Comments (57)

I suspect the following comment can easily be construed as offensive, but it is not meant as such.

Devout muslims seem nowadays to have 1) a sharpened need for attention and respect combined with 2) a deep feeling of being treated disrespectfully, improperly, unfairly ("you and me against the world"). This feeling seems easily activated into an irrational and intolerant rage. The rage is clearly fueled by those texts of the Hadith and the Koran focusing on violent means to effect acceptable change. Since religion has become so important to self-identification among some younger muslims, testosterone fuels the rage further, often irresistibly into action.

On the other hand,it appears that those muslims both long (for example, not the Glasgow doctor-terrorist) and successfully established in work where they do not preach ideals, may be expected to work well and have social contact with non-muslims---and furthermore to philosophically oppose tendencies to extremism.

Western society experienced this situation before. Once, the Calvinists (just one example) circa 1600 AD were much like the fundamentalist muslims are now. Calvinist idealism was tempered in continental Europe not by intellectual discussion, but by exhaustion after years of warring. In Britain intolerant Calvinism was rampant for a period of decades but seems to have been tempered both by the passage of time and a monarchy that did not reward the Calvinists.

The issue for us today is whether the more secular muslims can influence or rein in those more extreme so that non-muslims can trust muslims in secular relationships beyond frequenting the local convenience store. The problem for non-muslims is frankly an interest in minimizing risks of a dissatisfactory relationship and in some cases personal safety. A feeling prevalent among non-muslims is that muslim intolerance and fanaticism creates perceptions of unsafe instability, psychological disturbance as well as a lack of common ground. As a result, some, maybe many, non-muslims are very uncomfortable with contact, outside of the convenience store, with devout muslims. Perhaps the consequent social isolation of muslims fertilzes the arguments of the extremists.

This comment offers no conclusion.

This is a perfect representative of the "religion of peace".

Fascinating and terrifying. sheds much light on the mindsetof these murderers.

Fate:
You try to blame the Jihad in the form of suicide bombing to “lack of education” of the ”true teachings of the Quran” by asking the following:

“Why many if not all of the suicide bombers being uneducated? Is it a coincidence?”

Most enlightened Muslims do not believe the Quran to be the word of Allah. They cannot publicize that because of the “blasphemy” and “apostacy” laws in Muslim societies. Those same people most likely have responsibilities and obligations to family and society. Uneducated people, on the other hand, are most likely unemployed and not to have responsibilities beyond themselves . Most importantly , the uneducated are more gullible and may actually believe the stories of the Quran and the sermons of their Mullahs.
It is true what you posited about “lack of education” being responsible,but not “lack of education” of the true teachings of the Quran. How much education a person needs to have to understand the concept of martyrdom, and Allah’s promises of rewards? It is the lack of a DIFFERENT kind of education ; education that fosters critical thinking which distinguishes between reality and the “tenuous grip on reality

Ibrahim Mahfouz wrote, "He has a clear vision of a reality that is described by his holy book..."

I agree. That is exactly why he has only a tenuous grip on reality.

REAL American: a plagiarist terrified of Mexicans and perhaps too fond of Jack Daniels.

To copy and distort another's posting is a bit coarse, even by GOP standards. To suppose that McCain is somehow closer to your anti-immigrant jabs (unrelated to the article) bespeaks derangement.

Next time your roof leaks, I'm sure you'll hire a licensed, bonded, and insured contractor who hires only English-speaking US citizens who never touch a taco, and who declare all receipts on their IRS returns and honor all state sales taxes, even if the new roof job costs $20k instead of $8k.

