CHARLOTTE, October 31, 2012 – Here’s a Halloween story that is truly scary, because it is real.

When the Middle East erupted in flames on September 1, 2012 and continued burning, Americans were told it was the result of an obscure YouTube video that had been on the internet since June.

In the weeks since the mob violence throughout the Middle East and the terrorist attacks on the United States Consulate in Libya, there has been much discussion about the strength of al Qaeda as a viable organization of global terror.

 

Whether or not al Qaeda has been decimated is of little consequence. Radical Islamic organizations still threaten the Western world, and it really does not matter what they call themselves.

To paraphrase Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, “terrorism by any other name would still be terrorism.”

Apologists would have us believe there is rampant fear mongering among those who warn us about the evils of fundamentalist Islam. At other times, particularly after a period of relative calm, Americans return to their complacency, thinking that once again all is right with the world.

 

It is not unlike the false sense of security we have when gas prices drop for a few weeks. You know the feeling. Then we are jolted back to reality after a natural disaster or Mideast violence raises fuel costs overnight.

The problem is that terrorism is never complacent. It is ongoing and perpetual. Just to prove the point, take a moment to view some other YouTube videos that should make your skin crawl and shock you out of that complacency.

These videos are readily accessible on YouTube, just like that Muhammad video. The difference is that these presentations did not result in rampant violence in the streets of America. In fact, most people do not even know about them, even though they are profound in what they tell us about the need to be ever vigilant about the consequences of our ambivalence.

The first short piece runs about a minute and a half. It needs no explanation.

You may not understand the words, but you will certainly get the message. The speaker is Ibrahim Adham who at his very young age is an Egyptian Muslim preacher. All you need to know is in the translation at the bottom of the screen as a child prays for the destruction of Presidents Sharon, Bush and Obama.  

And the final shot, please make a donation to the 501 3(c) group.  It is tax deductable. 

The video was posted on October 19 by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) which was founded in 1998 to be an informative conduit regarding U.S.policy in the Middle East.

Since September 11, 2001, MEMRI’s mission statement says the organization “explores the Middle East through the region’s media. MEMRI bridges the language gap which exists between the West and the Middle East, providing timely translations of Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Urdu-Pashto media, as well as original analysis of political, ideological, intellectual, social, cultural, and religious trends in the Middle East.” 

Critics such as Brian Whitaker, the Middle East editor for The Guardian claim that Memri is more of a propaganda operation than a research institute. That said, Whitaker does agree that Memri’s translations are usually accurate, though often selective and out of context.

Among the supporters of MEMRI are Thomas Friedman of The New York Timesand Brit Hume of FOX News. Says Hume, “These people tell you what’s going on in pulpits and in the state –controlled TV. If you have indoctrination, it’s important to know about it.”

More important however, are the blatantly open messages that are simply being ignored about terrorism that are available on every computer in the world with internet access.

Talk about indoctrination. Just watch the five budding Osama bin Laden’s in the second video as they sing about the events of 9/11/2001. Keep in mind that what they are singing about probably took place before any of them were born, yet they now represent the suicide bombers and terrorists of the future.

So which is more dangerous, a YouTube video about Muhammad or the brainwashing of Islamic youth who represent a never-ending battle against civilized society? These are the people with whom we are supposedly going to negotiate. People who have been taught before they could walk, talk, read or write that the West and Israel are the root of all evil.

It is time to sit up, take notice and educate ourselves about an enemy that few Americans care about until catastrophe happens. An enemy that even fewer of us understand. Happy Halloween.

Peabod is Bob Taylor, owner of Taylored Media Services in Charlotte, NC. Taylor is founder of The Magellan Travel Club, which creates, and escorts customized tours to Switzerland, France and Italy for groups of 12 or more. Inquiries for groups can be made at Peabod@aol.com Taylored Media has produced marketing videos for British Rail, Rail Europe, Switzerland Tourism, the Swedish Travel & Tourism Council, the Finnish Tourist Board, the Swiss Travel System and Japan Railways Group among others. As author of The Century Club book, Peabod is now attempting to travel to 100 countries or more during his lifetime. To date he has visited 70 countries. Suggest someplace new for Bob to visit; if you want to know where he has been, check his list on Facebook. Bob plans to write a sequel to his book when he reaches his goal of 100 countries. He also played professional baseball for four years and was a sportscaster for 14 years at WBTV, the CBS affiliate in Charlotte.

 

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