All Right, First in Line...
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committee are falling all over themselves to claim the honour of having been responsible for the murder of a 35-year-old Israeli woman, struck down by one of the 18 rockets launched during that day upon Sderot. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have introduced a new wave of rocket attacks. Holding off in a questionable 'truce' that had them lobbing only a lazy few dozen Qassams every few weeks just took too much out of these sturdy warriors for justice.
They're back to doing what they do best. Wreaking havoc and terror in the minds of the recipients of these unwelcome attacks. The rockets may be inaccurate, they may be destructive on a relative scale, they may be intermittently successful in causing irrelevant damage now and again, but the incertitude and fear of living in an area where their constant threat presents a real danger from time to time takes its inexorable toll on the minds of those targeted.
To instill fear in helpless civilian populations is a most honourable method of demonstrating Islamic love for one's fellow human beings. Like the neighbourhood teen-age gangs whose socially destructive rampages cost the society hugely in worry, public property damage, and police protection. Every society has its problems with high-testosterone, hormone-confused, anti-establishment, anti-social youth. In the Middle East the problem is compounded by the demonstrated fact that many of these youth never mature into thinking adults.
The relatively tame game in the West of youth taunting authority and bemusing parents has been transformed in the Middle East to ever-growing cadres of young men sans social consciences, inbred sociopaths, celebrating the tribal culture's fascination with death. Honour being equated with murdering innocent civilians, as a tried-and-true pathway to ascending to Paradise. So is it written. So it must be.
And does this malaise extend only to the youth? We've seen evidence pointing otherwise. Young women ready and willing to become suicide martyrs, taking with them as many innocent others as they can manage. And now, mature women, mothers, grandmothers, donning the face masks of the courageously avenging Islamists declaring themselves ready to assume martyrdom. Don't they know, foolish women, that Paradise replete with countless virgins is not for them?
Does this describe the arc of a developing society, a proud heritage, a culture of a humane and enlightened religion?
They're back to doing what they do best. Wreaking havoc and terror in the minds of the recipients of these unwelcome attacks. The rockets may be inaccurate, they may be destructive on a relative scale, they may be intermittently successful in causing irrelevant damage now and again, but the incertitude and fear of living in an area where their constant threat presents a real danger from time to time takes its inexorable toll on the minds of those targeted.
To instill fear in helpless civilian populations is a most honourable method of demonstrating Islamic love for one's fellow human beings. Like the neighbourhood teen-age gangs whose socially destructive rampages cost the society hugely in worry, public property damage, and police protection. Every society has its problems with high-testosterone, hormone-confused, anti-establishment, anti-social youth. In the Middle East the problem is compounded by the demonstrated fact that many of these youth never mature into thinking adults.
The relatively tame game in the West of youth taunting authority and bemusing parents has been transformed in the Middle East to ever-growing cadres of young men sans social consciences, inbred sociopaths, celebrating the tribal culture's fascination with death. Honour being equated with murdering innocent civilians, as a tried-and-true pathway to ascending to Paradise. So is it written. So it must be.
And does this malaise extend only to the youth? We've seen evidence pointing otherwise. Young women ready and willing to become suicide martyrs, taking with them as many innocent others as they can manage. And now, mature women, mothers, grandmothers, donning the face masks of the courageously avenging Islamists declaring themselves ready to assume martyrdom. Don't they know, foolish women, that Paradise replete with countless virgins is not for them?
Does this describe the arc of a developing society, a proud heritage, a culture of a humane and enlightened religion?
Labels: Middle East, Religion
posted by Pieface | 6:14 PM
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