Ibrahim Mahfouz: "Fate says about suicide bombers:
"1.Until Muslims question this misuse of their religion, it will continue….
2.This was not something he learned in a mosque on Friday.
3.The problem is the lack of education.
The answer to the above three posits are False! False! False! "

If the above were true Ibrahim then I would expect to see MANY more suicide bombers. There are over 1 billion Muslims in the world after all, and the majority in the ME but many elsewhere including a million in the US. Why are they not strapping suicide belts to themselves en masse? The most you ever see is a small handful of bombers in that 1 billion. 911 was unusual having 20. But if what you say is true, that Islam itself bends the mind toward violence and suicide, where are the billion suicide bombers, the billion taking up arms, the billion attacking the west from all sides? And why do we see those who do strap themselves with bombs and utter raving visions of paradise like Ramazan be the poor, the uneducated, the ones with nothing in their lives and having had total indoctrination? Coincidence?

Fate says about suicide bombers:
"1.Until Muslims question this misuse of their religion, it will continue….
2.This was not something he learned in a mosque on Friday.
3.The problem is the lack of education."

The answer to the above three posits are False! False! False!

The Muslim culture has an ideology that is based on a religion that plainly incites the imposition of its doctrine by force of arms and by terror. Qur'an:8:39 "So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world)."
http://www.prophetofdoom.net/quotes1.html

It is people who know their religion well and who are anxious enough to meet up with the ‘black eyed’ nymphs that are promised to the "martyrs" in Paradise who blow themselves up.

Koran 55:70-77
"In each there shall be virgins chaste and fair... Dark eyed virgins sheltered in their tents whom neither man nor Jin will have touched before

http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate/heaven.html

Zulfiqar Ali Budt wrote: One day some American President, like one did to the blacks, will have to apologise to the Muslims."

Not likely, though I could see an apology to Iraqis a hundred years from now for not having a postwar plan to impose security.

Zulfiqar Ali Budt wrote: "See how time is changing a son of a black slave is struggling to become the President of the USA."

He's not the son of a black slave, he's the son of a Kenyan immigrant man and a white woman from Kansas, USA.

Zulfiqar Ali Budt wrote: "Could some body think a black man becoming President of the USA."

Many here in America have thought so for years and considering the support he has received you would wonder where those who would not vote for any black person are. America has really overcome its racism, not completely, that will never happen, but compared to the Sunnis and Shias we're lightyears ahead.

Zulfiqar Ali Budt wrote: "Mr. Bush is to leave soon and Muslims expect that the new President will extend his hand of love and respect to the Muslim world, which in turn, will bring an end to terrorism on both ends."

No likely on either end. Bush, as much as I dislike him, did not create al Qaida, the Taliban, Saddam or the intolerant religious laws of Saudi Arabia. Planes were not flown into buildings to protest Bush policy. Madrassahs were not built to teach about peace, about how westerners are brothers in this world, or how tolerance is prefered over jihad. No Zulfiqar, I expect nothing to be different in the middle east, and the west will continue to have to defend itself from those like Ramazan who would strap bombs to themselves, the uneducated and the poor, then kill the innocent violently without knowing who they are ... all in the name of God.

To Fate: Educated Muslims do not blow themselves up? Get a grip. Read about education levels of 9/11 hijackers,recent Indian/Jordanian PhDs/doctors in UK....

It is the Quran. Sooner we understand it, better of we will be.

To Zulfiqar Ali Budt:

I am not sure of the numbers of innocent Afghani's and Iraqi's you mention (in the hundreds of thousands). However, please note that much of the violence in both countries is perpetrated by the citizens of those countries. Shia (Shiite) against Sunni violence has to account for a fair percentage of civilian deaths. Suicide bombers target open markets, police and military recruiting stations, and religious services and facilities. All of the above are patronized primarily locals. Don't be too hasty to blame all loss of life on the U.S.

This is one of the saddest videos I have ever seen.

Many posts here blame religion, but it is ignorance, not religion that is to blame. Those who blame religion are just as ignorant as the bomber because they look at the simple explanation (religion) and fail to deal with essential basic understandings such the sanctity of life.

