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ISLAM (22)

 

Islam’s View of the United States (1)

Victor M. Eskew

 

            The United State of America is the perfect breeding ground for the religion and political system of Islam.  First, we encourage the world to send us their masses.  On the Statue of Liberty is an invitation to the world called “The New Colossus.”  Here are its words:

 

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles.  From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient land, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips.  “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

 

Second, our Constitution guarantees the freedom of religion in the First Amendment.  It states:  “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…”  Third, the same Amendment also gives us the freedom of speech.  “…or abridging the freedom of speech…”  Fourth, the United States has excellent communication systems and transportation systems that allow Muslims to keep in touch with one another within the U.S. and throughout the world.  Fifth, we are also a place of affluence.  Opportunities abound for individuals and organizations to be extremely wealthy.

            Muslims are here.  According to the Council of American-Islamic Relations, Muslims make up 2.2% of our population.  This amounts to around seven million individuals.  That is almost three times the size of the city of Chicago, IL.  The problem is that many of the Muslims who are among us do not have an affinity for the United States in its present form.  In fact, many Muslims literally hate the United States.

            Since 1972, there have been 109 terrorist attacks by Muslims on American soil killing 3,205 people.  In those same attacks 1,765 people were injured.  Some sustained life altering wounds.  The following were attack with the greatest number either dead or wounded:

 

                        Date                            City/State                               Killed             Wounded

 

                        2/26/1993                  New York, NY                       6                      1,040

                        9/11/2001                  Washington, DC                    184                  53

                        9/11/2001                  Shanksville, PA                      40

                        9/11/2001                  New York, NY                       2,752               251

                        11/5/2009                  Ft Hood, TX                            13                    31

                        4/15/2013                  Boston, MA                            3                      264

                        12/2/2015                  San Bernadino, CA                14                    17

                        6/13/2016                  Orlando, FL                            49                    53

                       

 

Here are some of the details of some of the attacks that resulted in both death and injury.

 

7/18/1973                  Killed:  8         Injured:  2                   Nation of Islam members shoot seven                                                                                                          members of a family to death in cold blood,                                                                                                            including four children.  A defendant in the                                                                                                           case was also murdered in prison.

 

8/31/1980                  Killed:  2         Injured:  0                   An Iranian student guns down his next-                                                                                                     door neighbors, a husband and wife.

 

9/21/2002                  Killed:  1         Injured:  1                   Muslim snipers shoot two woman, killing 1

 

9/23/2002                  Killed:  1         Injured:  0                   A Korean mother is shot in the back by                                                                                                       Muslim snipers

 

10/3/2002                  Killed:  5         Injured:  0                   Muslim snipers kill three men and two                                                                                                        women in separate attacks over a 15-hour                                                                                                  period

 

2/13/2007                  Killed:  5         Injured:  4                   A Muslim immigrant goes on a shooting                                                                                                     rampage at a mall, targeting people buying                                                                                                            Valentine’s Day cards in a gift shop

 

11/28/2016                Killed:  0         Injured:  11                 A Muslim immigrant stabs eleven people                                                                                                    after expressing his desire to kill infidels

 

5/19/2017                  Killed:  2         Injured:  0                   A recent convert to Islam shoots two people                                                                                                           to death for disrespecting Islam

 

3/12/2018                  Killed:  1         Injured:  2                   A recent convert to Islam stabs three                                                                                                                       people over his religion, including 2                                                                                                                         thirteen year olds.

 

Some attacks have gotten much media attention.  Other attacks have not been widely reported.  It is difficult for Americans to imagine the hatred that Islam has for the United States.  On Thursday, September 20, 2011, President George Bush addressed a joint-session of Congress.  In that address, he stated:  “Americans are asking:  ‘Why do they hate us?’”  We will look at the answer to this question in our next article.