The US faces a new and covert threat which emanates from within the country. The ‘danger persons’ are the Muslim citizens of the country.
They have been living in the country for years, even perhaps for generations. They are normal and law abiding American citizens. But Osama bin Laden’s poisonous version of Islam is beginning to affect them. Let us take two examples.
Reza Taheri-azar, 22, a graduate of University of North Carolina and an Iranian jimmigrant, drove a sport utility vehicle into a crowded pedestrian zone. He struck nine people but, fortunately, none were severely injured. Later he told the police that he wanted to kill non-Muslims because he hated what the US was doing to Muslim countries the world over.
Yaser Abdel Said, 50, A Texan taxi driver of Egyptian origin shot and killed his two teenaged daughters only he disapproved of their seemingly un-Islamic ways; they had non-Muslim boyfriends. This so called honour killing is actually a new phenomenon called “Sudden Jihad Syndrome.”
These developments are bad news for the US and may prove even more harmful than 9/11 in the future. I mean there are so many US citizens who follow Islam and they might all become potential threats to national security.
Laden’s jihadist ideology is spreading gradually even amongst some African-Americans. The case of Kevin James shows that these mini-terror outfits are home-grown with no support from Al Qaeda. These outfits are spawned only by Laden’s preaching.
What is disturbing is that mainstream American media is hesitating to report this new phenomenon, perhaps because it does not want to get labeled as anti-Islamic. But merely turning a blind eye to this growing threat (admittedly minor now) is not going to shoo it away.
The evil has to be nipped in the bud. How? There are no easy answers. The only way would be that the rational and liberal Muslims scholars, Imams and people stand up and be counted. They should spread the real message of Islam, which is of love for all and peaceful co-existence. That would be the best deterrent to the spread of jihadism.
