My heart goes out tonight to the people of Baghdad, to those who are hurting physically and those who are hurting emotionally as well. Once again terrorists have struck, this time Muslims hurting fellow Muslims, as unknown persons set off a car bomb outside a crowded market place and business center. Initially over 120 persons were killed, and well over 200 others injured. No doubt that death toll has risen due to the severe injuries suffered by many of those wounded in the attack.
Many in government circles in Iraq believe the bombers were members of ISIS, the Islamic State, and that this attack was just the latest in the series of attacks that have wracked various nations including Turkey and Bangladesh. This particular bombing is particularly ironic, and savage, because of its timing. Of course terrorists want the timing to be right, because when the timing is "right" there are more targets in the kill zone. Today's bombing was timed for a particular hour because the people were coming out of their homes at that time, breaking their fast during one of the last days of Ramadan. The people had been fasting all day, and no doubt the size of the crowd in the area was much larger than usual, a factor ISIS counted on when this atrocity was planned.
The irony is that during "Gulf Wars I and II" the Muslims, and many others around the world, expected and demanded that US military forces, and the Coalition, honor Ramadan by not attacking targets during this holiday. Of course, Ramadan is a holy MONTH. I recall that many US operations were delayed because of Ramadan, while those operations that were executed were condemned around the world. But now, in order to maximize both human casualties and psychological impact, the Muslims themselves, at least those in ISIS, chose to use this holiday that they demanded so loudly the US honor in the middle of war.
ISIS is of course in desperate straits these days, and of course its main weapon is well-timed bomb attacks that are calculated to cause the most damage at ground zero, and to maximize the perception that the Iraqi government cannot protect the people, that bombs and other methods of terrorism can occur at any time - even during Ramadan.
A guerrilla force, whether ISIS or some other organization, by definition CANNOT face the enemy army or government "head on." If it were to do so, ISIS would be wiped out immediately, either by the Iraqi government, US forces, or both. Guerrilla forces then must necessarily attack defenseless non-combatants or under-equipped, out-gunned civilian police forces using the element of surprise. If the element of surprise can be achieved by detonating explosives, this is the preferred method. A huge explosion will both maximize casualties and minimize the danger of capture or death to the guerilla forces. Suicide bombing is effective as well, but necessarily means that the bombers will not be able to duplicate their act somewhere else.
In the United States right now, of course many of us feel a certain hostility and suspicion of Muslims, particularly those who are being forced upon this nation as refugees. But I would like to point out that the people killed by this latest act of cowardice in Iraq were for the most part innocent victims. These people are forced to depend on a weak government to combat the irregular fighters of ISIS, nor can these people defend themselves due to the efforts of this same government (with US support) to disarm the population.
I hope you will join me tonight in trying to empathize with these innocent people who are literally at the mercy of ISIS and many other terrorist forces. I hope you will join me in understanding that these people, Muslim though they may be, are heartbroken at the loss of their loved ones and are living in the fear that another bombing could happen again - literally at the next second. I hope you will join me in the understanding that these people, the victims who survived, literally have nowhere safe that they can go. All they can do is carry on with their lives, with their mourning, and wonder when and where the next bomb will explode. Not only that, but to live with this burning fear day in an day our for as long as ISIS lasts, or at least for as long as they choose to rain death on their fellow countrymen and fellow Muslims.
ISIS, and its colleague groups and individual sympathizers, are desperate now, and in desperation will set off more and more explosions, or will commit more and more multiple shootings and other massacres. This can only get worse for the people of Iraq, and I hope you are not laughing at them in their suffering, or that you are simply thinking too bad, but that is just the nature of the Middle East. We as Americans should understand this: As ISIS gets weaker and more desperate, there is a great possibility that sympathizers here, yes here in America, may perpetrate another deadly attack like that at Orlando. There may come a time, just like on 9/11/01, when we will again be mourning the loss of our fellow Americans. Yes, Muslim terrorists are attacking us, but they are attacking their own people as well. We may not like them, we may not want Islam to become a dominant force in America, but at least we can sympathize with those who are hurting and afraid in Iraq today.
The Good Shepherd said it this way:
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
That is a tall order, and I have to admit I struggle with this myself. But just for a little while, I hope that you can forget any ill feelings you have for Muslims in general, and feel the hurt they are feeling if not the tears they are crying. Say a prayer for them tonight. Many Muslims said prayers for us after 9/11/01 (yes, I know, many others celebrated in the streets!) and tonight I think they could use our prayers and our love, as one human to another.