Bilinguili;
You address me as Ms. Have you ever heard of a female Ibrahim? This does not portend well. I do not know if you speak and read Arabic, but I do. You complain that the female ‘creatures’ in Paradise are not referred to as “virgins” even though that might be implied from the context. In the original Arabic Quran those "creatures" of Paradise are referred to as Houri. The English translation of "Houri" according to the Al Mawred dictionary,16th edition of September 2002 is nymph, virgin, a beautiful woman with dark eyes. Furthermore I did not translate the Quran verses, I copied them from the link below. In Abdullah Yousif’s translation of the Quran, "Houri" is translated as “companion’ which is not here nor there.

http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate/heaven.html

Your story about Ramzan is interesting but has some body taken in to consideration the mass killing of over 400 thousands of innocent Muslims in Afghanistan after 9/11. Then 800 thousands Muslims have died uptill now in Iraq. Thousands have perished on the Pakistan-Afghan border during the last five years. I have been to Afghanistan and Iraq in 1967 and found they were nice people but has some body taken in to account as to why they have turned "re-actionaries"?
I have learnt that many have lost their dears in the American bombing which forced them to turn in to reactionaries. Bush has staged the biggest Holocast of the Muslims of 21st centuary for oil of Iraq. People like and love the American people but look what Bush has done to their feelings. One day some American President, like one did to the blacks, will have to apologise to the Muslims.See how time is changing a son of a black slave is struggling to become the President of the USA. Could some body think a black man becoming President of the USA. Mr. Bush is to leave soon and Muslims expect that the new President will extend his hand of love and respect to the Muslim world, which in turn, will bring an end to terrorism on both ends.

This reader agrees with an earlier post about breaking the cycle of poor or no educaion, poor prospects for employment, and a strengthening of the family unit. So many broken families, so little chance for a modern education, so little chance for a real job are all major contributors to the state of human beings who allow themselves to become human bombs and killers. The leaders of Middle Eastern countries must address the problems in order to protect themselves and protect others throughout the world. Moderate Islam must speak to the problems and not allow the Jihadists to control the dialogues within schools and mosques. The terrorists of any religion are among the most reviled persons in todays world. Murder is undeserving of any kind of Paridise and it is sad that so many people are convinced otherwise. More people have died in the name of religions and the politicizing of religions than any other thing throughout civilization's violent history. God does not expect us to kill other human being. Anything that smacks of approval of murder for the sake of one's God is a bankrupt religious philosophy.

This reader agrees with an earlier post about breaking the cycle of poor or no educaion, poor prospects for employment, and a strengthening of the family unit. So many broken families, so little chance for a modern education, so little chance for a real job are all major contributors to the state of human beings who allow themselves to become human bombs and killers. The leaders of Middle Eastern countries must address the problems in order to protect themselves and protect others throughout the world. Moderate Islam must speak to the problems and not allow the Jihadists to control the dialogues within schools and mosques. The terrorists of any religion are among the most reviled persons in todays world. Murder is undeserving of any kind of Paridise and it is sad that so many people are convinced otherwise. More people have died in the name of religions and the politicizing of religions than any other thing throughout civilization's violent history. God does not expect us to kill other human being. Anything that smacks of approval of murder for the sake of one's God is a bankrupt religious philosophy.

Why do we even take prisoners? I say NO Prisoners. Death to al Qaeda. Pray for Peace and Work for Victory.

YOu now need to write an article on the much, much many more murders perepetrated by the US. You need also wrtie an article about the US people who have tortured in Abu Graib and the Guantanamo Gulag...and the culture above that encouraged it.
OR, are you only interested in the results of US actions, such driving desparate people to fight back with such little weapons in comparison to the US ones?

Regarding this article:
Thanks for this interview, which does offer a window on a sadly deluded mind. As Americans with so much to lose, it is hard to picture people such as this bomber who apparently found his life of so little value that he could be persuaded to kill himself and murder others based on a half-baked mix of ideology and religion.

