Surprise, surprise

[jhetley]

So this time the tribalist fanatics succeeded in killing Benazir Bhutto.  Not the first time they tried.

I don't say "Islamists", as murdering innocent bystanders is forbidden in the Qur'an.

Comments

[allaboutm-e.livejournal.com]

This was very sad news to receive this AM. And I appreciate your phrasing.

[ziactrice.livejournal.com]

Myself, I prefer the term cowardists.

Although bloodthirsty pirates has a certain descriptive accuracy for some of them, as well.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

I don't say "Islamists", as murdering innocent bystanders is forbidden in the Qur'an.

That's never stopped them before, has it...? Suicide is forbidden too. And so is making war against "peoples of the Book". But fanaticism is wonderful that way: you can cherry-pick what you want and ignore the rest.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

No, it has never stopped them. But I won't grant them the cover of Islam for it.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

My point exactly, though I stopped short of making it clearly. To act for Islam is one thing; to act in the name of Islam is another.

I have long held a belief that for the majority of terrorists, the cause they profess to fight for is secondary, relatively unimportant, a flag of convenience, a public rationale for their actions. What really drives them is simply that they like killing people — preferably people who never get a chance to fight back. Whatever cause they're currently professing just gives them somewhere to point the hate they already have, and for that purpose, one cause is as good as another.