Who and what is a terrorist?

The label "terrorist" is one of the most exploited and hypocritical political terms used in our modern time. 

It is regularly used by our government to describe the targets of our CIA's drone attacks (who mostly turned out to be innocent civilians) or those who oppose our foreign invasions. It is used by Israel to describe Palestinians who oppose its illegal and brutal occupation of their land. It was used by the psychotic Qaddafi to describe brave Libyans who demanded freedom. It is used by the butcher Assad to describe and slaughter Syrians who revolted against his dictatorship for freedom and democracy. It is what Al-Sisi calls pro-democracy Egyptians who oppose his military coup. It is how Bahrain labels Bahrainis who demand equal rights and democracy. It is what China calls persecuted Uighurs and Tibetans who demand basic human rights. It is what India calls the occupied people of Kashmir for demanding freedom...

There are certainly groups such as Al Qaeda, Jewish Defense League, KKK, Neo-Nazis, and many others which have engaged in terrorism and deserve to be labeled "terrorist". However, by falsely accusing their legitimate opponents of being terrorists, governments that are actually engaging in terrorist-like behavior seek to dehumanize those opponents in order to justify human rights violations and murder against them and their communities. The manipulation of the term also leads to the trivialization and normalization of real acts of terror committed by such governments or actual terrorist groups and individuals. 

Therefore, next time you hear the term "terrorist", remember that it could be about a real terrorist, a freedom fighter, a pro-democracy activist, or some browned-skinned collateral damage.

My commens on politicians exploiting the tragic deaths in Libya

Local Leaders Speak Out On Death of U.S. Ambassador

J. Christopher Stevens and three embassy staffers died in assault on American consulate in Libya Wednesday.

• By John Crandall
• Email the author
• September 12, 2012

   

 

Local Muslim leaders Wednesday condemned the slaying of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three others, while Rep. Dana Rohrabacher joined Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney in criticizing President Barack Obama and the way State Department officials handled the attacks in Cairo and Benghazi.

"We strongly condemn the disgraceful killings of the American ambassador (Christopher Stevens) and his staff in Libya," Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said.

Ayloush joined other Muslim leaders at a news conference in Anaheim in denouncing the slayings of Stevens, foreign service officer Sean Smith and two others.

"We condemn it in the strongest terms possible," Ayloush said. "There is absolutely no justification whatsoever to engage in such behavior."

Ayloush also condemned the online movie suspected of sparking the outrage and demonstrations that turned violent in Cairo and Libya Tuesday, the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

"It is certainly not a random act," Ayloush said of the movie, which he said was deeply offensive to Muslims. "The timing is certainly suspect, releasing it on the anniversary of 9/11."
The movie "lacks any intellectual basis," Ayloush said.

"It only includes vulgar and offensive scenes to incite and provoke such behavior from those who lack rationality in dealing with hate messages," Ayloush said. "The extremists who produced the movie threw bait and the extremist Muslims took the bait."

The movie and the reaction to it show "a conflict (between) people who believe religion unites us versus those who use and abuse religion to promote their narrow agendas of hate and extremism," Ayloush said.

Meanwhile, Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, echoed Romney's criticism that Obama has appeased extremists and denounced a statement posted on Twitter before the attacks in Cairo that called for religious tolerance and criticized the movie.

"Today's White House response to the violent attacks in Libya and Egypt was totally unacceptable, as was the disgraceful statement issued by the embassy in Cairo," Rohrabacher said.

"Ill-advisedly included in the response to the killing of an American diplomat was an expression of understanding of the Muslim outrage over what they considered to be denigration of Islam.
"This was not the place, nor the appropriate context, for the White House to demonstrate sensitivity to Muslims around the world. Even mentioning that in any way is a projection of weakness. Placating radical intolerance will not deter further attacks on our diplomats or facilities overseas."

Rohrabacher said the State Department should “issue an immediate apology to the American people and fire those officials responsible for the initial statement."

In an interview with CBS, Obama shot back at Romney's criticism.

"Gov. Romney seems to have a tendency to shoot first and aim later, and as president, one of the things I've learned is you can't do that," Obama said. "It's important for you to make sure that the statements that you make are backed up by the facts and that you've thought through the ramifications before you make them."

Ayloush also slammed Rohrabacher's and Romney's criticism of the president.

