Religion IS a factor in terrorism

I pulled this from the Daily Herald dated 9/30/11. It really says it all. (Posted 10/5/11)

Yes, religion is a factor in terrorism

This is in response to a Fence Post letter by Aabeda Masra on Sept. 24 in which the writer said not to blame religion for acts of terror. The letter stated that what happened on 9/11 and for all acts of terror are “motivated by political goals and religion should not be blamed nor should it even come into the picture”. I have to strongly disagree with that.

I know that there’s the whole “being PC” about this, but the facts are that all 19 hijackers on those four planes that day were Muslim. Fifteen of the men were from Saudi Arabia, two from the United Arab Emirates, one from Egypt, and one from Lebanon. They were not going for any political goals when they plotted 9/11; they hated America, Americans, and our way of life because we don’t all follow their religion and live by their beliefs.

Yes, they were extremists and I know not all Muslims feel as these terrorists do, but don’t tell me that their religion didn’t influence them to do what they did. It was even said by their leader Osama bin Laden that it was a “holy war” against the United States and the final words each of them were shouting as they slammed the planes into our buildings were calls to praise Allah.

I don’t see how much clearer it can be that what happened on that day and all the other terrorist attacks that have happened since the 1970s have all been based on religion and how they felt they were serving their god.

Shawn Killackey
Mundelein


Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20110930/discuss/709309945/#ixzz1ZlL8etRc



A comment was then made that all religions have their ‘dark side’. True enough, but a significant difference emerges when you look at those in the ‘West’ who bomb abortion clinics and Islamic terrorism. The KKK does not field combat units nor does it have artillery to support it’s operations. To compare these extremes as being equally significant is to view the comparison so narrowly as to make that view extreme.