslem nations. In the West, this is considered ludicrous, at least by those who bother to pay attention to what is actually happening in the Moslem world.

Since this belief that Islam is under attack, motivates Islamic terrorists, it would make sense to point out how utterly false the accusation is. Not only is Islam not under attack, but Moslem governments, and most of the mass media everywhere tends to ignore or downplay the very real violence and hostility Moslems direct at non-Moslems. When pressed, Western journalists, or at least their editors, will claim that focusing on Moslems attacking non-Moslems will only anger the Islamic world, and increase the hatred that creates Islamic terrorists. That doesn't make any sense, but at least the feelings of Moslems are being tended to.