Editor's note: Daniel Kurtzer is the S. Daniel Abraham Professor of Middle East policy studies at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. During a 29-year career in diplomacy, he served as the U.S. ambassador to Egypt and to Israel. The views expressed are his own.
By Daniel Kurtzer, Special to CNN
Some years ago, while on a trans-Atlantic flight, I was reading a thriller novel when I came across a stunning passage: the American ambassador in Cairo was assassinated by the villains in the novel. What was so disconcerting personally was that I was the American ambassador at that time!
The novel got me thinking about the day after such an assassination: that is, the reactions of family, friends, colleagues and American government. Surely, there would be favorable obituaries and fond remembrances. There would be outrage over the murder and calls for bringing the perpetrators to justice. Over time, the personal sense of loss among family members would linger, while the professional friends would naturally move on.
These ruminations of long ago came back to me upon hearing the news of the assassination of Chris Stevens and three of his colleagues in Benghazi at the hands of heavily armed militants. This was an act of terrorism — horrific, inexcusable, intolerable assaults against a prominent diplomat — and a message to all Americans. Chris was a first-rate diplomat, who many of us of a certain age knew would be the “next generation” of our diplomatic leaders. His death stings us all.
Today is the day after his assassination. Besides the outpouring of emotions from family and friends, we also hear from our leaders and from editorialists about the need for resolve and steadfastness against terrorism. This is, of course, right, as are the calls for bringing the perpetrators to justice. Our diplomats and our embassies cannot become targets of choice for fanatics of any stripe.
But, on this day after, we are also hearing the voices of apologists, accusers and political gamesters, those who are intent on exploiting these acts of terrorism to advance narrow agendas. The apologists trot out familiar, offensive arguments that seek to blame us: they say that Muslims have a right to feel offended because of American attitudes or American policy, or because of a racist pastor in Florida who burns Qurans, or because of a hate-spewing filmmaker. This is a classic case of blaming the victim, and it reveals a measure of self-hate that is unflattering to those who make these arguments.
The accusers blame all Muslims for terrorism. They quote selectively from the Quran to “prove” that all Muslims are liars, murderers or deceivers. They seek to create a wedge between a self-proclaimed Christian United States or Europe and the Muslim hordes who are seen as waiting at the gates of Vienna to overrun the West. This is a case of the accusers trying to foment a civilizational clash that Christians, Jews and Muslims all reject and fear.
And then there are the political gamesters, trying to gain an advantage during this American political season. They are quick to blame the administration for what it says, does or doesn’t do. They miss the point, of course, by turning the “us-them” struggle against terrorism into an “us-them” struggle against the opposite political party.
The apologists, the accusers and the political gamesters are the last people we should listen to for answers at a time like this. The reality is that some militant fanatics decided to attack American government facilities, planned and bided their time, and carried out their act of terrorism on the anniversary of 9/11. They chose a pretext — a bigoted anti-Muslim film — to “justify” their action, just as fanatics have done in the past. They deserve no understanding on our part; they do not represent all Muslims, and they certainly do not deserve the political satisfaction of dividing Americans further from each other, widening the divide in an already dangerously polarized American society. If we allow this to happen — if we allow the apologists, the accusers, and the politicians to define what happened in Benghazi, Cairo or Sanaa according to their own narrow agendas — we will give the terrorists a political victory they do not deserve.
It is instead a moment to unite behind our government as we mourn the victims and stand up for our diplomats serving abroad. It is a time to join together to try to understand a region where long-held assumptions — assumptions that have been shared and have guided the policies of Republicans and Democrats alike — have been shattered.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got it right when she said the attack in Libya was perpetrated by a small and savage group, not by the Libyan government. We should expect that government, as well as the Egyptian and Yemeni governments, to search for, apprehend and punish those responsible for these heinous crimes against our diplomats and our embassies. We should work with them as they do so. This is the American way of pursuing justice for those who attack us.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
No more extremism to fill the news feed. Instead, we need to move more cameras into Africa.
By news feed, I mean the major networks main headlines.
If we have politics and religion or politics and ideology overlap, extremism is highly likely the outcome.
However heinous the crimes have been, Daniel Kurtzer seems to avoid the action/reaction dynamics. In certain cultures and religions, the retributive justice – an eye for an eye – is their way of life. Moreover low literacy rate, high employment and deep poverty make people vulnerable to herd mentality and mob violence. The US had in the past supported regimes in the region, that were good for nothing except for graft, greed and brutality. The aid these crooks and cronies received were not used to provide for education and vocational training. Hatred and resentments are hence nurtured by certain forces for political goals.
HOW true...and sad.
I'd have long discourse yesterday on Newsvine and other comment sights and I was amazed and DISGUSTED at how many ppl on there say it was the film maker's fault. They simply said that it was "understandable" for violence to occur because their religion was insulted. (In fact, most of the ire was directed as "the JEW film maker).
I pointed out (unsuccessfully) that most of these apologists would NEVER have condoned the killing of Van Gogh (the dutch cartoonist) and Rushdie (Author "Satanic Verses").
NO ONE could tell me WHY this was different. (Well, they wouldnt ADMIT the "why", anyway".
Is Innocence of Muslims' Director Sam Bacile a US Coptic Christian Called Nakoula Basseley Nakoula?