"What a disgraceful and shameful attempt, a cheap attempt, by certain politicians to exploit this tragedy to score a few political points against the president, who, so far, has shown tremendous leadership in containing this mayhem, which was neither started by our country nor the good people of Libya or Egypt," Ayloush said.

"At this point, we're all American. We have to stop acting as Democrats and Republicans when there is such a tragedy or a risk of a wider conflict."

Ayloush said he was "disappointed" in Romney's comments as well.
"I was very disappointed with Romney's statement. This is not the time to play politics," Ayloush said. "Four innocent people lost their loves."

Ayloush said Muslims around the world have reacted with outrage at the killings, and he noted Stevens was popular among Libyans because of his role in last year's rebellion.

"I'm watching Arabic news, I'm on Facebook, reading the Tweets, and people in the Muslim world are as outraged as we are," Ayloush said. 

Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Garden Grove, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said the news of the attacks was "heart breaking."

"I was deeply saddened to learn of the tragic deaths of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith and two other Americans in Libya this morning," Sanchez said. "These violent attacks on our American diplomats are heartbreaking and unacceptable, and I extend my deepest condolences to the families of these diplomats, who have loyally served our nation and have represented America abroad with excellence."

The attacks "reverse the progress Libya has made toward a more open society," Sanchez said.

Rep. Ed Royce, R-Orange, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade, said he was "saddened and angered" by the attacks.

"U.S. diplomats are working around the world to protect and promote U.S. interests," Royce said. "In the case of Ambassador Stevens, he played a ritical role in helping Libyans rid themselves of a tyrant."

Royce added that "nothing can ever justify such violence. Those responsible for these deaths, and those who have incited this violence, must pay a price."

Santa Clarita Republican Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said, "This morning we were reminded once more of what a dangerous world we live in, and the risk many Americans take to serve our country abroad. My  thoughts and prayers -- together with those of this committee -- are with the families of those we've lost in Libya."

Gov. Jerry Brown said, "All Californians mourn the loss of Ambassador Christopher Stevens and the other three Americans killed in Libya on Sept. 11.

"As a graduate of Piedmont High School and UC Berkeley, Ambassador Stevens represented the very best that California and the United States have to offer.

"His dedicated service to our country and our world will never be forgotten.”

--City News Service

John McCain releases statement on murder of American ambassador

John McCain releases statement on murder of American ambassador



"It is with a heavy heart that I rise today to speak about the horrific attack yesterday on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi that killed four Americans. The two confirmed thus far to be among the dead are Sean Smith, an Air Force veteran turned State Department Information Management Officer - and Ambassador Chris Stevens, one of America's finest and bravest Foreign Service Officers.

"I did not know Sean Smith, but I had gotten to know Chris Stevens quite well. And in Chris's death, the Libyan people have lost a great champion and believer in the peaceful aspirations of their democratic revolution. The American people have lost a selfless and dedicated servant of our interests and values. And I have lost a friend. My thoughts and prayers today are with Chris's family and the loved ones of his fallen colleagues. May God grant them comfort in their time of grief.
"Our most urgent order of business now is to make sure that our citizens still living and serving in Libya, and Egypt, and elsewhere across the region and the world are safe. Americans look to the governments in Libya and Egypt and elsewhere to meet their responsibilities in this regard. We also look to the Libyan government to ensure that those responsible for yesterday's attack in Benghazi are swiftly brought to justice. In all of these critical tasks, we are confident that our government will provide all necessary assistance and support. Yesterday's attacks are an important reminder that so many of America's civilians, and diplomats, and development professionals are risking everything to advance our nation's interests and values abroad. We must do everything in our power to ensure their security.

"At the same time, our thoughts turn to broader concerns - the mourning of our fallen friends, and how we as a nation should respond to these tragic events.

"One of my most memorable meetings with Chris Stevens was last April in Benghazi. As the U.S. envoy to the Libyan opposition, Chris had traveled to Benghazi at great personal risk to represent the country he loved so much while Libya was still gripped in a brutal fight for freedom. It was clear there was nowhere that Chris would rather have been than Libya. We spent the day together, meeting Libyan opposition leaders and many ordinary citizens, who spoke movingly about how much the opportunity to finally live in freedom meant to them, and how grateful they were for America's support. Chris embodied that support, and his passion for his mission was infectious.

