Think About it -- The Long Memory of Islam

Think About It Think About it -- The Long Memory of Islam
Share
Share

Faith Based Security NetworkFaith Based Security Network

Oct 28, 2023

America holds no ill-will against countries we once fought against. Of course, it takes time to heal wounds. Our relationship with England is better than our relationship with Vietnam which is better than our relationship with Afghanistan.

Long before America, is the dynamic between Christians and Jews. Jewish leaders framed and slew Christ, but there is no lingering animosity between Christians and Jews. We stand by Israel in every conflict including the current Gaza War.

But Arabic battles will not be quickly resolved. Islam holds onto a long adversarial memory.

Even between the two primary sects of Islam, their anger festers for centuries. The bitter, deadly rivalry between the Sunni and Shia goes back nearly 1,400 years. Today, the Shia attack Sunni Mosques with the same inhuman ferocity they used against Jewish children on October 7^th this year.

Hatred is the plumb-line of Islam as love is the plumb-line of Christianity.

The hatred of the Palestinians towards the Jews had been masked for years in an intentional plan for Palestinian involvement in their nearby Jewish neighborhoods. It was all a ruse to trick them into inclusion – all the while planning the bloody attack.

Think About it

America has tracked down and killed many dangerous and influential Islamic leaders. Sadam Hussein, Anwar al-Awlaki, Samir Kahn and Osama bin Laden are examples of inhuman despots with powerful followings, killed by American actions.

Shortly before we killed Anwar al-Awlaki (in the same strike that killed Samir Kahn in September of 2011), he wrote (speaking of Muhammed), “We will fight for him, we will instigate, we will bomb and we will assassinate, and may our mothers be bereaved of us if we do not rise in his defense.”

Likewise, just before his death by American action earlier that same year, Osama bin Laden appealed to Jihadists around the world, “Indeed your brothers in Palestine are eagerly awaiting; awaiting that you annihilate America & Israel. The land of Allah is vast and their interests are widespread. So exert your utmost in wrecking them so that Allah’s word becomes triumphant.”

Think about that long memory of Islam. Those who consider themselves Jihadists have not forgotten the words of al-Awlaki, bin-Laden or others. They haven’t even forgotten their own internal disputes of A.D. 632.

I don’t know what this means for America. But it’s no time to lower our guard like Israel had with Palestine.

Community tags

This content has 0 tags that match your profile.

Community Groups

*Open Forum Discussion

Comments

To view comments or leave a comment, login or sign up.

Related Content

4

Think About it -- Remembering Ron Allen

Death never comes at a good time. This last week, FBSN board member Ron Allen (Troy, Michigan) finished his race and went home. Ron was one of the best men I’ve ever known. I was reminded of something Ron wrote to our Board in 2023. It follows, as written by him. GOD'S CALL TO LEADERS. Morning Prayer Notes 8.24.2023. Ron Allen God will never call us to a work that we can fulfill in our own strength. It will always be bigger than we are. That forces us to rely on Him. When God puts people around us to help fulfill the vision that He has given, if we use them, God gets glory. If we don't use them, that means we don't trust God to fulfill His vision. (ownership of the vision then transfers to us and I don’t want to own God vision). Remember, Its God's vision, not ours. He may have given it to us to carry, shepherd and lead, but it's His vision. God will send resources / people to fulfill His vision. If we are uncomfortable using the resources He has sent, (“no, let me do that”) we limit what God can do with His own work. Our job as leaders, as people who are called by God to lead; Pray that God sends laborers and let them labor when they arrive. Love them and lead them in a godly manner. Teach them what God has taught you. Show them the vision so they can run with the portion God has given them. Trust that God will speak to them and give vision for their area of the work. Give them the latitude to hear from God and go with God, (while we are watching to encourage and correct) Discern when the enemy sends wolves to disrupt the work that God has called us to do. Clear out the wolves and get back to doing the work God has called us to do. If the wolves have inflicted wounds, believe God to heal the wounds and move on. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire without the smell of smoke (don’t let wounds linger) Think About it We are called into a work that none of us can complete or even perform well on our own. Ron Allen provided the guide for handling that work.

3

Lessons From the Farm (No. 1)

Having moved back to farm country (from where I continue to manage the Faith Based Security Network), there is also the reality of needed work to be done on the farm. Fortunately, there is not (yet) any cropland; the daily duties are centered around making sure the small cow herd is healthy and accounted for. It is rare that I can’t think of the applicability of some farm action to the realm of effective security operations. Such was the case this week when a neighbor called to see if I could help him out. Helping is just part of common rural hospitality. It’s called “neighboring.” When someone’s ox is in the ditch, you go help them. He owns no oxen, but he did have a few hundred acres of corn to get harvested in a narrow window of time. He needed to keep 3 semis continuously filled as drivers ran the harvested corn to the granaries. He had a 12-row combine working nonstop cutting the corn. The missing link was a man on a tractor to catch the freshly harvested corn out of the combine into a 750 bushel mobile grain cart, then transport that corn to the waiting semis. The inset picture shows the operation and equipment well. He set aside an hour to have one of his workers train me on the tractor and the mobile grain cart. After that I was all alone in a John Deere 8400, 4-wheel drive row-crop tractor. This wasn’t like driving Dad’s old 2-cylinder John Deeres 50 years ago. This $300,000 monster had a computerized cab more like a cockpit. At 30,000 pounds and 225 horsepower, it was bigger, more powerful and more expensive than any machine I’d ever operated. One hour of training. Think About it The great late Jeff Cooper said, “Owning a handgun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician” (another version quoted him as, “Owning a pistol doesn't make you a pistoleer any more than owning a piano makes you a pianist”). A few hours operating powerful machinery doesn’t make one a farmer either. Is your training commensurate with the tools and the needed actions? How much is a life worth? If you think an hour might be a little light for training on a monster tractor, how much is too light for your tools of protecting life?