Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Terrorism: The Common Thread

Little Green Footballs links to an article about one more comparison between terrorism and ocuupation:
Socialist Party (SP) leader Jan Marijnissen has suggested that Islam terrorism may be compared to resistance against the Nazis during World War II. “Terrorism occurs in all times and places and its objective is usually to make things as unpleasant as possible for the occupier”, he says in an interview for Penthouse magazine.

“During World War II, Dutch people thwarted nazi Germany’s destruction machine by blowing up town halls, because this was where the Jews were registered. Things are not all that different in the Middle East. Islamic fundamentalism, including the terrorist wing, is a reaction to Israel’s occupation of Palestine, to America’s presence in the Middle East and to the West’s support of undemocratic regimes in the Middle East.”
Let's put aside Mr. Marijnissen's odd comparison between the Dutch blowing up buildings to destroy records and save Jewish lives and the deliberate bombing of cities by Hizbollah to kill civilians, using bombs filled with shrapnel in order to maximize injury and death.

Instead, let's look at the results of 6 months of Islamist terrorism across the world--based on the numbers from The Religion of Peace Website. Rather than being limited to the Middle East in general, and Israel in particular, there have been so far this year Islamist terrorist attacks in 36 different countries. After 6 months into the year, 36 countries have suffered from Islamist terror attacks, namely:

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Chad, Chechnya, Dagestan, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, India, Indonesia, Ingushetia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kabardino-Balk., Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Pal. Auth., Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, USA, Uzbekistan, and Yemen.

Are the Philippines an occupying force? Or Thailand? How about India and Indonesia?

If occupation is not a common thread, then what is it that all of these countries have in common--other than the fact that these terrorist attacks are being conducted by Islamists who live in or adjacent to each of these countries?

Mr. Marijnissen's rush to relativism overlooks the threat of Islamism itself.

In A War On Jihadism -- Not 'Terror', Jonathan Rauch quotes Islamic Imperialism: A History by Ephraim Karsh who writes that "The Islamic imperial dream of world domination has remained very much alive in the hearts and minds of many Muslims" and that "Declaring a holy war against the infidel has been a standard practice of countless imperial rulers and aspirants since the rise of Islam."

TigerHawk points out the pride of place that Islamists claim for themselves when it comes to terrorism:
there have been a great many foreign occupations and counterinsurgencies in the world that were not resisted with suicide bombings. Other than Japanese kamikaze (who in any case confined themselves to military targets), why are Muslims the only people who resist occupation with suicide bombings if Islamic fundamentalism is not the main cause of suicide bombings?
Dhimmi Watch quotes an article in the LA Times, commenting:

At least the article is honest enough to acknowledge the traditionalist basis of the jihadist claims to Spain:

Unfortunately for Spain's Muslims, the militants who swear loyalty to Osama bin Laden are history buffs too. In claiming responsibility for the March bombings, they cited the loss of "Al Andalus" as motivation.

"We will continue our jihad until martyrdom in the land of Tarik Ben Ziyad," they said in a communique issued after the massacre, alluding to the Moorish warrior and original Islamic conqueror of the Iberian peninsula.

By the terrorists' own admission, there was more to the terrorist attack on Spain than just the goal of getting Spain out of the coalition. The old imperialist designs of Islamists have never died. Having once conquered and occupied Spain, their goal is to do so again.

In view of Moslem history, isn't the term "occupier" just as relative a term as "terrorist" has become?

During the first 6 months of this year 6,257 people were killed and 7,444 people were injured.

If you subtract the casualties in the war in Iraq and Afghanistan:
there were 2,580 people killed by Islamist terrorists and 2,736 people injured.

Here is a chart of the 36 countries by month, using the data from their website.

For details on the actual attacks, go to The Religion of Peace

Country
JF MAMJTotal
Afghanistan killed368874485082 378
injured71125 33574376
405
Algeriakilled--6232125
75
injured--016020
36
Bangladeshkilled2-3---
5
injured9-0---
9
Chadkilled---118--
118
injured---0--
0
Chechnyakilled6-2591
23
injured3-2591
20
Dagestankilled--2--2
4
injured--10--0
10
Egyptkilled2--20--
22
injured14--65--79
Ethiopiakilled--16--7
injured--053--53
Francekilled-1----1
injured-0----0
Indiakilled101853527345
251
injured12713311423973
578
Indonesiakilled4-1---5
injured1-0---1
Ingushetiakilled33--7-
13
injured45--0-
9
Irankilled8-21-12-41
injured46-7-0-53
Iraqkilled224583800517672503
3,299
injured165821804661927925
4,303
Israelkilled017914
22
injured20416607
98
Jordankilled---1--1
injured---0--0
Kabardino-Balk.killed---1--1
injured---0--0
Kenyakilled----1-1
injured----2-2
Kosovokilled----01
1
injured----20
2
Kyrgyzstankilled----6-6
injured----3-3
Nigeriakilled-961--1
998
injured-3701--0
371
Pakistankilled137398974448
373
injured181041521204848
490
Pal. Auth.killed---164
11
injured---092
11
Philippineskilled31310478
45
injured1272417013
82
Russiakilled-2----2
injured-16----16
Saudi Arabiakilled-4----4
injured-13----13
Somaliakilled--14561707
328
injured--35431950
552
Sudankilled--271535-77
injured--23115-39
Syriakilled-----1
1
injured-----0
0
Tajikistankilled1-----1
injured0-----0
Thailandkilled72333133021
127
injured06314222629
154
Turkeykilled-12-11
5
injured-019
40
23
UAEkilled-1----1
injured-0----0
USAkilled--0--1
1
injured--9--5
14
Uzbekistankilled-1----1
injured-0----0
Yemenkilled---8--8
injured---18--18
Total Killed






6,257
Total Injured






7,444
Total Killed minus Iraq and Afghanistan






2,580
Total Injured minus Iraq and Afghanistan






2,736

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