thedrifter
07-04-07, 06:27 AM
Can Spirit of '76 triumph over spirit of '79?
BY BRIDGET JOHNSON, Columnist
LA Daily News
Article Last Updated:07/03/2007 11:01:50 PM PDT
ON July 4, 1776, the colonies declared independence from Great Britain. Over the next several years, thousands shed blood for the cause of freedom, resulting in the constitutional republic of the United States of America led by our first president, the noble and righteous George Washington.
On April 1, 1979, the shah had gone into exile and the Islamic Republic of Iran was created. Over the next several months, free-thinkers were executed or imprisoned, and American hostages were taken for the cause of theocracy, led by the bloodthirsty Ayatollah Khomeini.
One revolution signaled a brilliant dawn for humanity; the other heralded a dark chapter in history.
And whereas Manhattan was a key battle point in the American Revolution, it was open to attack on Sept. 11, 2001, from al-Qaida - Sunni, unlike the Shiites in Iran, but undoubtedly inspired to continue the aims of the 1979 revolution.
"The Islamic Revolution of Iran was in fact a victory of all Islamic movements which were striving to establish one Islamic role model in the world so that it would be an inspirational force and would convince the masses that the Islamic system of life was still workable after 1,400 years," Muslim writer Shahnawaz Farooqui said.
Although his legacy has been revived by madman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Khomeini never quite left. Sir Salman Rushdie still ignites ridiculous threats against England and, one of probably a few catalysts including the new premiership of Gordon Brown, the recent attacks on the U.K. Khomeini's fatwa used to be more of a threat against the man; now "The Satanic Verses" has been conveniently transformed into a reason to attack a whole nation and culture. "I thought we were beyond all that," Sir Salman's son Zafar told the Telegraph.
We're not beyond it, of course. "We are witnessing a full recrudescence of jihad with the goal of re-establishing a caliphate and completing the unfulfilled task of Islamizing the world," said Andrew Bostom, author of "The Legacy of Jihad."
Could we channel our Spirit of '76 to triumph over the spirit of '79?
As British authorities have been unraveling what they believe to be an al-Qaida cell responsible for the two attempted car bombings in London and the Glasgow airport attack, what emerges is not a mirror image of doofus shoe bomber Richard Reid. Several of the arrested suspects are doctors.
It wouldn't be a first for the "first do no harm" profession: Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaida's No. 2, is an Egyptian surgeon; his father was also a physician.
This close call reminds us that the Trojan horses are many in the War on Terror. The explosive-laden car might be the posh Mercedes instead of the demolition-ready jalopy; the target may be a nightclub packed on ladies' night instead of the statehouse. The terrorist cell is just as likely to be imported (as believed in the most recent attacks) as homegrown (like in the 7/7 train/bus bombings); the terrorist who wishes to kill you may be a doctor entrusted with lives, and not just the young, unemployed, seething recruit.
We could say that we refuse to recognize the terrorists' power, live blithely in a bubble of ignorance, and start shaking and scratching our heads all over again the next time a building is pulverized or a nail-packed bomb explodes on a busy street. That is not independence from terror, but running from it and hoping it doesn't follow us home.
We can declare independence from the moral relativism mind-set, an increasingly popular justification for terrorists' actions and motivations. We must become liberated by acknowledging what we are up against: A man will not lower his sword against another man when he believes God is telling him to lift that sword in the first place.
And as we remember our forefathers who were up against the seemingly insurmountable, we should keep in mind that revolutions aren't just the valiant, righteous fights to become free nations, but some revolutions consist of threatening ideologies that can - and must - be defeated.
Bridget Johnson writes for the Daily News.
E-mail her at bridget.johnson@dailynews.com.
Ellie
BY BRIDGET JOHNSON, Columnist
LA Daily News
Article Last Updated:07/03/2007 11:01:50 PM PDT
ON July 4, 1776, the colonies declared independence from Great Britain. Over the next several years, thousands shed blood for the cause of freedom, resulting in the constitutional republic of the United States of America led by our first president, the noble and righteous George Washington.
On April 1, 1979, the shah had gone into exile and the Islamic Republic of Iran was created. Over the next several months, free-thinkers were executed or imprisoned, and American hostages were taken for the cause of theocracy, led by the bloodthirsty Ayatollah Khomeini.
One revolution signaled a brilliant dawn for humanity; the other heralded a dark chapter in history.
And whereas Manhattan was a key battle point in the American Revolution, it was open to attack on Sept. 11, 2001, from al-Qaida - Sunni, unlike the Shiites in Iran, but undoubtedly inspired to continue the aims of the 1979 revolution.
"The Islamic Revolution of Iran was in fact a victory of all Islamic movements which were striving to establish one Islamic role model in the world so that it would be an inspirational force and would convince the masses that the Islamic system of life was still workable after 1,400 years," Muslim writer Shahnawaz Farooqui said.
Although his legacy has been revived by madman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Khomeini never quite left. Sir Salman Rushdie still ignites ridiculous threats against England and, one of probably a few catalysts including the new premiership of Gordon Brown, the recent attacks on the U.K. Khomeini's fatwa used to be more of a threat against the man; now "The Satanic Verses" has been conveniently transformed into a reason to attack a whole nation and culture. "I thought we were beyond all that," Sir Salman's son Zafar told the Telegraph.
We're not beyond it, of course. "We are witnessing a full recrudescence of jihad with the goal of re-establishing a caliphate and completing the unfulfilled task of Islamizing the world," said Andrew Bostom, author of "The Legacy of Jihad."
Could we channel our Spirit of '76 to triumph over the spirit of '79?
As British authorities have been unraveling what they believe to be an al-Qaida cell responsible for the two attempted car bombings in London and the Glasgow airport attack, what emerges is not a mirror image of doofus shoe bomber Richard Reid. Several of the arrested suspects are doctors.
It wouldn't be a first for the "first do no harm" profession: Ayman al-Zawahri, al-Qaida's No. 2, is an Egyptian surgeon; his father was also a physician.
This close call reminds us that the Trojan horses are many in the War on Terror. The explosive-laden car might be the posh Mercedes instead of the demolition-ready jalopy; the target may be a nightclub packed on ladies' night instead of the statehouse. The terrorist cell is just as likely to be imported (as believed in the most recent attacks) as homegrown (like in the 7/7 train/bus bombings); the terrorist who wishes to kill you may be a doctor entrusted with lives, and not just the young, unemployed, seething recruit.
We could say that we refuse to recognize the terrorists' power, live blithely in a bubble of ignorance, and start shaking and scratching our heads all over again the next time a building is pulverized or a nail-packed bomb explodes on a busy street. That is not independence from terror, but running from it and hoping it doesn't follow us home.
We can declare independence from the moral relativism mind-set, an increasingly popular justification for terrorists' actions and motivations. We must become liberated by acknowledging what we are up against: A man will not lower his sword against another man when he believes God is telling him to lift that sword in the first place.
And as we remember our forefathers who were up against the seemingly insurmountable, we should keep in mind that revolutions aren't just the valiant, righteous fights to become free nations, but some revolutions consist of threatening ideologies that can - and must - be defeated.
Bridget Johnson writes for the Daily News.
E-mail her at bridget.johnson@dailynews.com.
Ellie