Jihad is Declared on Phil

I must have been dreaming. How preposterous to suggest that Muslims denounce the firebombing of churches and killing of nuns instead of protesting against criticism and reasonable debate? What was I smoking when I wrote in my blog, Stand With Pope Benedict XVI that moderate Muslims protest against the intolerant ideologues among their brethren? How could I suggest that they be reasonable enough to stand up for the Pope’s fundamental right to express thoughtful criticism in a free society? I was swiftly brought to my senses when I saw the political cartoon Critical Mass, which depicted Jihad being declared on poor “Phil” for suggesting that “Muslims should protest against terrorism, not criticism.” Reason, civility, dignity, tolerance – Bah! Humbug!

Actually, the artist and writer, Allen Forkum, of Cox and Forkum Editorial Cartoons, mentioned to me that there was no intentional reference in the cartoon to my blog, and that this was a case of very bizarre coincidence. He did post an excerpt from my piece after the fact, to allude to the real McCoy.

However, a hopeful sign was found on the Cox and Forkum entry for September 17th. Emilio Karim Dabul came out from behind closed doors to write One Arabs Apology, and offers eloquent insight into the nature of his own culture and calls on all Arab-Americans and Arabs around the world to protest Islamic fascism.

Well, I'm sick of saying the truth only in private - that Arabs around the world, including Arab-Americans like myself, need to start holding our own culture accountable for the insane, violent actions that our extremists have perpetrated on the world at large.

Yes, our extremists and our culture.

Every single 9/11 hijacker was Arab and a Muslim. The apologists (including President Bush) tried to reassure us that 9/11 had nothing to do with Islam, but was a twisting of a great and noble religion. With all due respect, read the Koran, Mr. President. There's enough there for someone of extreme tendencies to find their way to a global jihad.

The men who killed 3,000 of our citizens on 9/11 in all likelihood died saying prayers to Allah, and that by itself is one of the most horrific things to me about that day….

For as long as I live, the image of those towers falling, as I watched in horror and disbelief from the corner of 40th and Fifth, will be for me my Pearl Harbor, for in that instant I recognized that not only was our city under attack - so was our freedom.

It still is. And will continue to be for years to come. And the threat is not from within, but from Islamic fascists who desperately want to destroy the freedom and opportunities that millions the world over still seek.

Five years after that awful day, it's time for all Arab-Americans, and Arabs around the world, to protest against Islamic fascism, to raise our voices - and, where necessary, our arms - against these tyrants until their plague of terror has been driven from the face of the earth forever.