American Jihadi

I don't know if you ever visit MEMRI, The Middle East Media Research Institute. It is a treasure trove of information on media and culture in that part of the world including jihadi videos. However, we can now watch our very own American jihadi film without all of that pesky translation.

The young American jihadi piles on the rhetoric of institutional guilt mentioning America's slave-holding, Jim Crow past as if our past national crimes somehow obligates us to surrender without a whimper to their 7th century mores. Even anti-Semitism is frowned on here! His chiding list of American sins somehow reminds me of a self defensive meth addict sounding off to an AA mentor. "Yeah, don't tell me how to live my life - you are drunk yourself!" Nevermind, the former alcoholic has been sober for 40 years and is no longer self destructive - if you once boozed it up with the boys you have no room to be lecturing on the greatness of clean living, hypocrite.

Remember, says the young jihadi, "God sees no seperation of church and state" rendering unto Caesar does not mean what you think it means, heretics. Abraham? - not a Jew. This flabberghasting historical revision of the man who founded Judaism, the inaugeral participant as it was, between 2000 BC/BCE and 1500 BC/BCE somehow becomes a Muslim circa 570–632 as codified by Mohammed. The disregard of facts is astounding. Look, as a Christian I have appropriated Jewish belief, believe that Jesus is the culmination of that belief; but I don't say that Abraham wasn't a Jew just because I am a gentile.

Islam is fair, oh so fair, continues the young jihadi as to give the option of converting to forstall your imminent destruction by sword or suicide bomb. American forces should desert their posts because their "crusader in chief" doesn't care about them, apparently too distracted by his air conditioning. I do seriously wonder if these fanatics care about those that strap on the explosive belts though, and I got the distinct impression of air condition envy. Nor do I think convert or die will have any real effect on those strapping on the bombs. Somewhere in the 2,819 in the Twin Towers were devout Muslims and they died anyway just as any number of Muslims are killed in the pizza parlors and groceries of Israel by brainwashed jihadi sheep.

So convert or die they say to Americans - do not stop at go, do not collect $200. To this adds the BBC:

So is it time to talk to al-Qaeda?

According to General Ali Shukri, former counter-terrorist adviser to King Hussein of Jordan, it is not something that should be ruled out.

"There is no harm in talking," he told me.

"Engagement is not endorsement. Are the Americans prepared to wage war for the next 25 years?"

Few in America would agree.

"We don't talk to terrorists, we put them out of business," is the White House position.

One person who does agree with General Ali Shukri is the Harvard academic, Professor Mohamed Mohamedou.

"At some point we should create a space for a cogent, rational discourse that thinks outside of this box. Responsible leadership calls for a more nuanced understanding," he told me.

But there are very few takers.

Few takers because Al-Qaeda is not rational nor are those who would negotiate with them. Rational people do not expect sense from madmen.