"Why aren't they doing this here?"

The above question, is asked by Billy Beck in a post titled “Something Mysterious." The question is asked in response to Paul Johnson’s murder, in Saudi Arabia, by Al Qaeda.  Not many individuals are contemplating this question, currently, but it is a question that bears consideration.  Here’s my shot from the hip postulation.

I think that Al Qaeda isn’t snatching individuals off the American streets, beheading them, videoing the beheading, and dropping it off at the local news station because if they did, one could expect an uprising of American can-do-it-ness displayed in the form of private individuals bringing justice to the Al Qaeda sympathetic Muslim community, rather than standing sheepishly by and waiting for the government to protect them.  If Al Qaeda attempted to operate by the same methods used in the murder of Nick Berg and Paul Johnson, a hell fire form of vigilante justice, could just possibly be unleashed.  I could very well be wrong, but, if Al Qaeda snatched the lovely Melis, my Mum, my Dad, one of my sisters, my brothers, my sons, my daughters, or other close friends, and beheaded them and crowed about it, I think I would take matters into my own hands.

Update: The following was emailed to me.  It is an excerpt from a post at the blog Mahmood’s Den, which is written by a Muslim individual named Mahmood Al-Yousif. The post is titled “What exactly are we waiting for?" The question is asked in response to Paul Johnson’s murder.  Mahmood appears, to me, to be an interesting character.  Possibly he can shed some light on the question under consideration here.

"My question is what else are WE as Muslims, Arabs whatever are we waiting for exactly to rise against these bastards? It is quite clear that the governments we have inherited are incompetent in the face of this terror, espcially Saudi, where they still seem to try to sweep this event under a rug and still refusing to accept that this is a violent revolution or civil war that is happening, rather than a few criminals who were “let astray” by “foreigners."

Thanks for emailing that link, Robert.

Update II: McQ, at Questions and Observations, also responds to the question “Why aren’t they doing this here?" Be sure to read the comment thread.

Update III: An article from The Straits Times titled “Saudis debate Islamic basis for killing Westerners," which delves into the debate which was taking place on various Islamic websites over Paul Johnson.  Also this CNN article titled “Al Qaeda uses beheadings for the fear factor."


Via Dean’s World.

Posted by on 06/18 at 02:50 PM

  1. What do you mean by bringing justice to the Al Qaeda sympathetic Muslim community?

    Posted by Jason  on  06/18  at  05:24 PM

  2. Here’s an implication that I see in your thesis, John: Al Qaeda would have to positively value some considerable segment of American Muslims.

    If they really do, then that fact would be extremely ominous.

    Posted by Billy Beck  on  06/18  at  09:02 PM

  3. Jason - By bringing justice to the Al Qaeda sympathetic community, I mean to say I think that private individuals, or groups of individuals, may; if they are dealing with murdering beheaders here in the U.S., operating in the same manner they have in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iraq, in regards to Johnson, Pearl, and Berg; with or without discrimination, take the rooting out, and punishing, of such craven embracers of Islam into their own hands.

    If indeed such a turn of events came about, spurred by beheadings of Americans on American soil, it could quickly escalate beyond any means of governmental control.

    Posted by  on  06/19  at  02:32 AM

  4. Billy -

    Though I did not specifically consider the positive value Al Qaeda may place on any segment of American Muslims, when I shot off that post, I think Al Qaeda does value a segment of the American Muslims, though I do not think the segment valued, is necessarily considerable.

    The flip side of that statement, is, I do think the segment of American Muslims who support Al Qaeda “spiritually” is considerable, and this segment may quite possibly be harboring a perverse pride in their Muslim brothers’ actions.  An implication that also holds ominous repurcussions.

    Posted by  on  06/19  at  02:43 AM

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