Freedom First
Reader comment on item: [The Abu Ali Case and] Balancing Liberties, Security

Submitted by Pat (United States), Mar 1, 2005 at 16:25

I choose freedom. To regain the freedom we lost on 9/11 we need to be willing to make hard choices. This doesn't mean imprisoning everyone with an Islamic name. It doesn't mean barring Muslims from this country (although I once thought it did). Freedom entails risks. If we want freedom we have to be willing to accept the risk that murderers may act. That doesn't mean we can't take steps to protect ourselves. The biggest step we can take is to let Islamic countries know that they will be held responsible for terrorist acts and let them know we mean it.

It means telling Muslims upfront that future acts of terrorism by Muslims will result in the destruction of Islamic societies, not Western societies. Would the Saudis finance and cheer a future 9/11 if they thought it might result in the destruction of the Grand Mosque or other sites in Mecca? What if Western retaliation meant the bombing of all Saudi airports, making it difficult for Muslims to make the hajj? Are the Wahhabis so in love with death that they are willing to eradicate Muslim societies?

Muslims should be asked to choose what THEY want. If they want to live in a free America, they are more than welcome. In return they should support their fellow citizens and report all possible terrorist plots, even if they are being hatched in a mosque. If they want to stay in the Middle East, that's fine, too. In either case, they should not be allowed to escape responsibility for the acts committed in their name. Muslims the world over have been financing this terrorism for decades and it has only hurt them. If they think they can regain past glory by destroying the West, they should know that they will only sow the seeds of their own destruction.

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