The Terrorist next door
Reader comment on item: [Maher Hawash:] The Terrorist Next Door

Submitted by Oskar Klausenstock, M.D. (United States), Aug 12, 2003 at 19:22

Dear Daniel,
A better title: The worm of decay within.
And there are so many who still insist that terrorism is the direct consequence of poverty and deprivation. Nonsense! The imam in the minaret instigating hate five times a day, every single day, the hypnotic chant and call to arms against the infidel while those below are prostrate, head down in total submission. And the True Believers, listening to it since earliest childhood, are convinced that this is indeed the voice of Allah.
I know something about it. My Hassidic Zayde in Cieszyn was a Gabbai, my uncle a Khazan in Tel-Aviv and early in life I learned to appreciate the power of chants. Chants extolling love and respect, chants that have the power to extol hate.

Keep up the good work,

Oskar Klausenstock M.D.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments. For informational purposes, we identify countries from which comments are sent.