9-11, Bali, Baghdad, Beirut, Delhi, Madrid, Kenya, London, and now Glasgow, the list of terror operations and attempted terror operations being carried out either by Al Qaeda, and organizations affiliated with Al Qaeda grows on and on. Only a year ago, a massive air-terror attack involving at least 20 international flights from London to New York was thwarted when special liquid explosive bombs disguised as cosmetics and other liquids normally carried in hand luggage were discovered at Heathrow Airport by British security officials. The foiled terror operation was linked to Al Qaeda; and had it been successful, more than 5,000 passengers and flight crews would have lost their lives.
Islamic sponsored terrorism, or radical Islamic sponsored terrorism, to be more tactfully correct, appears to be behind nearly all acts of international terrorism occurring in the world today. Whether it be an attack by Chechnya rebels on targets in Russia, a car bombing in Beirut or central Baghdad, or the recent terror attacks, and near terror attacks in central London, These events are being traced to terrorists connected with radical Islamic organizations.
Radical Islam – is this what is responsible for most acts of international terror, or is it something else; something more basic, more fundamental than what has been sensationalized by all the world's news media organizations, including BBC, CNN, Sky News and Fox? A generation ago, international terrorism was carried out by a number of organizations and individuals, including Carlos the Jackal, the Badar Meinhoff gang, the Red Brigade, the IRA, and Spain's ETA. Some of them acted together, some alone. But the reasons for their actions were either political or privately motivated. Since the mid 1990's, however, it appears that the vast majority of terror operations have been traced to Islamic groups. There is good reason for this as Islam in itself is now the fastest growing religion in the world; and most certainly the fastest spreading religious movement in Western Europe.
The following example is a good indication of how quickly Islamic sponsored terror spreads: Less than a month ago, British novelist Shalman Rushdie, author of the intensely controversial novel, The Satanic Verses, was benighted by Britain's Queen Elizabeth; an act that almost instantly set off a wave of furor among Muslims in both the U.K. and abroad. Rushdie, upon whom a fatwa death warrant had been issued by Iranian religious leader, the Ayatollah Khomeini, is still a marked man by his alleged blasphemy against Islam, and the act of making him a Peer of the Realm only appears to legitimize his blasphemy in the eyes of Muslim clerics. A short time following Rushdie being benighted by the Queen, two cars were found in central London, filled with explosive materials, including LP gas cylinders, nails and other metal fragmentary material. This incident alone resulted in the entire central London theatre district being sealed off for fear of a massive terror attack. And following on its heals, three men tried to crash a jeep 4 X 4 into the arrivals entrance of Glasgow International Airport. The burning vehicle's blaze was only extinguished an hour later by the airport's fire brigade.
Incidents such as this only point out the very core of what is causing these acts of terrorism. And that "core" is a fast spreading religion that once tried to exert itself over half of the known world and is once again flexing its muscles and trying to become the dominant religious movement in Asia, Africa, Europe, and even North America. It is a religion that already has more than 1.3 Billion adherents: and is only being held back in Central and South America, where the Catholic Church still has a major influence.
The power of this religion is being felt all over the world, from the streets of Baghdad and Beirut, to the refugee camps of Gaza City. Its holy warriors fought a vastly superior Israeli military force last summer in southern Lebanon, and emerged as the psychological victors. It continues to frustrate and hold at bay both Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as American and other Coalition forces in Iraq. And it's acts of terrorism, have caused panic and alarm to millions the world over.
This religion, known as Islam, or submission to God's will, has from its outset been a religion of coercion and intimidation, a religion spread by force of arms. It is not to say that other religions have not used similar tactics to force their doctrines upon others. Christianity, especially during the Middle Ages, also used brute force to gain converts; and the Holy Inquisition of the Catholic Church only ended officially a century ago. But while Christians have made great strides to make amends for their previous actions, Muslims have only increased their armed struggle.
This "struggle" is made even more intense by the acts of martyrdom by Muslims resulting in much death and suffering worldwide. In fact, Islamic martyrdom has accounted for the great majority of deaths, human injury, and property damage attributed to their acts; the most noteworthy being the September 11, 2001 mega terror attacks on both New York City and Washington DC.
The resulting War of Terror, i.e. Islamic sponsored terror, has only been partially successful; and has even been set back significantly by the ongoing insurgent war in Iraq.
Al Qaeda's chief leaders, including Usama bin Ladin himself, have yet to be accounted for, and in Afghanistan, where both Al Qaeda's main headquarters and the ultra religious Taliban, who once held the country in an iron grip, are now making a strong come back.
It is nearly seven years since the horror of "9-11" with still no end in sight to the nightmare of Islamic sponsored terrorism. Countries who aid and sponsor these terrorists, such as Iran, Syria, and even to some extent Saudi Arabia, continue to do so despite threats and sanctions from the U.N. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza continue to be a dire threat to the State of Israel, as well as to the world at large. Hezbollah operatives are said to be present in Iraq, aiding the local insurgents in designing and planting car bombs and other explosive charges responsible for widespread death and destruction.
And the Islamic Republic of Iran, with its obstinate desire to become a nuclear power, is an intensive threat not only to it's immediate geographical region (especially to Israel), but to the entire world as well.
The Prophet Muhammad, when founding the religion called Islam, could not possibly have imagined what the end result would be. But we, living in today's world more than 1,400 years later, know this "end result" far too well.
