Ignorance Has Consequences: Or Why Is Iraq Still In Such Turmoil?

IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE that U.S. troops are having such difficulties in Iraq and Afghanistan because of the widespread belief that Islam is a "religion of peace." How many times have you heard a political leader of a free country describe Islam as a peaceful religion and the terrorists as a "fringe element."

This belief is dangerous. The U.S. military was expecting to defeat the fringe elements rather quickly. But it isn't a fringe element. It is fundamental to Islam itself to fight unbelievers. Holy warriors from all over the world are making their way to Iraq to get in on the fighting while it's still in progress.

If the leaders of the U.S. and Britain were a little more schooled in Islamic law or history, they wouldn't have made the mistake of expecting a quick or easy victory, and they might have prepared for what was to come.

Don't get me wrong. I understand that most Muslims are peaceful, law-abiding citizens, and that they try to ignore or explain away the very explicit instructions in their central holy book to wage continuous war with unbelievers until the whole world is Islamic. But even ten percent of over a billion Muslims is a lot of people. And if ten percent want to really follow their Prophet's instructions, they are packing their bags and eagerly heading for Iraq to get in on the holy action.

So it may be technically a "fringe" element, but it is a huge number of very committed people. Nothing to take lightly.

The point is that the Islamic religion is not "peaceful." The religious doctrine is overtly violent. It is misleading to say otherwise, and the ignorance it causes has consequences.