Thursday, September 13, 2012

Inflamed Salafist Islamists Firing Up Egypt and Libya

Nadene Goldfoot
It seems that the satire of the Mohammed  video online, "The Innocence of Muslims" was only the catalyst for deeper insecurities and hatreds coming from parts of the communities of Egypt and Libya. It's made a great excuse to attack anything smacking of the USA, including the Swiss Embassy in Iran now.   Salafist Islamic extremists vying for power with the Muslim Brotherhood vented their desire for power yesterday by killing the US ambassador in Libya and 3 others as well as attacking the US Embassy in Egypt first.  This virus has also spread to Yemen and possibly other parts of the Middle East as well.

Al Qaida took advantage of the situation going on in Cairo, so in Benghazsi, Libya attacked the US embassy as if they were copycats, but their extremist leaders were helped out by a  well-armed Islamic militia that took the embassy and set it on fire.  They were supposedly fired up by the video, and then their hatred for the USA, but more importantly acted out of a challenge to Prime Minister Abdurrahim el-Keib and other secular parties that make up the Libyan government of today.  Here we have a situation where the American ambassador felt much loved and in no danger as he would walk the streets alone or with a co-worker to meet and greet the man on the street.  He really loved all of the Middle East.  Then he died by their hand.

 I thought the Muslim Brotherhood was bad enough as far as Jews went, as their goal has been to destroy Israel and kill Jews, and I thought Mubarak was a cold fish, but at least he was keeping order and respecting the peace he was committed to.   This goal against Israel is in the Brotherhood charter; I didn't make this up.  Along come the Salafists who make them look the Brotherhood look like Democrats.  The Salafists   are known through the Nour Party and the Asala Party and have been competitors in the elections.  They are even more conservative if that's possible than the Brotherhood!   They are more opinionated in their beliefs often to the exclusion of intelligence, like attacking and killing others in the name of G-d.     It's the Muslim Brotherhood who rules Egypt right now, and we know we haven't heard a word from Morsi about the storming of the US Embassy and the take down of our flag.  Maybe he's afraid of the violence that these hooligans are demonstrating.  They have become "inflammatory anarchists."

 The man we all admired, Sadat,  was assassinated because he turned out to be  a decent person.  He even came to Israel in peace.  It must have been the Muslim Brotherhood who did him in. It was in fact, fundamentalist army officers that shot him in a parade on October 6, 1981. At the time the Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed.   Sadat was the holder of the Nobel Peace Prize.  The Arab League didn't see him that way, though, and had suspended him from their group.  

What to do about all this violence towards the USA?  We need a stern voice saying that this is unacceptable behavior.  We need a Father figure with the voice and backbone saying that this is contemptible and unacceptable to behave in such a way.  We don't lend money we have to borrow in the first place to loan to people who hate us.  What have we been paying?  Backsheesh?

We have sent in the Marines to Libya's Embassy.  There were no armed soldiers at the embassy.  Now we have an elite unit sent to Tripoli.  At the time of sending, our leaders were trying to decide if this mob attack was a 9/11 anniversary outlash or the video.  The Embassy in Benghazi is a burned-out wreck.  The mob had machine guns and  rocket-propelled grenades.  On the walls written were "God is great" and "Muhammad is God's Prophet."   Obama promised that the killers would be brought to justice.   Libya's leaders said they would find those behind the attack.  President Mohammed el-Megarif apologized for this cowardly assault.

Resource:  Oregonian 9/13/12, Editorial page B8, violence in the Middle East:  Piercing the fog of revolution in Egypt and Libya by David Ignatius
Oregonian 9/13/12 Front Page Headline:  U.S. sends Marines to Libya
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_Sadat

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