by Regina Sztajer

Last week car bombers could not detonate their explosives in London but when the suspected terrorists were arrested British police were surprised to find they were eight members of the medical profession. The west has depended on the myth that political correctness has perpetuated resulting in optimism and ignorance in the face of Islamic terrorism. Long-term survival will depend on the west to wake up and face reality. The car-bombers who planted their weapons should serve as a wake up call.

What are these myths?

Number one is that Islamic terrorism is the result of poverty and illiteracy. If American foreign policy would focus on education and affluence terrorism would end. Not true! Take note that the men behind the car bombings were highly educated affluent and living and working in a prosperous nation.

Myth number two is that democracy would help to end terrorism because Muslims who would live in freedom with leaders elected by a democratic process would lose their desire to kill innocent people. This myth has failed in Iraq? President George W. Bush in his second inaugural speech said, “The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies defeat.” ( www.townhall.com 7/8/2007 Ken Connor.) It seems those Muslim extremists who do enjoy freedom and democracy can be won over by radical theologies. Their interpretation of Islam has given them the inspiration to destroy nation’s who have offered them freedom therefore, just living in a democracy does not mean terrorism will cease.

Lastly, the myth that western foreign policy has caused anger in radical Muslims therefore, becoming the cause of terrorism is false. A former fanatical Islamic terrorist Assam Butt wrote, ” What drove me and many others to plot acts of extreme terror within Britain and abroad was a sense that we were fighting for the creation of a revolutionary world wide Islamic state that would dispense Islamic justice. ” (www.townhall.com, 7/8/2007. Even if the Jews left Israel and every westerners left the Middle East they would still pursue an Islamic state worldwide.

Radical Muslims believe that it is Gods will for them to conquer the world, by rising up in violence if necessary. Muslim idealism must be confronted by the west because wealth, education , freedom and democracy is not the salvation. It is not what the material world fails to deliver that drives these terrorists. It is their religion! Most of their martyrs are quite successful in their earthly lives.

Some terrorists behead their victims because it is a religious symbol. The sword is associated with seventh century tribal conflict. The use of the sword became a tribute to the founding of Islam. Terrorists act with religious conviction! Operation Badr, a terrorist attack planned for Toronto Canada last year referred to the Battle of Badr, the first military triumph achieved by the Prophet Mohammed. Seventeen Islamic terrorists planned to blow up the parliament building and behead the prime minister. The terrorist plan failed and the arrested Muslims admitted religion was the factor in their plans.

It was chilling to discover 45 Muslim doctors intended to penetrate America’s borders to kill innocent people here. What happened to these highly educated, financially mobile physicians who took the Hippocratic Oath to uphold life?

Last week the new British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told his ministers to no longer use the word Muslims when referring to terrorists acts . Also the war on terror was to be removed from the vernacular of his government in order to create a united United Kingdom. Does he really believe not offending Muslims will mean they will help with British security? Are Muslims really going to come forward with the perpetrators and denounce the extremists in the cause of justice? Or is the man naive and will many more British citizens die before he learns not to be politically correct but rather tough on terrorism. The Muslims combine politics and religion in their creed to do mayhem and to their thinking it is a religious war of world domination.