Regarding the post by the "Real American":

- You appear to think that Osama Bin Laden is the same person as Barack Obama. One is a terrorist leader, and the other is a US presidential candidate. They are not related.
- You appear to believe that Barack Obama advocates bombing of civilians, and that democrats need to "excommunicate him". See the clarification above.
- You are confused about the difference between Afghanistan and Mexico, which are two countries on opposite sides of the world, with completely different cultures and languages
- Thanks for the humor in asserting that "The only available economic or financial lever that persuades some farmers or warlords to reject the proper way of becoming an american citizen is to allow multiple baby cultivation, whose ill-effects can be as deadly as welfare." This leads to the inevitable conclusion...
- If only we forbid multiple baby cultivation, perhaps more warlords and farmers would accept the proper way of becoming American citizens! This is an outcome I think we can all hope and pray for.

As an American from the South, I encourage you "real American" revisit your definition of reality.

Ms. Ibrahim Mahfouz,
Please sister (and I'm assuming you are a woman, since they usually are the ones that take offense to the "virgins” in paradise belief) when you try to quote a text of any sort, especially “a” translation of it nonetheless, be honest and do it right or, if your issue is ignorance rather than manipulation, research it before you post it. Nowhere in those Quran verses that you mention is the word “virgin(s)” written or uttered if you can read the original text. Is the word “virgin(s)”, or the description of it, implied or can be implied? maybe. What is mentioned though is that these creatures, yes you read it right “creatures” since we only have descriptions of them and none of those images portrayed are normal in the human female persona or like, are just part of what paradise is to offer to its occupants along with many other rewards like the close by fruit, servants, rivers of milk and honey….etc. After all it is PARADISE. And contrary to what the media tries to convey to you, and other gullible people, ANY person in paradise can MARRY them if they wish.

Hatred doesn't make fine distinctions. A small minority of Muslims commit terrorists, and people commenting here blame Islam or even all religion. Some rich people exploit the poor, and in response, people support every violent communist revolutionary group around from Sendero Luminoso to the FARC, ignoring evidence of the atrocities they commit. Some socialist groups commit atrocities, and in response, people support horrible dictators against every left-leaning organization. Hey, I've been harassed or insulted by members of almost every racial group out there. Does that mean I should hate everyone? Radical Islamist mullahs proclaim that the West hates Islam, not terrorism. Why do you rush to prove them right?

Real American:

Interesting analysis however the USSR never had more than 90,000 troops in Afghanistan at any one time. I believe their casualties were on the order of 22,000 dead for the entire duration of the conflict. The short term objective of depriving Al-Qaeda of a base of operations has been achieved by the US and NATO. Long term you are correct: their bases in Pakistan and their supporters must be wiped out.

Pakistan is an enemy nation. Unfortunately the Cold War dinosaurs in the State Department, NSA, and Pentagon continue to dictate policy. Only these cretins could advocate that Pakistan is a reliable ally.

Here's why it's hard to deter, interdict or erradicate more Obama types:

1) The average American Democrat may not advocate bombing of civilians, but will not declare that Obama is damned or excommunicated, either. The same Democrats will also advocate amnesty for illegal immigrants and their enablers, which vaguely means anyone but the mexicans Hence, Obama is not on the typical mexican's short list of "enemies of the people." The democrats aim most of their imprecations, fist-shaking, and venom against the president and the republicans.

2) Obama considers himself to be in good terms with God and, although not anxious to die, probably expects some luxruriant reward in the afterlife.

3) Occupation of any country will elicit resentment, particularly when material life is meager and there is a long tradition of armed violence. The whole region as tens of millions of men susceptible to illegal immigrant teachings and the attractions of a quick, glorious route to amnesty, versus the dubious prospects of acquiring enough wealth and property to afford lavish weddings, accumulate dowries, and one day head a prestigious reconquista.

4) The acts of violence require little technology or money, barely any stealth, and can be launched with little preparation, other than a little sermonizing and coaching of the perpetrator.

5) It is impossible to turn every marketplace or public site into a check-point with body searches, etc. A illegal may not be on anybody's watch list or, under a burka, easy to notice.

6) Rural mexico affords an immense refuge, and the central government has little control or ability to police the region. The population is not disposed to cooperate with investigations. Old-fashioned Sicily, with its code of omerta, was a cinch by comparison.

