Since 9/11 I have been trying to get a better understanding of who it is we are fighting. I have tried without success to believe that President Bush is correct in stating that we are at war not with Islam but with a radical form of Islam. But try as I might I have been unable to locate this moderate form of Islam. This form of Islam where Jihad truly does ONLY mean an inner struggle, where the idea of being constantly at war with those of us who don't accept that Mohammad was a Prophet is abhorrent, sadly this form seems to be exceedingly rare.

Actually I am being kind, this form seems nonexistent. So far if a particular Islamic country is not at war with us all it means is that they are either at war with someone else more immediate or that they understand that open confrontation is impossible. None of them have declared peace with us. None of them have declared that contrary to the Koran they will accept that Christians and Jews are allowed to live on the same planet. Certainly none of them have accepted that it is acceptable for people like my wife to not believe in any religion. And absolutely they have zero tolerance for those like some friends of ours who are Hindu.

It is overwhelmingly sad that we are faced with such an uphill war against so many individuals by themselves are good people but when combined together under the hateful tent of Islam are so dangerous. But trying to close our eyes and imagine that is not our lot does not make it not our lot.

Our plate runneth over with the good fortunes of this age but with great good comes great obligations. The battle after being in a lull of a few hundred years is joined again. Somehow we must find a way to turn Islam away from the concept of constant war with those who don't agree with them or else we are faced with the murder of a religion. Two impossible tasks seems about right for a people able to do what we have done in the last 100 years.

Around the blogsphere many of us have skirted the issue in deference to our many individual Muslim acquaintances but the problem remains. The religion remains, the goals remain, the brutality remains, the utter destructiveness remains and the sooner we state openly and clearly what we have all kept inside the sooner our body politic will be forced to stop uttering platitudes regarding the war we face.

The uproar that faced the National Review Book Service for taking down under pressure from CAIR, ostensibly a Islamic advocacy group but realistically a sponsor of terrorism, two books critical of Islam is heartening. Sword of the Prophet is now available again on the NRBS but not "The Life And Religion of Mohammed" by Rev. J.L Menezes. I purchased my copy of Sword of the Prophet at Barnes and Noble while NRO had banned it. Sad to see NRO trumped in steadfastness by a supposedly soft and furry liberal book seller but glad to see NRO getting part of their backbone back. Sword of the Prophet is a worthy read for those of us needing information regarding our enemy. "The Life And Religion of Mohammed" by Rev. J.L Menezes is not available at either outlet, self censorship is an indication of fear not respect. We must get over our fears. This article at the Belgravia Dispatch is another brick in the wall.
THE BELGRAVIA DISPATCH: Hidden in Plain Sight

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