Pubdate: Thu, 11 Apr 2002
Source: Birmingham Post-Herald (AL)
Copyright: 2002 Birmingham Post Co.
Contact:  http://www.postherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/46
Author: Terry Lynch
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?203 (Terrorism)

WORLD MUST BE RID OF DEADLY ZEALOTS

With the wave of suicide bombings in the Mideast, it is imperative that we 
ask some very hard questions. Are Arabs and Palestinians being brainwashed? 
If so, who is doing the brainwashing? What is the nature of the false 
ideologies being taught? And finally, how can the teachings that spark 
martyrdom be best expunged from the hearts and minds of those so 
indoctrinated that their primary purpose in life is to blow themselves up 
and kill as many innocent people as possible?

In an outstanding report by Associated Press reporters Sharon Crenson and 
Martha Mendoza, it is suggested John Walker Lindh was brainwashed to become 
a traitor and fight for the al-Qaida as were American soldiers and 
prisoners of war during the Korean War. Yet no hard evidence is given to 
support this claim, to present the methodology or to associate the 
techniques used by the Communist Chinese in yesteryears and those used by 
al-Qaida or other terrorist organizations today.

On the surface it certainly looks like young men and women are strapping 
explosives to themselves because they have had all good sense and reason 
washed out of their minds; but is this the case?

Is not it entirely possible that these suicide bombers are not brainwashed 
or crazy, but clear headed and logical; that they have reasonable 
explanations for becoming martyrs; that they are dying for their God and 
their country just as we teach our children to give their life for America?

Certainly there must be something more to what goes into making someone 
hijack a plane and fly it into a building. Perhaps such chemical 
hallucinogens as hashish or opium have been used in the reprogramming 
process to delude the thought process and create monsters, religious 
zealots, who will stop at nothing to blow themselves and everyone else to 
smithereens. What are we going to do if such brainwashed, dope fiends get 
ahold of nuclear, biological or chemical agents of mass destruction?

Clearly the civilized peoples of the world can not sit back and watch as 
terrorists pervert their own faith, brainwashing young men and women, 
turning them into lost souls who see no light at the end of the tunnel 
other than martyrdom.

Our war on terrorism must include a war upon all who teach martyrdom, upon 
all who seek to supply the drugs, the explosives and the means for carrying 
out attacks against America and our allies. For even though we may not know 
all the answers to all the questions, one thing is certain: If we cannot 
restore reason and rational to the our enemy's mind, we must blow away the 
crazy zealots before they will blow us away!

Terry Lynch

Montgomery
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