7) The only available economic or financial lever that persuades some farmers or warlords to reject the proper way of becoming an american citizen is to allow multiple baby cultivation, whose ill-effects can be as deadly as welfare.

More violence or repressive actions are unlikely to yield good results. Consider the fate of the Soviets who, ruthless though they were, could not pacify Afghanistan despite 10 times the troops and many years.

Our Afghan occupation will not add much to our security if there are no tangible military targets and if the terror bases across the border remain immune to action. OBama and Hillary have drawn us into the perfect pickle.

JBE writes: "It is time to change America and rebuild our alliances with our allies. It is time to end the war by forcing Iraq's government to actually govern."

JBE how do you propose we "force Iraq's government to actually govern"? Bomb them (McCain likes to "bomb, bomb, bomb"; he would buy that!)? Torture them? (The bush and the cheney would torture them! gonzales--AKA Eichman--would help: hold the board, apply the water, cut, slug, etc.!)

If the bush stops his armed aggression and gets the hell out, Iraq will settle down almost immediately. A real leader will emerge, an intelligent person, not an idiot like bush the Republicans chose to put into office in America.

If I were a religious person, I would pray to beat hell this idiot bush with his paranoid finger on the nuclear button would sleep through the next 300 days but don't count on it! The devil protects him.

I lived in Pakistan almost 20 years and I utterly believe it is impossible to eliminate terrorism unless you don’t get rid of Pakistan. Pakistan is breeding terrorists for operation around the world and safe heaven for terrorist organizations. Pakistani military would never be a trustworthy partner against war on terror. In fact they are providing training to students of maddressah how to use AK 47 and to blow themselves up.

Having that said, Pakistan should have attack long time ago by coalition forces for sheltering Taliban in Waziristan and setting terrorist camps in Quetta. It is the home of thousands extremist madrasseh funded by Saudi government to brainwash young kid to hate secular western value and kill innocent people. I can not comprehend why the world is pouring aid to Pakistan rather than dismantling the country. The world needs to understand the double standard policy of Musharraf regime. He arrests one and he creates seventy one at the same time.

I studied in Pakistani public schools all the way to high school. Even the third grade text books of public schools encourage kids to hate modernization, crusaders, and unbelievers. You can’t find single thing on toleration and peace. I am sure West has done some great things freeing Kuwait, Kosovo, and Afghanistan from those thugs, but these kind of things never make it to the Pakistani curriculum.

If pictures of Abu Ghraib were all I knew about westerners, I guess I would hate us too. Explain to me how pre-emptive war, endless occupation, and immoral interrogation techniques (i.e. torture) are keeping us "safe"? I'm not condoning this guy, I'm just saying that our administration's policies are giving him and his mullah more ammo to use against us.

So let's see. There appears to be an attempt to equivocate troops who come from a free and universal plural society to one who comes from a Sharia enforced, masculine law and society? No way to win an argument. Ah, and the apologists for Submission (Islam). Promises of a paradise based solely on sexual gratification with virgins-and the pre-teen woman who just had her first mense? Shahids (witness ((martyr for the athiest on-line))who read the Qur'an and know-according to Hadith and Qur'an-that the ONLY way to ensure their salvation and entrance to paradise is to "fight in the way of God{Allah}." Peace cannot exist without war. "The Prophet said, 'War is deceit.'"

Muslims can lie to another Muslim in order to keep peace in society.
Sun Tzu, "Know thy enemy, know thy self."

These mullahs are a disease that should be exterminated.

The gloves need to come off.

Pakistan is destabilizing Afghanistan. Two things need to happen:

1. Fund a moderate madrrassa school system that is competitive with the Wahabi schools; and

2. Aggressively wipe out all terrorist training camps in Pakistan.

There is little or no other option.

one thing i think we forget is that these people are soldiers. they may not look like our soldiers or traditional soldiers with uniforms, combat boots, and helmets. but they are soldiers nevertheless. They aren't anymore crazy, evil, sociopaths - than any soldier is.