"I kept in touch with Chris after my visit, and I was very happy when President Obama nominated him to be America's Ambassador to the new Libya. The last time I saw Chris was shortly after he had taken up his post, during my most recent visit to Tripoli. I especially remember the lighter moments we spent together, including when Chris insisted on personally making me a cappuccino, a task that he carried out with as much pride and proficiency as his diplomatic mission.

"That was on the morning of July 7 - the day Libyans voted in their first election in half a century. Chris and I spent the day together again, traveling around Tripoli, visiting polling places, and speaking with Libyan voters. We met a man whose father had been murdered by Qaddafi's henchmen. We met a woman whose brothers had recently given their lives fighting for their country's liberation. We met countless others, including many older Libyans, who were voting for the first time in their lives. And everywhere we went, we were greeted by crowds of cheering Libyans, bursting with pride and eager to shake our hands and express their gratitude for America's support. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life, and it was only made better by the fact that I got to share it with Chris.

"What we saw together on that day was the real Libya - the peaceful desire of millions of people to live in freedom and democracy, the immense gratitude they felt for America's support for them, and their strong desire to build a new partnership between our nations. That is why I am not surprised that senior Libyan leaders were among the first to condemn the horrific attack that killed Chris and his colleagues. And that is why I was not surprised to learn from our Secretary of State that many Libyans fought to defend our people and our consulate in Benghazi when they came under attack, that some were wounded while doing so, and that it was Libyans who sought to get Chris and his colleagues to the hospital. This is the spirit of the Libyan people that I have come to know and admire. And that is why we cannot afford to view the despicable acts of violence perpetrated yesterday by a small group of fanatics as in any way representative of the country and the people of Libya. They are not the real Libya - the Libya that Chris Stevens knew so well.

"After such a heartbreaking loss for our nation, I know many Americans are asking whether the United States was naive or mistaken to support the vast movement for change known as the Arab Spring. I know many Americans may feel a temptation, especially with so many domestic and economic challenges facing us here at home, to distance ourselves from people and events in Libya, and Egypt, and elsewhere in the Middle East. We cannot afford to go down that path.

"Yesterday's attack in Benghazi was the work of a small group of violent extremists, whose goals and actions could not be more at odds with those of the people and government of Libya. The Libyan revolution began peacefully and was dedicated throughout to the ideals of freedom, and justice, and democratic change. And when Libyans turned out by the millions to elect a new government in July, they gave the plurality of their vote not to religious fanatics, but to a political party led by a moderate technocrat and committed friend of the United States. 

"Libyans rose up last year to free themselves from exactly the kinds of murderers and terrorists who killed our people yesterday in Benghazi. Their enemies are our enemies, and they remain as committed as ever to imposing their evil ideology through violence on people in Libya and the Middle East, and ultimately on us. They want to hijack the Arab Spring for their own insidious purposes. And if we turn our backs now on the millions of people in Libya, and Egypt, and Syria, and other countries across the Middle East - people who share so many of our values and interests, people who are true authors of the Arab Spring - we will hand our common enemies, the terrorists and extremists, the very victory they seek.

"We were right to take the side of the Libyan people, and others in the region who share their peaceful aspirations. And we would be gravely mistaken to walk away from them now. To do so would only be a betrayal of everything that Chris Stevens and his colleagues believed in and ultimately gave their lives for, but it would also be a betrayal of America's highest values and our own enduring national interest in supporting people in the Middle East who want to live in peace and freedom."

Islamic Leaders: Libyan Attacks "Deplorable"

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

Islamic civil rights leaders say the death of Christopher Stevens in Libya intended to create chaos and blame a group that actually holds U.S. ambassadors in high regard. Muzammil Siddiqi with the Islamic Society of Orange County says in Islamic law, ambassadors have immunity from violence no whether they are agreed with or not. Vikki Vargas reports from Anaheim’s Little Arabia for the NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Sept. 12, 2012.

By Vikki Vargas | Sep 12, 2012

Libya's Pharaoh Has Fallen

All praises are due to Almighty God.  The psychotic dictator of Libya who has repressed and terrorized the Libyan people for 41 years has met his just fate.Qadhafi is the longest serving Arab dictator and one of the most brutal ones.

I congratulate the Libyan and all freedom loving people on this great victory.

