Fear and Loathing in Nalchik
There's been a major shootout in Russia between Chechen terrorists and Russian troops.
If nothing else, I think that the Chechnya situation proves that Islamofascist terrorism goes beyond Islam as a religion. Chechen terrorists have more political beefs with the Kremlin than they do religious ones. Whether Islam is a "religion of peace" or not, you can't deny that the aims of al Qaeda, Ansar al Islam, the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf, the Chechen organizations, et al, go beyond just hating anyone who's not a Muslim. They've all got political goals as well, which also go beyond hating anyone who's not a Muslim.
As much as people like to malign Islam and Middle Eastern culture (and to a degree, at least, I think that's deserved), it's important to keep in mind that things as serious as terrorism are seldom as simple as the news makes it out to be. Keep that in mind.
NALCHIK, Russia - Scores of Islamic militants launched simultaneous attacks on police and government buildings in this city in Russia’s turbulent Caucasus region Thursday, sparking battles that killed at least 49 people.
Chechen rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks, which forced the evacuation of schools and left corpses littering the streets of Nalchik, the capital of the republic of Kabardino-Balkariya.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who came to power in 2000 by talking tough on Chechnya, stepped into the crisis, ordering his security forces to blockade the town of Nalchik and kill any gunmen who put up resistance.
If nothing else, I think that the Chechnya situation proves that Islamofascist terrorism goes beyond Islam as a religion. Chechen terrorists have more political beefs with the Kremlin than they do religious ones. Whether Islam is a "religion of peace" or not, you can't deny that the aims of al Qaeda, Ansar al Islam, the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Hamas, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, Jemaah Islamiyah, Abu Sayyaf, the Chechen organizations, et al, go beyond just hating anyone who's not a Muslim. They've all got political goals as well, which also go beyond hating anyone who's not a Muslim.
As much as people like to malign Islam and Middle Eastern culture (and to a degree, at least, I think that's deserved), it's important to keep in mind that things as serious as terrorism are seldom as simple as the news makes it out to be. Keep that in mind.
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