Gen. Boykin’s generalization about Muslims, "I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol," is indefensible and demands an unambiguous apology.
Some may find it strange, particularly during these days of Sunni-Wahhabi Islamic terrorism, Sunni-Salafi Islamic terrorism and Shiite Islamic terrorism), that an Orthodox Jew rises to the defense of Muslims. (If so, they should contemplate the opening page of the Netzarim website at www.netzarim.co.il). It isn’t strange for an Orthodox Jew to stand up for truth wherever it’s found, in whatever circumstances and irrespective of whomever is involved. Justness doesn’t respect persons.
Some linguists claim that the Arabic name "Allah" derives from the original Biblical Hebrew term – àÁìÉäÌÇ (studied Christians might better recognize the Hebrew plural form – àÁìÉäÄéí), which was simply Arabized to الله. The similarity is obvious. Though tragically not always in truth, Jews and Muslims profess to serve the same àÁìÉäÄéí / الله. There is neither an idol nor idolatry in either classically-defined Islam or Orthodox Judaism. Gen. Boykin is just ignorantly wrong and should issue an unambiguous statement acknowledging that he was wrong and apologizing to the Muslim community.
On the other hand, there are also linguistic connections to the ancient Arabic goddess, al-ilat / ilahat and her temple, which the Arabs refurbished as their Kaaba in Mecca (see
Gen. Boykin’s misstatement is especially inappropriate in light of the many idols that abound in churches everywhere, from "Virgin Mary" idols to idols of Christ. Beyond that, Christians pray to a plethora of "saint" idols. Yet, by contrast, no such idols exist in an Orthodox Jewish beit ha-
On the other hand, the currently popular and "politically correct" Boykin-bashing storm is overlooking several urgent truths that underlay Gen. Boykin’s misstatements. If he had been more careful to confine his statement about satanic "spiritual enemies" of Christians and the U.S. to Wahhabi Muslims then he would be right. Wahhabi (and Salafi) Sunni Islam is the fanatic element primarily responsible for spawning terror groups in the Sunni part of the Islamic world. (Shiite Islamic terror is a complementary Islamic terrorism problem.) Gen. Boykin’s error was his failure to distinguish Wahhabi Islam from Sunni Islam generally and Shiite Islam; and Wahhabi Muslim terrorists from Muslims generally.
Wahhabi Muslims are labeling even fellow Muslims, especially Shiites, as kuffars, and killing them too. However inadvertently, Gen. Boykin refers to a group of impugners, adversaries and would-be prosecutors of all three "Abrahamic" religions. Religious Jews, Christians and Muslims might agree that an enemy of all three major "Abrahamic" religions is Satanic and, therefore, nothing to apologize about.
This is particularly appropriate in light of the derivation of the term… from the
Contrary to National Security Adviser Condoleeza Rice (and however politically incorrect), although the war against terrorism isn’t a war between Christians and-or Jews versus Islam, it is a war between a "coalition" (however feeble, and glaringly excluding the main victims of Islamic terror, Israel and Jews) of Christians and some of the world's worst Muslim Terrorists (Bush #1 Coalition, Bush #2 Coalition & Obama Coalition #3) against Wahhabi Islam.
Wahhabi Muslims are fighting a religious jihad. It is a religious war. It just isn’t a simplistic war between Islam versus Christianity andor Judaism. Wahhabi Muslim terrorists are enemies not only of Christians and Jews but enemies of devout Muslims as well, whether in New York City, Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria or anyplace else in the world – with no special exception made for killing Jews in Israel, Judea (after which "Jews" are named) or Samaria. Until ordinary Muslims, Christians and Jews come to the realization that we are, together, fighting a religious war against Wahhabi Islamist terrorists none of us can win against an enemy that we refuse to define clearly.
More subtly, all three "Abrahamic" religions have been around for centuries, enduring both through winning and losing wars. None of these religions can be existentially endangered through war. While Israel the nation is existentially vulnerable to the Goliath of 22 Arab countries that surround us and 57 Muslim nations that threaten us (which explains U.N. votes), neither Israel the people nor
The only place where all three religions are vulnerable is from within, through inner deterioration. It follows, therefore, that the only religion that stands to suffer a mortal blow from Wahhabi Muslims is Islam.
Evangelism by the sword is tacit admission that beliefs don’t withstand intellectual scrutiny. Terrorism is the evidence of intellectual, moral and religious bankruptcy. Unless Muslims implement remedial measures quickly, Islam will continue to hemorrhage and implode. In its fallout, Jews are – yet again – doing most of the bleeding.
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