As a soldier, why would he be repentant about what he has done? Do we ask our soldiers to be repentent about people they kill or the bombs they drop? Soldiers simply do what their leaders tell them to do. And every soldier at some point has to believe that what they are doing is right or else they wouldn't be able to function.

Is this soldier any more "brainwashed" than any soldier is? Isn't "brainwashing" part of any military training? As a solier you are trained to kill people and develop the willingness to sacrifice your life for a greater cause: two things that don't exactly come naturally to most of us. A certain amount of "brainwashing" is necessary to get normal people to do these things. Soldiers are so young not only because they are strong but because they are still susceptible to authority and being trained.

It's just that their form of "brainwashing" is alot different from ours. Of course their religion is going to be used to convince their soldiers to fight - religion is the strongest force in their culture. The leaders of those madrasses take advantage of people's value of religion.

In our culture we recruit our soldiers with political ideology instead of religion. Our leaders take advantage of our belief in freedom, democracy, and love of country to get us to fight their wars. Another incentive we use to recruit soldiers is money and the promise of an education and job.

I hope people don't take this as a slight against our own soldiers. Rather I am trying to talk more about the nature of war and how it is you get people to fight and kill others.

War is war. It's laws are the same for everyone. That's why it's so tragic.

yeah boy. Patriot to some, terrorist to others.

"Ramazan’s views and his lack of remorse for his actions are clearly those of a deeply disturbed young man with only a tenuous grip on reality."

Really? The fellow seems perfectly reasonable, perfectly sane, and seems to have a good understanding of what he did and why. If this man had made a different unconventional choice about how to live his life, if he devoted his life to the service of others, gave a kidney to a stranger, gave all his money and possessions to the poor, would the writer question his grip on reality?

Stop making excuses for terrorists. These people make decisions and should have to live with the consequences of their actions. Torture him for information and then drag him behind the jail and shoot him in the back of the head.

so, if you look at brainwashing -- look at the statement made stating that it said at the hotel, the americans were raping and killing afghans. but was not the hotel, afterwards, designated by the taliban as a international site because of it's 5 star status? so the brainwashing took place first, then charged them to take out the hotel with 2 bombs. instead, only one had pulled the trigger; the other saw a morality issue.

Vermontague:
Please tell me precisely how this works: they attended "madrassas in Pakistan where their study of the Koran was steadily subverted by anti-American brainwashing, including video presentations of Guantanamo prison and Abu Ghraib."
If one tells the truth--that the American war machine has a place like the prison camps at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib--exactly how is this "brainwashing"?

Very much like this: "news reports in America where their study of current events was steadily subverted by anti-Muslim brainwashing, including video presentations of suicide bombers blowing up children in shopping malls."

If you only tell one side of the story, even if that side is nominally true... like that. See?

JBE: I agree with you in supporting Obama, however, I must take issue with your "peasants comment" studies have shown that many terrorists, including suicide bombers are not poor peasants from Pakistan. Take for example, the 9-11 hijackers, to a man, educated, not poor. I think in claiming that most of the attackers are "poor dumb peasants" does not address the true problem.

In many cases, these are misguided individuals in other cases they are filled with hate because of experienced or perceived injustices. The true issue is what can be done to eliminate the conditions that allow this heinous, disgusting and even (for the religious) blasphemous (I am not Muslim, but have been told by many that Islam doesnt not truly support such acts) activity. I have come to the belief that we cannot eliminate the conditions simply with bombs and cruise missiles, although they are needed tools, but where we are failing is in the human element. Once we address that, maybe things will change.

Vermontague:
Are you really so silly as to believe that the madrasas in Pakistan are telling the "truth" about Gitmo and Abu Ghariab? This type of gullibility by your ilk is a source of strength for people like Ramazan and his brainwashers.

Dandy. PAKISTANI mullahs fill madrassas with peasants, fill the peasants with lies, teach the peasant to hate, strap him with bombs and guns, send him off to a foreign country to kill innocent peace makers. Innocent peacemakers who are building schools and health clinics for normal, peaceful muslim peasants, in a hotel run by and staffed with peaceful, normal muslims...

