A Fine Dream

Submitted by Rebecca Moulds (Egypt), Aug 13, 2007 at 06:02

It would be wonderful to think that Muslims are rethinking their support of suicide bombings, in an ideal world. But we don't live in an ideal world. And although "working through the system" may be just skimming the surface of this very sensitive subject, it is probably a fact that the moderate Muslims never thought of suicide bombings in the first place, and only the radical Islamists who perpetuate this type of crime.

Before returning to Egypt in November 2001, I heard a radio broadcast on CBS, interviewing people on the streets of Cairo, and their opinion of Americans and 9/11. Most of them said that the USA deserved the attack. I was shocked and dismayed at these voices. This was supposedly a random questioning of normal Cairenes, both the educated and uneducated, about their true feelings concerning this horrible crime (the 9/11 attacks) which could be put into the same category as a type of suicide bomb, the "bomb" at that time being the three planes used for their evil purposes. It is a fact that several of the pilots of those planes were Egyptian.

There is a rumbling today in Egypt of discontent with the government. The Muslim Brotherhood is gathering force again. Tourists flock by the millions each year to see the Pyramids of Giza, the Valley of the Kings and the beach resorts on the Red Sea. They were loath to return, however, after the Luxor massacre in 1997 and the suicide bombs of two years ago, but did return in vast numbers.

However, the prospect of more terrorism in this part of the world (and there's bound to be more) makes one wary of the recent Pew poll. We would all love to live together in peace and harmony with no suicide bombs anywhere, but there are no guarantees in this world against such future evil deeds.

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 and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".