How to Stop Islamic Extremism 101

After Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said it was a good idea to create permanent military bases in Afghanistan to perpetuate the War on Terror abroad – Republicans in Congress are poised to continue the War on Terror at home – by going after Muslims in America in ways that may well create more radicals than they catch. Incoming Republican Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee Peter King has already promised he will hold hearings on the threat posed by normal, traditional, historic Islamic communities within the United States, communities that in some cases go back to the founding of this nation. And now – Congressman-Elect Allen West is taking it a step further claiming that Sharia law is infiltrating Western civilization and, “we must be willing to recognize that enemy.” He also went on to say that “nation building” - helping repair the damage we've done to Iraq and Afghanistan in dropping millions of tons of bombs on them - should be scrapped as part of the “War on Terror.” When will these warmongers who nearly all belong to the Republican Party understand that our nation’s so-called war on terror is doing far more harm than good? As shown countless times – if you want to stop Islamic extremism then the two best ways to do that are by reaching out to the Islamic communities at home and abroad, and building schools for Muslim girls. On the other hand – if you want to create another generation of suicide bombers – then keep up with the demonizing and killing. People like Lindsey Graham, Allen West and Peter King are making this country less safe every day.

Comments

DRichards's picture
DRichards 12 years 12 weeks ago
#1

"Everybody's worried about stopping terrorism. Well, there's a really easy way: stop participating in it." - Noam Chomsky

WendyDarling's picture
WendyDarling 12 years 12 weeks ago
#2

What gay people thinking about enlisting in the military NEED TO KNOW: There's no way to file a sexual harassment lawsuit, so if it happens (either to you or by you, your word against theirs)--- the military doesn't work like the private sector, you're SOL. (sh** out of luck). Also, In Afghanistan, where we are fighting, being gay is punishable by death still today. Both of these facts suck big time. So many women being raped in active duty, you don't think it's criminal? I, being a female veteran and almost every other gal I know who served were harassed, several of them raped. WTF can you do about it? Nothing. If you do, well you saw what happened to Maria Lauterbach. I'm just saying, the proper channels do not exist. Being raped sucks, being discriminated against sucks. I'm not trying to discourage you from going. JUST KNOW before you go.

jumpercable 12 years 12 weeks ago
#3

The best way to stop Islamic terrorism is to get our military out of Islamic countries and stop enabling Israel in its encroachments upon Palestine. Then, instead of sending soldiers, send teachers, engineers, physicians, and venture capitalists.

leighmf's picture
leighmf 12 years 12 weeks ago
#4

How would I?

1. I would make a documentary contrasting the backwoods poverty of Lindsey Graham's State of South Carolina, complete with interviews with the most downtrodden and poorly educated citizens who have been in the same status for generations, with the social and psychological status of people in one of the established, traditional Islamic communities.

2. I would hire a world class public relations agency to popularize Islamic motifs in our culture to shift public perception from "threatening" to "cool." This may include introduction of a sitcom or reality show, where several religious groups and persuasions are forced to somehow get along with each other.

IDGem's picture
IDGem 12 years 12 weeks ago
#5

So how does Sen. Graham plan on paying for these bases? Isn't their agenda cutting expenses? Or do we cut things like education and give the military free rein?

First order of business. Build schools for the girls. Educate the girls and women in these countries. Once the females are educated progress is made.

Learn lessons from the past. Charlie Wilson realized too late what a mess he had made and it never got fixed. Duh.

Really sounds like more of the politics of fear. If they get everyone to concentrate on the threat of Islam, then no one will be watching them so closely and they can do what they want. You had better believe that I will be watching.

rbbrfish's picture
rbbrfish 12 years 12 weeks ago
#6

I certainly wouldn't waste US blood and treasure making another country made at us for invading them! That's like trying to dispell smoke with a gun. It really couldn't be more obvious, me thinks. The Greg Mortenson approach: education. Build an ally out of the people, not make them mad.

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 12 weeks ago
#7

We could pressure our government to bring war crimes trials against Bush, and now Obama, and their coterie of criminal cohorts. The US is now being run and controlled by a massively powerful criminal organization and we need to rout them out. 911 was an inside job!

Palindromedary's picture
Palindromedary 12 years 12 weeks ago
#8

Satyagraha worked for Gandhi. And if peaceful resistance, including organized boycotting of everything that will bring the whole country down to earth, doesn't do it then we will have to resort to something more active. Voting for the same old Democrats will do nothing but keep us in the same rut they want us in. We need to break this monopoly of government and the stranglehold that the rich ruling elite have on our government. It is time to break the chains of voting for the lesser of two evils mentality.

gomw's picture
gomw 12 years 12 weeks ago
#9

Get off the oil addiction, scrap our oil wells and stop invading and occupying their countries. That would:

1. Pull the rug out from under their recruiting propaganda and

2. Take away their war money

hheikel's picture
hheikel 12 years 12 weeks ago
#10

Please support the work of Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea).

He is building schools (170 so far) in Pakistan and Afghanistan, primarily for girls.

Defeating ignorance is the answer, not bombs. Please see http://www.ikat.org/

nestlewood's picture
nestlewood 12 years 12 weeks ago
#11

I think who ever cries for war should suit up and serve! Regardless of age (must be older than 18 the only restriction), or any post one might hold - including Congresspersons!!! They must step down and serve by putting on the uniform. THAT would shut up these warmongers!

Snowflower's picture
Snowflower 12 years 12 weeks ago
#12

The whole point is that they aren't trying to stop terrorism. It works for their agenda to invite further terrorism. With a greater level of terrorism, especially in the "homeland," it will be easier for them to control movements of the people. That's the whole point - people control. So, instead of trying to get "them" to understand that they are making terrorism worse, we need to get "us" to understand their true motives. By the way - "they" aren't republicans and "we" aren't democrats. "They" are the powers that be and their minions and "we" are the people.

Barliman's picture
Barliman 12 years 12 weeks ago
#13

Quote; "I certainly wouldn't waste US blood and treasure making another country made (sic) at us for invading them!".

In a rather perverse way this pretty much nails the causation of the whole extremism phenomenon:

On the subject of US Treasure: nowadays the per capita share of the world's resources consumed by the US outstrips most of the rest of the world very substantially. This is because the major thrust of US foreign policy since WWII has been to make the world safe for capitalism and to maintain an economic imperialism.

Prior to 9/11 Noam Chomsky documented that 8 million people had died since the end of WWII as a result of political interventions fomented by the US. (The succession from Sukarno to Suharto for instance claimed 1/2 a million lives- and would not have happened without CIA intervention.) The number of US lives lost in maintaining the plunder of the rest of the world has been remarkably small. It is extraordinarily solipsistic to talk of US treasure and US blood in the face of this brutal realty.

polycif1's picture
polycif1 12 years 12 weeks ago
#14

hahhh i would treat islam extremism and christian extremism the same!!! make 'em buddhists!!! until we as citizens come together and have a common bond towards shaming (sp?) on all sides those that promote hate in the name of "god" or any entity, we will fail. we have to daily create the groundswell necessary to defeat this crziness.

ReginaldH's picture
ReginaldH 12 years 11 weeks ago
#15

I do not agree that we should stop the rebuilding of those countries. If we destroyed them in order to protect ourselves then we should do all of the rebuilding work. It will be interesting to see what actually transpires.

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