What makes an American Muslim carry out such an act?

Submitted by Rob Riedijk (Netherlands), Mar 26, 2003 at 13:54

Your article and the reader' comments gave me the ...feeling that civil rights, freedom of speech and religion should be limited when they are incongruent with political beliefs and Christian convictions. Protection and upholding of Constitutional rights including maintaining and respect international laws are a primary condition for peace in the world. When a democratic elected government chooses to materially breach those international laws and turns to violence, how can you expect that those who feel attacked by these illegal actions avoid violence? Shouldn't a democratic elected government not set the right example and show decent behaviour? Against violence, against war, pro-peace? Let me make clear that I find Hasan Karim Akbar's act despicable. But in view of the present and past atrocities against Muslims in the Middle East in a way it is comprehensible that some of them see no other way out than turn to terror. Of course I do n't approve and condemn every act of terror. This disapproval and condemnation includes crimes of similar nature like suicide killings in Israel and killing civilians in Baghdad. But I fear that with this Iraq war the end of Muslim terror is farther away than ever.

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