It seems to me that some of our admired Objectivist friends do not sufficiently appreciate how widespread and insidious the Islamic threat actually is. This is a war, and not simply of ideas.
Lies, Damn Lies, & Muslim Lies: The Muslim, and especially Islamic, ethics fully endorses the use of dishonesty to non-Muslims. An article at the Middle East Forum site, makes this point very clear, explaining how the same Imam speaking in English says very benign things and then, in purportedly the same context in Arabic, is jihadist. When the former explanation ends, The Mainstream Media end thinking. See, The Two Faces of the Ground Zero Mosque.
Particularly notable about this mosque is that
- few Muslims live in reasonable traveling distance of it, yet it is being constructed to hold thousands;
- it is an Islamic tradition to build mosques over the most significant icons of vanquished enemies;
- it is just another building to us, but to them it is proof of Allah’s will, & of Islam’s supremacy; finally
- its imam lied when denying non-American (Arabic) funding for this mosque.
Were certain American communists, during the 1940s, given a pass when it became known they being funded and guided by Russia? No, some were brought before an, unfortunately inept, HUAC investigation, where Ayn Rand offered a vehement and factual testimony. The communist problem collapsed on itself. Islamism will not.
Losing World Freedom: see Geert Wilders on the Islamization of Europe. Is the U.S. Next? Wilders is passionate, and I see no reason to think he is scaremongering. He describes the very frightening situation in Europe. Already honor killings, efforts to impose Sharia Law (if only at a ‘community’ level), wife beatings, multiple wives and so forth are becoming more common in N. America. Around the world, stonings, amputations (for the most menial of ‘crimes’), honor killings, female genital mutilation, murderous fatwa‘s, etc. continue with no concern for the outcry of the non-Muslim & truly moderate Muslim world.
How large is ‘the problem’: Polls often speak in percentages, but when dealing with the Muslim world, 1% constitutes an enormous number of people. In round numbers there are 1.5 – 1.9 billion Muslims. According to a PEW poll prior to 2007, some 6% of Muslims support suicide bombings. That is, 102,876,651 Muslims Approve of Suicide Bombing. A hundred million! That does not mean they would do it themselves, but as the article points out, if only 0.1% of those did act, that would constitute ~ 103,000 suicide bombers.
Islamist First Column: Infiltration of the enemy used to be seen as a ‘fifth column‘ an attacker could use. Islam is using infiltration as a 1st column. It is the new guerrilla strategy… The British Redcoats formed neat rows of men, who took turns firing their muzzle loaders at the equally organized enemy, until one side surrendered. They had no idea how to oppose the guerrilla tactics of America’s early settlers (who had learned from the Indians), and were roundly beaten. Raise this British confusion to a new level. How does one oppose a very definite enemy that is openly working within the best political framework of any nation, to destroy that framework? How the Infiltration develops, see Islamization of Europe and Policies to Prevent It, can be seen to involve distinct stages, suggesting solutions may be found in the early stages. [The suggested solutions in the article seem pragmatic, and rather short on just how they would be achieved, but Individual Rights are considered necessary.]
Simply making a special case that overrides Property Rights has all the flaws its Objectivist opponents fear. But what is possible in America’s present political state of affairs? What would enable quick and decisive action to eliminate myriad plots for inciting public disorder &/or treason, and No Go Zones, such as are now occurring in Europe?
Against all of the above, cries to protect American property rights will be as a tea cup in a tornado. Those rights are so woozy now, it is better to stop the insidious horde at every turn, perhaps through well defined, vigorously enforced, peacetime anti-sedition laws.
America is not even the major focus for Muslim infiltration —presently that focus is Europe. There are only about 2.35 million U.S. Muslims. When the World’s Islamists fully turn to America —and find they have her in much the same position as Spain, France or Holland— U.S. citizens, including moderate American Muslims, will have much more immediate fears than property right concerns. At present, Islamists here are mainly in pursuit of symbolic and legal victories that undermine America. The leaders hope, when the numbers are right, that an Islamist war can be sprung in America as if it were a no-county-is-safe, civil war. They already think they are winning. They must not gain the symbolic victory of a Ground Zero mosque.
Update: corrected last link
