The War on Islam

December 7th, 1941; blue skies blanket the alluring island of Hawaii as morning rises. It seems as if this small collection of land is the final lasting haven for peace in the World during these unsettling times. This peace, like all good things, was destined for a rather atrocious termination. Without proper warning, 353 aircraft of the Imperial Japanese Navy flew over and opened fire on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The results of this hideous attack? 2,402 men were killed, and another 1,282 wounded. The United States took immediate aggressive action against the Japanese, including the innocent ones in America. Oppression and injustice prevailed in "The Land of the Free."






The same blue skies of sixty years past now carpet New York on the morning of September 11th, 2001. The World Trade Center, the two tallest buildings in the World, pierce through the horizon as they did for the past thirty years. And, although these steel giants have been attacked unsuccessfully in the past, nobody expected what would happen at about 8:45 am. A pair of Boeing 767s flew directly into both Trade Centers 1 and 2, the two attacks being about 20 minutes apart. The results of this appalling act? 2606 deaths, a number slightly more than that of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. President George W. Bush, 8 months into his first term, declared "The War on Terror." If you ask me, the "War on Terror" quickly turned into "The War on Islam."


Do you see any similarities between these two events? Of course you do. Both are horrible acts of hate where thousands lost their lives, and later for which the innocents of the same culture had to pay. The only difference between the two is that the oppression of the American Japanese is long gone, whereas American Muslims are still misunderstood and hated. They say history always repeats itself, but nobody told me it would happen almost purposely.


What do I mean by purposely, you ask?

• September 11th, 2010; In protest of what it calls a religion "of the devil," a nondenominational church in Gainesville, Florida, plans to host an "International Burn a Quran Day" on the ninth anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 attacks [1].
• August 28th, 2010; A mosque in Nashville is set ablaze [2].
• August 24th, 2010; Ahmed Sharif, a Muslim cab driver, is stabbed [3].
• August 24th, 2010; A California mosque is vandalized with graffiti making reference to Ground Zero [4].

These and several other acts around America are exactly what I mean by purposely. It comes as no surprise that foreigners consider Americans stupid. How did we not learn from our previous mistakes? This is where my question is posed. Are Americans antagonistic towards Muslims because of 9/11, or are we hated because of our beliefs and cultures? Or, perhaps, Americans feel like they need a common enemy in order to be true Americans. Remember, it is better to light a candle than to curse the dark!


This post will be continued and reflected upon in future posts. Feel free to email me your opinions and perspectives, nzrmhmmd72@aol.com.


1: Adapted from CNN
2: Adapted from CBS News
3: Adapted from NY Daily News
4: Adapted from Newsweek