 Editor:
Dave Uphoff
For most of my life the Middle East has been a trouble spot for the
world. Ever since the State of Israel was carved out of Palestine in
1948 to provide a homeland for the Jewish people, there has been a
constant battle between the neighboring Arab nations and Israel. Now
war has broken out again with Israel making retalitory strikes against
Hezbollah terrorists who began firing rockets into Northern Israel from
its safe haven in southern Lebanon. In the process innocent civilians
are again caught in the middle and have suffered far more casualties
than the military on either side.What
is so abhorent in the battle with the terrorists is not just their
wilingness to blow themselves up in crowded market places, but also
their willingness to embed themselves within civilian population
centers and use them as shields or hiding places. Most
experts agree that Syria and Iran are behind the support of not only
the insurgents in Iraq but also the militant group Hezbollah in
Lebanon. In addition, Iran apparently is trying to develop nuclear
weapons. Therefore, any long term solution can only be obtained by
reigning in those two countries. Iran
is the main culprit as they sit in Tehren and watch Iraq descend into a
civil war and Israel being attacked by Hezbellah. Many say that we are
fighting a proxy war in Iraq for Iran. The Shiite majority in Iran is
waiting for the Shiites in Iraq to conquer the outnumbered Sunnis, a
feat made possible by the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. By
any standard of measure, we are involved in World War III and the
principal combatants are Muslim terrorists versus the rest of the
world. Radical Muslims are not just trying to take over Iraq or
Afghanistan but also the Sudan and other African countries. What is
interesting to note is that back in the 1930's when the idea of finding
a country for the Jewish people was just taking hold, the two countries
that were being considered for relocation was Palestine and Uganda! One
wonders if there would be opposition to Israel if it had located in
Uganda instead. There is political turmoil all over Africa but little
heed is given to their plight by the rest of the world. That may change
if Muslim radicalism overtakes Africa as well. While
there is pressure for a cease-fire between Israel and Hezballah, Israel
wants to continue fighting long enough so as to eliminate Hezbellah
from southern Lebanon and then create a buffer zone that can be
occuppied by United Nation peace-keeping forces. If Israel is not able
to do this, it will be considered a victory for Hezbellah and will
further embolden radical Muslims throughout not only the Arab world but
also non Arab countries. This is the great fear that concerns Europe
which has a relatively high percentage of Muslims. Another potential
problem is that many experts feel that Israel may likely stretch their
attacks onto Iran as well if Iran continues to support the destruction
of Israel.
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The
world has always been and always will be a fearful place. While we may
think that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, we must realize
that the world has always been a fearful place and always will be. The
proliferation of mass media makes it seem more dangerous now than ever.
However, mass media and the internet are also the forces that may
ultimately resolve the problems we are now facing as the younger
generation of Muslims, by witnessing another aspect of life, will come
to embrace our western values. It is the old play on the World War I
refrain about the returning doughboys, "How are you going to keep them
down on the farm after seeing Paris". Hopefully, the younger generation
of Muslims will eventually see the folly of blinding following a
religion that extolls the virtues of death and deprivation. Unless
Iran can be persuaded to abandon its goal to develop nuclear
capabilities, there will ultimately be a showdown between Iran and the
United States and its allies. That is a greater challenge awaiting us
than the war in Iraq. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said
that the Iranians cannot be trusted and every effort must be made to
negotiate a settlement that will prevent them from becoming a nuclear
threat. With that type of concern by a national leader, it is
imperative that the western allies realize that we are in a global
religious war and that we must combine our efforts to stem the tide of
terrorism by putting pressure on the regime in Iran. They, not us, are
the real Satan.
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