In the Holy Qur'an, Allah (God Almighty) says: And do not ever assume that Allah is unaware of what the unjust do; But He gives them respite up to a day in which the eyes will become fixed, staring. [Ibrahim 14:42]

As the Libyan people turn a page on the brutal era of Qadhafi, I pray and I am confident that the Libyan people will succeed in establishing a democratic state that respects the rights and aspirations of all its people. Libya's revolution has an opportunity to set a new standard for democracy and human rights in the Arab World.  People living under dictatorships, especially around the Arab World, are praying for Libya's stability, success and leadership.

In support of recent US military involvement: Let’s Stand against Gadhafi, We owe it to Libyans

By: Hussam Ayloush

[Hussam Ayloush is the Executive Director of the Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA). Article represents my personal  views and not necessarily those of CAIR]

-----

Published in:
Pasadena Star-News, Whittier Daily news, San Gabriel Vally Tribune

Over the years, I have strongly opposed war and in particular recent U.S. military involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. However, I commend and fully support President Obama’s decision to engage our military in a limited role to help enforce the no-fly zone and protect the civilian populations in Libya. Nevertheless, I still oppose any deployment of U.S. ground troops.

For the record, I am not an absolute pacifist. I do believe that military action is permissible – and sometimes necessary – as a last resort under the doctrine of just war, such as in cases of defending one’s country from foreign military aggression or the prevention of atrocities against innocent people, even if requires military action in another country.
The situations in Iraq and Afghanistan on one hand, and Libya on the other are different, and not comparable.

In Iraq, our invasion was a unilateral, immoral and illegal action taken on the basis of false pretenses – basically Bush and his cronies lied to the American people and to the world about the weapons of mass destruction and Iraq’s association with al-Qaeda.

In Afghanistan, what started as a legitimate effort to track down and bring to justice Al-Qaeda militants who proudly took responsibility for the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our soil became a full-fledged invasion and occupation of a country and its people – an occupation that continues to bleed our resources, moral credibility, and any chance of a realistic victory in isolating the violent extremists. Obama has yet to introduce a new political and military strategy that will help us break out of the mess that Bush put us in.

Now, back to Libya.

Like many Americans, I am generally against our government spending any of our dwindling tax money on senseless wars at a time when our schools, homeowners, workers, and seniors are financially suffering. It is also important to recognize, though, that our current role in Libya is not a charitable favor to Libyans. It is a debt we owe them for our role and that of our allies in supporting the dictatorship of Gadhafi over many years in order to advance our economic and political interests via this oil-rich country (and I’m not even talking about the documented U.S. role in supporting Colonel Gadhafi’s coup in 1969).

For decades, European allies, especially Germany and Italy, established strong economic ties with the Gadhafi family and its regime. In 2003, soon after the Libyan government accepted responsibility for its role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 and agreed to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction and long- range missile programs, the U.S. joined the U.K., Germany and Italy in readmitting Colonel Gadhafi into the community of respected world leaders.

There is no doubt that Western governments were aware all along of his ongoing dismal human rights record (including extra-judicial executions and torture), repressive autocracy, and corruption. Gadhafi’s bloody dictatorship was tolerated or ignored because we needed a share in Libya’s oil, his lucrative arms purchases, his cooperation in helping prevent illegal African migration to Europe through the Mediterranean, and his support for Bush’s “war on terrorism,” a role which mostly translated into a green light for Middle Eastern regimes to engage in torture and elimination of political opponents.

Our sins in Libya are similar to the ones we have been committing in most Arab countries. Today is our chance to undo many years of siding with the brutal dictators of the Middle East. It is our chance – rather, our moral responsibility – to side with the people and their legitimate aspirations for freedom, dignity, and justice.

After decades of supporting puppet and agent regimes that did our bidding in the world under the guise of protecting stability, or the immoral excuse of serving our national political and economic interests at the expense of other people’s lives and freedom, it is America’s historic moment to support the Arab world’s revolution against autocracy, repression, and economic injustice.

A new world order is possible: a world in which America leads by moral example, in which we recognize that the word “all” in “all men [and women] are created equal” and “liberty and justice for all,” really means all people and not just all Americans.

Italy' President Silvio Berlusconi and Colonel Muammar Gadhafi.

 

With Former British prime Minister Tony Blair

Hey, if Berlusconi can do it, why not Blair!

With French President Nicolas Sarkozy

With U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with Gadhafi's son Muatassim

With world leaders