Peace and Terrorism

Every morning while riding the bus downtown I read a couple stories off of CNN while taking the 20+ minute ride. Today being September 11th I read a couple stories that I found interesting relating to peace and terrorism.

Let's start off with the state of terrorism in the United States 11 years after the attacks that shook the world. In the 11 years that have passed there have been a number of terrorist attacks in our country. What people might not realize is that Non-Jihadist terrorists are just as likely to be committing the attacks as Jihadist. In fact, there have been more attacks by Non-Jihadist terrorists in the last 11 years than Jihadist terrorists. And when remembering that this is the case it becomes not so surprising to then find out that more people have been killed in the United States by non-Jihadist terrorists than Jihadist terrorists.

September 11, 2001 showed what a well planned terrorist attack could do. Because of that attack we started to fear Muslims in this country. But the numbers suggest we don't need to worry about Muslims so much as non-Muslims attacking us. The men that carried out the 9/11 attacks were the minority. They are the smallest percentage of the Muslim population. And terrorists who get their orders from outside of our nation are the minority of terrorists in the United States. Homegrown terrorists are the bigger threat.

Of course most of our law enforcement has a focus on Jihadist terroists. But if our focus is on them then we are very likely missing many would-be terrorists who would commit attacks on innocent people. But the number of non-Jihadist terrorists isn't the most surprising part.

Since Semptember 11, 2001 there have been no cases of a Jihadist terrorist aquiring or even attempting to aquire chemical or biological weapons. However there have been 11 cases, or one a year on average, of anarchist, white supremacist, or right-wing extremists acquiring or attempting to acquire chemical or biological weapons. So not only are there fewer Jihadist terrorists than non-Jihadist terrorists in our country but the Jihadists terrorists aren't the ones attempting to aquire weapons that could contaminate and kill on large levels. Clearly we need to rethink our policy in this country. And quite obviously we need to end the blatant discrimination against our Muslim brothers and sisters.

Now for peace. Another article I read was about the brother of the current al Qaeda leader has come out saying he wants peace between Islamists and the West and is willing to be the mediator. A former Islamist himself he spent 5 years in solitary confinement in a 6ft by 6ft cell in an Egyptian prison. Now that he has his freedom the new Egyptian government says he is helping them in negotiations with Jihadists in the Sinai area. He has offered a 6 page proposal for peace between Islamists and the West that starts with a 10 year truce if the following terms are met:
• U.S. and West to stop intervening in Muslim lands
• U.S. to stop interfering in Muslim education
• U.S. to end the war on Islam
• U.S. to release all Islamist prisoners.
• Islamists stop attacks on Western and U.S. interests
• Islamists Protect legitimate Western and U.S. interests in Muslim lands
• Islamists Stop provoking the U.S. and the West

Now there is speculation that he's getting his name out there again so that an Islamist group would welcome him into leadership. But I am ever hopeful that we have a man related to the leader of the most infamous terrorist group in the United States who is legitimately working on negotiating peace.

Could you imagine a world where he was succesful? Even if only one group agreed to peace with the West and the West complied with their end of the bargain? It is amazing that such a revolutionary world would be brought about if we just agreed to leave each other alone and stoped killing each other.

Is peace in our time possible? Yes. Peace is always possible. Peace is the easiest thing to achieve because all you have to do is stop killing. It's so simple. Will the people of this planet stop killing? Convincing the planet to live in peace is difficult for reasons I will never understand. But on this day, 11 years after a tragic act of violence was committed against thousands of innocent people we must remember Christ and His teaching to love our enemies and to be peacemakers. The same Christ that rebuked Peter for taking up arms against those that arrested Him to die. Even protecting the Lord was not good enough reason to take up arms. The innocent died. The lamb was killed and we are called to love instead of hate. Turn our swords into plows rather than use them to slay.

This should be the legacy of September 11, 2001. A legacy of mourning the innocent lost and forgiving those that took them. Violence leads to violence until we are the ones willing to not take an eye for an eye. For “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." Matthew 5:38-42.