And Bush, Cheney, and their NEO-CON advisors support Musharreff who funds the Pakistani mullahs, and builds the madrassas - er- um - WHY?

NEO-CONS and the Republican party have ruined America. Ruined our reputation. Squandered our treasury. Put us $ trillions in debt. They have squandered the lives of our finest men and women in the armed services, and they abandon the broken ones who survive with PTSD. They have FAILED to keep us safe, or eliminate the danger, during the last 5 years in which they controlled all three branches of government.

It is time to change course. Time to cut all funding for pakistan until they close all the madrassas, arrest their retired generals who openly support the radicals, and arrest all of the mullahs preaching death.

It is time to openly challenge the saudi's and lean on their government to stop funding global wahabist jihad, and international madrassas.

It is time to change America and rebuild our alliances with our allies. It is time to end the war by forcing Iraq's government to actually govern.

Vote Barack Obama for president

Isn't suicide bomber an unusual occupation for a guy whose time to die is "later"?

Hey Mo!!! You say that "God told you it was not your time to die". Did He happen to tell you the winning numbers of the Mega Millions Drawing? You lying, crazy son of a b*tch.

Mr. Fairweather says:
“Ramazan’s views and his lack of remorse for his actions are clearly those of a deeply disturbed young man with only a tenuous grip on reality.”

I disagree vehemently. He has a clear vision of a reality that is described by his holy book; the Quran. True he is not highly educated but educated enough to know a good thing when he sees it. A man has to be out of his mind to let a Paradise as the one described in the link below slip away from his clutches. That is, off course, if you trust the author of the Quran's story, and he and over a bilion others do. An excerpt:
"As for the righteous, they shall surely triumph. Theirs shall be gardens and vineyards, and high- bosomed virgins for companions: a truly overflowing cup(Quran 78:31)

"In each there shall be virgins chaste and fair... Dark eyed virgins sheltered in their tents whom neither man nor Jin will have touched before(Quran 55:70-77)

http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate/heaven.html

Please tell me precisely how this works: they attended "madrassas in Pakistan where their study of the Koran was steadily subverted by anti-American brainwashing, including video presentations of Guantanamo prison and Abu Ghraib."
If one tells the truth--that the American war machine has a place like the prison camps at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib--exactly how is this "brainwashing"?

No virgins for you!

Mohammed, come see me. I'll tell you when it's time to die, and I will give you a little help. By the way, you're not allowed to take anyone with you.

Brilliant. Show us that cinder in our own eyes.

Jimmie wrote: "Writer does not seem very smart when he says these suicide bombers/murdereres did it becasue they were uneducated and used by Mullahs. Sir, for your info., many educated Muslims are doing the same thing. Both bin laden and Zawahiri are well educated and successful professionals."

But the educated ones are not blowing themselves up. They are recruiting the uneducated, strapping bomb vests to them and telling them paradise awaits them when it explodes, something bin Laden would never do. They are indoctrinating the young and uneducated no differently than Jim Jones did, than Koresh did, than Manson did. That is why the vast majority of the Muslim people are peaceful.

Its not Muslims that are violent per se, its those being indoctrinated by bin Laden, the mullahs in madressahs, etc, who want others to kill themselves for their god. Like Manson, Koresh and Jim Jones, in their hearts they are meglomaniacs and cowards. This poor man is the result of indoctrination with no education of his own to question the indoctrination. His life was ruined by those who took advantage of his lack of direction and education. I found it telling that he mentions a lot about his life, playing as a child, but never mentions family in anyway. You would think someone in jail facing death might bring up a mother or father, or siblings, but he either has none or their importance was removed through indoctrination from his mind.

Until Muslims question this misuse of their religion, it will continue. Just as Manson thought he was Christ, just as Jim Jones told his followers they would go to heaven after drinking the koolaid, this poor man believed he was heading to paradise through killing people. This was not something he learned in a mosque on Friday. It was not something he determined on his own. It was something his uneducated weak mind accepted after being indoctrinated in a madrassah where he was isolated from the outside world.

