Muslim-West conflict has deep roots

Sept. 18, 2005

Valley Voices/Harry Yost

Why do they hate us so much? Because "we" have oppressed the Islamic people for centuries, that's why!

That is and has been the teaching of militant Islam since the middle of the 18th century and is the major teaching today among the small but powerful and vocal group that controls Islam.

A steady refrain from them, (and readily repeated in our own media) is "the unlawful occupation of 'Arab' lands." This is particularly noticeable in stories about Israel. Israel is accused of unlawfully occupying East Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, the Sinai and the Golan Heights, during the 1967 (Six Day) war.

They have since returned most of the land to the nations that attacked them and started the war, retaining only the parts they feel are needed for their national security.

Buried in the mountains of paper generated by the United Nations headquarters in New York is a description of Israel as recognized by the U.N. in 1948. The eastern border is listed as the Jordan River. The West Bank and East Jerusalem were occupied by the country of Jordan in 1948 and held by that country until liberated by Israel in 1967.

The United States is accused of helping Israel occupy Arab land. Arab land, by the Islamic definition, includes the present nation of Israel plus all territories conquered and lost over the centuries by Islamic armies.

This includes approximately half of Spain and a lot of the rest of Europe, right into present-day Austria, up to the gates of Vienna. The term Arab land is used to con Arabs who aren't Muslims into supporting the Islamic attempt to regain their lost empire.

Islam is not only a religion but a philosophy of government. To put it in context readily understood by people in the United States, the church is the state, and the state is the church, and for dissenters, it can be, as the Queen in Alice in Wonderland repeatedly shouted, "Off with their heads!" -- literally.

Another thing is that all Arabs aren't Muslims, nor are all Muslims Arabs. In fact, there are more non-Arab Muslims than Arab Muslims, even though Islam was started in Arabia by an Arab -- long before there was a United States, by the way, or any recognized nation on the Arabian peninsula.

Then why should they hate the United States? Well, along with supporting Israel, we have defeated Islamic states in war and (briefly) occupied their territory.

Just after there was a United States, we got into an altercation with the Barbary Coast states, a group of city-states ruled by Islamic strongmen and comprised of Algiers, Tunis, Morocco and Tripoli. We called them pirates.

In 1801, the pasha of Tripoli declared war on the United States because we weren't paying him enough tribute. When I was in grammar school, the history books included the statement from a senator, "Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!"

In 1801, the United States had only been a viable nation for 25 years. This led to a build-up of the United States Navy, including the warships Constitution and Constellation. The Constellation was lost when captured by the pirates and subsequently burned by a Navy raiding party to prevent it from being used by the pirates.

I have never seen an actual count of how many Americans lost their lives, but considering those previously captured and the pirates' penchant for executing enemies, our casualties probably exceeded our present losses in Iraq. The war finally ended when a fleet under Stephan Decatur invaded and captured Tripoli in 1815. It was not a short war.

Another facet of Islam's hatred for us is the Crusades, from approximately 900-1300. Arab media repeatedly refers to coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as crusaders. The actual Crusaders came from Europe. In the lexicon of Islam, that makes us Crusaders, and therefore the enemy of Islam.

Palmer resident Harry Yost has been a free-lance writer and journalist for almost 40 years. His column will appear monthly.