May God help these people
And God Bless America
Many in government circles in Iraq believe the bombers were members of ISIS, the Islamic State, and that this attack was just the latest in the series of attacks that have wracked various nations including Turkey and Bangladesh. This particular bombing is particularly ironic, and savage, because of its timing. Of course terrorists want the timing to be right, because when the timing is "right" there are more targets in the kill zone. Today's bombing was timed for a particular hour because the people were coming out of their homes at that time, breaking their fast during one of the last days of Ramadan. The people had been fasting all day, and no doubt the size of the crowd in the area was much larger than usual, a factor ISIS counted on when this atrocity was planned.
The irony is that during "Gulf Wars I and II" the Muslims, and many others around the world, expected and demanded that US military forces, and the Coalition, honor Ramadan by not attacking targets during this holiday. Of course, Ramadan is a holy MONTH. I recall that many US operations were delayed because of Ramadan, while those operations that were executed were condemned around the world. But now, in order to maximize both human casualties and psychological impact, the Muslims themselves, at least those in ISIS, chose to use this holiday that they demanded so loudly the US honor in the middle of war.
ISIS is of course in desperate straits these days, and of course its main weapon is well-timed bomb attacks that are calculated to cause the most damage at ground zero, and to maximize the perception that the Iraqi government cannot protect the people, that bombs and other methods of terrorism can occur at any time - even during Ramadan.
A guerrilla force, whether ISIS or some other organization, by definition CANNOT face the enemy army or government "head on." If it were to do so, ISIS would be wiped out immediately, either by the Iraqi government, US forces, or both. Guerrilla forces then must necessarily attack defenseless non-combatants or under-equipped, out-gunned civilian police forces using the element of surprise. If the element of surprise can be achieved by detonating explosives, this is the preferred method. A huge explosion will both maximize casualties and minimize the danger of capture or death to the guerilla forces. Suicide bombing is effective as well, but necessarily means that the bombers will not be able to duplicate their act somewhere else.
In the United States right now, of course many of us feel a certain hostility and suspicion of Muslims, particularly those who are being forced upon this nation as refugees. But I would like to point out that the people killed by this latest act of cowardice in Iraq were for the most part innocent victims. These people are forced to depend on a weak government to combat the irregular fighters of ISIS, nor can these people defend themselves due to the efforts of this same government (with US support) to disarm the population.
I hope you will join me tonight in trying to empathize with these innocent people who are literally at the mercy of ISIS and many other terrorist forces. I hope you will join me in understanding that these people, Muslim though they may be, are heartbroken at the loss of their loved ones and are living in the fear that another bombing could happen again - literally at the next second. I hope you will join me in the understanding that these people, the victims who survived, literally have nowhere safe that they can go. All they can do is carry on with their lives, with their mourning, and wonder when and where the next bomb will explode. Not only that, but to live with this burning fear day in an day our for as long as ISIS lasts, or at least for as long as they choose to rain death on their fellow countrymen and fellow Muslims.
ISIS, and its colleague groups and individual sympathizers, are desperate now, and in desperation will set off more and more explosions, or will commit more and more multiple shootings and other massacres. This can only get worse for the people of Iraq, and I hope you are not laughing at them in their suffering, or that you are simply thinking too bad, but that is just the nature of the Middle East. We as Americans should understand this: As ISIS gets weaker and more desperate, there is a great possibility that sympathizers here, yes here in America, may perpetrate another deadly attack like that at Orlando. There may come a time, just like on 9/11/01, when we will again be mourning the loss of our fellow Americans. Yes, Muslim terrorists are attacking us, but they are attacking their own people as well. We may not like them, we may not want Islam to become a dominant force in America, but at least we can sympathize with those who are hurting and afraid in Iraq today.
The Good Shepherd said it this way:
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
That is a tall order, and I have to admit I struggle with this myself. But just for a little while, I hope that you can forget any ill feelings you have for Muslims in general, and feel the hurt they are feeling if not the tears they are crying. Say a prayer for them tonight. Many Muslims said prayers for us after 9/11/01 (yes, I know, many others celebrated in the streets!) and tonight I think they could use our prayers and our love, as one human to another.
May God help these people
And God Bless America
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