By Roy Brown
Roy Brown’s analysis of the September 11, 2001, attacks ties into themes from my earlier articles: Deconstructing the West: Multiculturalism’s Hidden Origins, Multiculturalism: Self-Liquidation of Europe by Muslims, and Jewish Anti-Semitism and the Left in Israel. These pieces highlight how multiculturalism and self-hatred blind the West—and even Jews within Israel—to threats like Islam, which I see as primarily an ideology enforced through Sharia Law rather than a religion of peace. Brown challenges the comforting narrative that Islam itself isn’t culpable, exposing its ideological roots in conquest and terror.
Over the past few years, global television has shown us devastation from famines, earthquakes, floods, and natural disasters, claiming thousands of lives. Yet none touched us as deeply as the events of September 11, 2001. This was a deliberate blow to civilization’s heart, perpetrated by fellow humans. Scenes of rejoicing in Palestine left us wondering what America had done to provoke such hatred.
Most religious leaders—Muslim, Christian, and Jewish—condemned the terrorists. Even Iran and Libya denounced the atrocities, while Pakistan, closest to Afghanistan geographically and theologically, agreed to help track down the perpetrators.
Since "Black Tuesday," millions of words have sought to explain this catastrophe—lax U.S. airport security, fanatics’ hatred of America, and U.S. support for Israel. As the dust settles, a new refrain emerges: "Islam itself is not to blame." This mantra comforts efforts to build a broad anti-terror coalition, echoed by Muslim leaders and apologists. In a letter to the Times of London, nine Muslim leaders wrote:
"Islam condemns such abhorrent behavior and the Holy Koran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of the whole of humanity."
Yet one signatory once called for Salman Rushdie’s death, exposing the hypocrisy. We mustn’t condemn all Muslims for a few, but we must condemn Islam where it preaches terror. Pretending it’s a religion of peace and love is self-delusion, blinding us to the tragedy’s roots. Islam, meaning "submission" to God’s will, has been a religion of conquest—convert or die. Claiming only extremists are guilty is like saying only a few Germans, not Nazism, caused the Holocaust.
Jorgen Neilsen, a professor of Islamic studies at the University of Birmingham, wrote in the Times on September 15, 2001:
"Muslims young and old have been as horrified by these events as everyone else. But they are also apprehensive about the reactions of their neighbors... At the time of the Omagh bombing no one suggested that Roman Catholics en bloc were complicit, nor was there talk of a retaliatory strike against the Vatican."
Many Muslims were horrified, but some young Muslims in Britain rejoiced, calling America the "Great Satan." In Bradford, they told reporters, "We are Muslims first"; in Paris, schoolboys boasted, "Now you see what we Arabs can do!" Neilsen added:
"Islam does not teach revenge. It does not encourage the killing or oppression of non-Muslims; jihad is not holy war."
Yet jihad is precisely holy war. Unchallenged falsehoods prevent the West from understanding September 11. Britain’s poor record—harboring terrorists from Egypt, Yemen, India, Chechnya, and Iraq, and recruiting youth for global conflicts—stems from this denial. Young Muslims are taught to prioritize Islam over nationality, a loyalty that must change, requiring Islam itself to reform.
Some cite American "arrogance" or unaddressed Muslim grievances, but the terrorists’ agenda transcends punishment. They seek world domination, aiming to spark World War III—a holy war against the "Great Satan." Massive U.S. retaliation could kill innocent Muslims, driving moderates to extremism and creating more suicide bombers. This fervor, instilled in Pakistan’s madrasas, thrives on the belief that the Koran, God’s final word, mandates jihad against infidels. A billion Muslims could not be defeated militarily, nor would the West accept Islamic domination. The war would be long, bloody, and unwinnable.
America must avoid unilateral retribution, forging an alliance with allies and Islamic states, using only necessary force to bring the guilty to justice. Ignoring the United Nations risks its collapse, amplifying the catastrophe. President Bush’s "Crusade against Terrorism" gaffe—evoking historical Muslim-Christian conflict—was a monumental misstep in rallying Islamic support.
Even with restraint, killing or capturing Osama bin Laden won’t resolve underlying grievances. America must engage globally, recognizing duties to the poor and the planet beyond consumerism. Yet Islamic fundamentalism and the Koran’s call for jihad will persist. Islam must change.
Human rights and democracy are alien to Islam. Many Islamic states qualify their support for the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights with the Islamic Declaration, accepting rights only under Sharia Law—where freedom of speech and gender equality are absent. Dr. Younus Shaikh faces death in Rawalpindi for historical commentary, raped women face prison for "indecency," and British Muslim girls are forced into marriages in Pakistan.
This gulf with modernity must be bridged—by Islam. Muslims must prioritize shared humanity over religion, rejecting violent, primitive facets as Christians did post-Enlightenment. Islam’s medieval, pre-scientific prescription lacks relevance today. Muslims must stand against fundamentalists, embracing human rights and values, or share their guilt.
Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me format and refine this presentation of Roy Brown’s article. The selection and framing are my own, Lewis Loflin.
