MARCH 11, 2010 ISSUE
Letters to the Editor
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9/11 Had Little To Do with Islam or Muslim Faith
Dear Editor,
Occasionally, a letter to the editor actually saddens me. Such is the case with the recent letter by Robert Tygart about the supposed threat posed to the United States by Muslims. Tygart’s letter begins with a falsehood that the date September 11 was picked as the attack date for the 2001 9/11 attacks by al-Qaeda because of a defeat by “Ottoman Muslim forces” in the 1600s that occurred on September 11. This is simply untrue.
Two official investigations of the 9/11 attacks were completed by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (the “9/11 Commission” www.9-11commission.gov) and the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001 (the “Congressional Inquiry” www.gpoaccess.gov/serialset/creports/911.html). These investigations reveal that al-Qaeda actually sought and planned to attack us first in the spring of 2001, but then got delayed until the summer of 2001, and ultimately got delayed again until September 11. The date “9/11” means nothing to al-Qaeda and was chosen at random.
Tygart’s letter began with this falsehood, a falsehood which undermines his whole assertion that we should understand the 9/11 attacks and some large warning to America about the evils of Islamic immigration. As an expert who teaches and does research about the 9/11 attacks, I can tell you that the 9/11 attacks had little to do with Islam or the Muslim faith.
Both the 9/11 Commission and the Congressional Inquiry make this perfectly clear. America was chosen not because of some plot by Muslims to take over the world, and not because we are a Christian nation, but instead because of our past actions in the Middle East and elsewhere. In the minds of the terrorists, this was “blowback”—an attack against in response to harms committed by us against them.
Their goal was broader than revenge, however. Specifically, al-Qaeda seeks to bankrupt us financially. They hoped our nation would respond militarily against a weaker Muslim nation, which would inflame anti-American sentiment, swell the ranks of al-Qaeda, and get us bogged down in a drawn-out war costing us hundreds of billions of dollars. Usama bin Laden (the leader of al-Qaeda) and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks) have both personally explained this very clearly, as have U.S. intelligence agencies.
In fact, the selection of targets could not make their goals any more clear. Planes struck the World Trade Center (a major symbol of American capitalism), the Pentagon (the hub of U.S. military activity), and another was destined to crash into the U.S. Capitol (the heart of US government). The latter of course failed.
Ignorance is a horrible thing. In this case, ignorance about the 9/11 attacks had led to fear and hatred of Muslims. In response to Mr. Tygart’s letter, I want to simply say “welcome” to Muslims living in our region of North Carolina. We don’t all fear or hate you.
Sincerely,
Matthew Robinson
North Carolina’s Stimulus Money Wasted
The federal government has “given” North Carolina lots of stimulus money, borrowed money for which you will be taxed. Did you know that $2,202,752 of that money went to pay for study of monkeys using cocaine, a dance theatre, a study of reducing hot flashes through yoga, collecting, researching and reporting on the stimulus act, creating interactive dance performance technology, an American Dance Festival, construction of a new town hall in Bladenboro, North Carolina Folk Life Institute, preservation of an insect collection and the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra? That’s right, more than two million dollars! Aren’t you glad the Governor didn’t get her Stimulus Pick Up Truck rolling?
I don’t know about you, but that really gives me hot flashes—of anger. It makes about as much sense as North Carolina’s continuing to used forced annexation while the cities of 46 other states have figured out how to grow and balance their budgets without it. Why should I be taxed to pay for any of this, especially a town hall in the other end of the state? Maybe it’s not the monkeys that are sniffing…or maybe it’s a different breed of monkey…the same kind of rail nuts that think the “Congestion Relief/Intermodal Transportation” bill is a good idea, even though it will only benefit 2% or less of the population from a safe slush fund.
Then to balance all that simulated giving, there is the continued “taking” of our private property by using eminent domain, ETJs, Quick Take bills and forced annexation.
Marie Howell
Rowan County
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