On September 11th 2001, following the attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Centre, The American President stated that, "America and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism." Since then America's stated mission has been to destroy terrorism. This article examines the issue of international terrorism and outlines the infliction of terror upon millions by the United States of America.
Terrorism is defined by the Terrorism Research Centre as, "the systematic use of physical violence against non-combatants but with an audience greater than the immediate victims in mind, to create a general climate of fear in a target population in order to affect some kind of political and or social change." The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism as, "the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property, to intimidate or coerce a government, the population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives." In basic terms, terrorism is the act of inflicting terror upon people in the process of achieving personal or political objectives. America, the worlds leading country, claims to be a victim of terrorism enmeshed in a desperate struggle to protect its civilians.
Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State for the US, stated that, "terrorists should understand that America will use every available diplomatic, judicial, economic and, when necessary, military tool, to protect our people. We will not be intimidated by terror and we will not shrink from our responsibilities."
America claims to be concerned with establishing peace in the world arena. It claims to hate bloodshed and violence. It claims to be the protector of 'Human Rights.' This sentiment is apparent in the following quotes from Madeleine Albright:
"We Americans want stability and peace. We want to halt the spread of nuclear weapons. We want a healthy, growing world economy with open markets and fair rules of trade. We want help in responding to global threats. And we want to increase respect for human rights and democracy."
"...With less than a week to go for this Administration...we are still engaged in diplomacy to encourage peace in the Middle East. We are consulting with many of our allies and partners represented here to consolidate the astonishing gains we have made in the Balkans. We are working to prevent the spread of advanced weapons so that this century is less bloody than the last one."
However, if one was to undertake even a brief study of America's history, it would be clear that America is guilty of inflicting terror upon millions of people regardless of their ability to protect themselves and regardless of any concern for their human rights and well being. Let us raise a few examples to expose the claim of America, that she is a defender of human rights, as one that contradicts the reality.
In 1945, America sanctioned the use of the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In Vietnam the civilians were subjected to a torrent of American Air Sorties containing 'Napalm' and 'Agent Orange' that scoured their landscape and claimed thousands of lives as America quite literally carpet bombed the Vietnamese. The war was justified on the basis of protecting South Vietnam from the threat of radical Communists. In 1986 President Reagan sanctioned the bombing of Libya, despite the fact that it was a direct contradiction of its own United Nations (UN) laws. It was justified on ideological grounds. Reagan claimed that his actions were "contributing to an international environment of peace, freedom and progress within which our democracy and other free nations can flourish." Similarly, President Bush justified the use of force in killing innocents in Iraq during the early 1990's when he unashamedly claimed, "our jobs, our way of life, our own freedom and the freedom of friendly countries around the world would suffer if the greatest oil reserves (i.e. Saudi Arabia), fell into the hands of Saddam."
The unrestrained use of air power on mainly Iraqi civilian targets buried any myth that America is struggling to prevent the infliction of terror on people. Norman Schwarzkopf is infamous for his words, "I want every Iraqi soldier bleeding from every orifice." His subordinates duly obliged by unleashing 110,000 Air Sorties and dropping 88,000 tons of explosives on defenceless people. This was followed by a decade of continuous bombing and cruel sanctions that has resulted in the death of over a million people. The whole Iraqi population has felt the suffering and hardship.
Reality proves that the greatest terrorist in the world is America. She is not against the use of force nor is she against inflicting terror upon innocent people. America acts to protect her interests. So when America brandishes actions as acts of terrorism and the ones who conducted those acts as terrorists, in reality she is not opposed to the infliction of terror, rather she is opposed to acts that threaten America's interests. Numerous examples can be brought to substantiate this.
The Muslims who use force to liberate the land of Palestine are deemed terrorists. Zionists, such as former Israeli PM's Yitzhak Shamir and Menechem Begin, who undertook the bombing of the King David Hotel and the execution of two British soldiers, however, are deemed freedom fighters that liberated Palestine for the Jews and indirectly aided American interests in the region. With regards to the recent violence in Palestine, America has refused to condemn the excessive force of the Israelis but brandished the actions of Muslim groups as acts of terrorism. When the Afghanis fought against the Russians, they were considered as freedom fighters, but Afghanistan is now considered a terrorist state. America initially described the blowing up of an FBI building in Oklahoma as a terrorist act, but when it became clear that the ones behind the act were American militias, they changed their terminology from 'terrorist act' to 'criminal act.' America describes every movement or act opposing her interest as being a terrorist one.
In 1997 the American Senate passed an act of legislation to fight terrorism. This law enables America to arrest, abduct and inflict the punishment that she deems adequate on any movement or person who acts against her interests, regardless of their location. This enables America to pursue and strike anyone she describes as terrorists i.e. anyone who opposes her interests. Whether it is an individual, organisation, party or state, America uses this justification to impose economic sanctions or military strikes as she has done in Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The politics of terrorism is obviously a strategy adopted by America to gain a stranglehold on the world and to fight against anybody who tries to rebel against her policy.
As Muslims, the only power that can potentially move against America's interests, we will be a constant target. America will continue to brandish Muslims who call for Islam as terrorists and use the terrorism law to increase her influence and keep them under her control. This is why today you will rarely find an Islamic movement that calls for the return of Islam that is not described by America as a terrorist organisation. This is because America is well aware that once the Khilafah State is re-established, it will not allow America to achieve her interests in the Muslim lands. The state will challenge America politically, ideologically and militarily. To protect, maintain and propagate the Islamic way of life, the Khilafah will consistently move to challenge America and her so called world order.
This slur campaign against Islam is not a new style, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) faced a similar situation when the tyrants of Makkah relentlessly pursued a campaign of slander against him (saw) and Islam. The Qur'an responded to the slander:
"And of mankind is he who purchases idle talk to mislead men from the path of Allah" [TMQ Luqman: 6].
It is imperative that we become aware of this reality. America and the West pursue a bitter attack against Islam, as a means of maintaining dominance. Under no circumstances would they allow Islam to threaten the status quo.
America is biased in its descriptions of Islam as a terrorist ideology, and of the Muslims as terrorists. It is contradictory to reality; furthermore, it contradicts what Allah (swt) wishes from Islam. The Qur'an explains:
"And we have sent you O Muhammad not but as a mercy for mankind" [TMQ Ta-Ha: 107].
The noble Qur'an also explains that:
"We have sent down to you the book (The Qur'an) as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves to Allah" [TMQ An-Nahl: 89].
It is easy for the West to dismiss Muslims as terrorists to further their own agenda. It is one of the most simplistic means of dismissal; however, through the tremendous amounts of propaganda, the concept of Muslims as terrorists has begun to penetrate the thoughts of society. One only has to look at history, however, to see whom the real terrorists are.
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