The problem is the lack of education, the lack of prospects, the lack of family ties, and the imposition of indoctrination by cowards. The answer is simple but very hard to implement: Make education in Afganistan a number one priority.

The case of Ramazan is a particularly astute example of how religion is the driving force behind terrorist activities in the Middle East. With acknowledgment to poverty, poor education and terrible governments, these ills only serve to feed the beast that is religious faith (as evidenced by those who are educated and well to do, yet still happily blow themselves up). Anyone who thinks otherwise plays into the hands of those who disallow any criticism of religion - usually with threat of death. It is easy to see that men like Ramazan would never commit the actions they have if not for belief in, and a desire for, a wonderful afterlife. He seems fully aware of, and satisfied with, his predicament.

On another note: I found it funny to hear Ramazan explain that the reason he did not blow himself up was because God told him it wasn't his time to die. While clearly not a man of reason, the reality is that at the final, desperate moment, reason and the instinct for self-preservation are what actually kicked in and delivered Ramazan from a ghastly death. Ironic, I suppose.

In response to the comment that the Russians were unable to passify Afghanistan, you also have to look at Chechnya. The Jihad did not deliver for them, it pushed out their nationalistic endevour, and so the people turned back to Russia for security. The US taking Afghanistan is a statement to those who the Taliban, al Qaida and other groups would try to recruit, that the promises made by bin Laden, Zawahiri, and others, have not and will not be fulfilled.

I suggest reading Yossef Bodansky's Chechen Jihad for more on this very important and complex topic.

Bush Derangement Syndrome in full-force. Can never acknowledge the evil that lurks in the hearts of men other than it is somebody else's fault.

Perhaps if it was their university or place of employment that was visited by one of these nutcases they'd think a little differently.

God told the victims it wasn't their time to die, yet, either.

Writer does not seem very smart when he says these suicide bombers/murdereres did it becasue they were uneducated and used by Mullahs.

Sir, for your info., many educated Muslims are doing the same thing. Both bin laden and Zawahiri are well educated and successful professionals.

The heart and soul of this video is Ramazan saying, "Paradise is our real life. There is nothing else." Once you believe that, anything is possible. Fortunately, not everyone who holds this belief sets about slaughtering his fellows. The protagonist in Mitch Albom's runaway bestseller The Five People You Meet in Heaven, for example, simply rejected the world and "put his heart to sleep" to wait for Paradise. The Christian fundamentalist blogosphere is packed full of this sort of thing. While most of it is less explicitly violent than what Ramazan professes, it rejects visible reality just as firmly. Mr. Fairweather's observation that "there is an insurmountable gulf of understanding here" applies.

In The End of Faith, Sam Harris asks about the 9/11 suicide hijackers the rhetorical question, "Why would otherwise rational people do this?" He then gives the answer, which he points out has been repeated ad nauseam by Osama Bin Laden himself, that it is because they actually believe what they say they believe. I therefore completely disagree with Mr. Fairweather's assessment that Ramazan is "unable to really grasp his situation." At least in the video, he seems to think his situation is entirely in keeping with his religious convictions. He is smiling and unrepentant. To all appearances, he actually believes he will go to Paradise because he killed infidels.

I encourage anyone who thinks this attitude is confined to uneducated foreigners to read the also unrepentant trial testimony of convicted murderer Eric Rudolph (example: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.") Might these words not equally well have come from the mouth of Mohammed Ramazan? If you are still not convinced these two men are tips of the same iceberg, spend a few hours blogging.

Not to dispute the original post in any way, I found it chilling to engage in this little mind game, borrowing from JKOCH:

Here's why it's hard to deter, interdict or eradicate more Bush types:

1) The average American preacher may not advocate bombing of civilians, but will not declare that Bush is damned or excommunicated, either. The same preachers will also advocate bombing Iran to protect Israel and hasten the Second Coming of Jesus. Hence, neither Bush n