Sorry, Paul – I've looked at my post a few times and I j-u-s-t- can't see the term "innocence" anywhere...can you help ?
"Innocence of Muslims" is the name of the film.
All well and good except no one apologized to anyone for the attack.
.
If you read my post, as well as the article, you would glean from it that the "Apologists" referenced are those who blame ppl other than those who committed the murders.
Please refer to a dictionary to learn what the word "apologist" means. Hint: an apologist does not offer an apology.
Thank you for pointing this out. If anything, an "apologist" president is what all presidents should be, but too many who speak English can't be bothered with understanding their native language.
For all those who still won't take the bait, I'll make it easier for you. "Apologist" is defined as "a person who makes a defense in speech or writing of a belief, idea, etc." It is primarily used in religious discussion.
A real-life example is Ravi Zacharias, the Christian apologist who works out of the Atlanta area, in case you are familiar with him. He is a converted atheist, and took it upon himself to educate himself in Christian history on his personal faith journey. When he speaks on an issue, you know that he knows what he is talking about, and can back it, as much as is possible in religious discussions, with incontrovertible evidence. Because of his vast knowledge, he has led thousands, possibly tens of thousands, to Christianity.
The point of that paragraph is not to raise Christianity. My point is that an apologist KNOWS what they are talking about, and as such can be depended on for dependable facts. And that is what EVERY president should be.
I guess you haven't been watching or reading the news. The embassy apologized for "hurting Muslim's religious feelings." That's the embassy quote, not mine. Obama is trying to say that statement wasn't cleared by the White House, but no matter how hard he works to distance himself, it's clear the embassy would not make a statement unless it had been approved by Hillary Clinton, Obama's Secretary of State.
So every tweet by every diplomat that happens to be under fire or threat is vetted by the Secretary of State? Seriously? No. They were trying to put a fire out before it spread and walk a fine line. A fire that the likes of Mitt Romney would just choose to fan.
That's exactly;y correct, John.
Embassy personnel are under the control and employ of the Dept. of State. They are WELL trained to respond pursuant to POLICY of the U.S. Government.
Every tweet is NOT vetted because the embassy employees KNOW not to communicate positions other than official ones.
Hence, he is either a rogue, (in which case his words should have been condemned and retracted by the DOS) or was following directions, for the purposes of, as YOU say "trying to put a fire out." It is not any ONE person's job to "put the fire out" – it is the Dept. of STATE's job.
Diplomats practicing diplomacy!?!?!? Oh, the humanity!
Hey Barrie, I am sure you ask your children not to use the "F" word. Can you control what they say when they are not in front of you? So, when they are at school, and say the "F" word, can we blame you for it?
I've read the entire statement, where the embassy " condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions." "Condemn" does not sound like an apology to me. It was a statement of our American values that respect all religions The U.S. Ambassador to Egypt herself said that she did not know about or clear that statement, as she was in Washington. Would that embassy employee have gone over his bosse's head and submitted that statement directly to the Administration for approval? Highly doubtful. That first statement was issued after protests had erupted in other parts of the Arab world. It looks to me like embassy personnel were concerned and tried to defuse the situation on their own. They issued another statement reiterating the first, after protestors had breached the embassy walls. Seems to me like they were afraid for their safety.
It was over 9 hours before the administration made an "official" remark and only after being forced into it.
Please don't make up some pretend excuse that the administration didn't know or didn't approve of the releases that made an apology for the film and for offending Muslims. NO statements go unanswered for 9 hours under our diplomatic flag that isn't both known and at least tacitly approved.
The embassy did not apologize. They correctly stated that the United States government does not endorse the idiotic and bigoted views of whoever produced the trailer. Why do so many continue to propagate this laughable lie.
Did you actually read the statement from the Embassy in Cairo? It was in no way an apology but a condemnation of intentionally inciting violence by insulting a major world religion.
And your proof is.......????
A well-reasoned and logical approach from somebody with relevant real world experience. But why listen to him when you have a web full of people with simple solutions like killing everybody who disagrees?
There's no "like" button here. But here's one anyway: LIKE
Well said Mike. And well-written, well-reasoned article.
like
Mike said: "A well-reasoned and logical approach from somebody with relevant real world experience." Uhh...have you already forgotten that the article was written by a plagarist and liar?
I can't believe CNN has not put this guy on the street ... and you certainly should not give credence to anything he says.
Where is your proof that this former ambassador is a plagiarist and a liar?
TAJW, you are confusing the CNN host who is pictured on the top of the screen and the person who actually wrote the article. The author of the article is Daniel Kurtzer a former ambassador in Egypt. Please take some extra time to inform yourself before you question someone's integrity.
At the start of the article: Daniel Kurtzer is the S. Daniel Abraham Professor of Middle East policy studies at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. During a 29-year career in diplomacy, he served as the U.S. ambassador to Egypt and to Israel. The views expressed are his own.
re: us_1776
Please obtain a dictionary and look up the word 'apologist'. It has nothing to do with making an apology.
Correct:
"apologist >noun a person who offers an argument in defense of something controversial."
Isnt that what the article referred to ? The blaming of ppl other than the actual murderers ?
A voice of clarity in the fog thank you Daniel Kurtzer.
Thank you for your reasoned–and seasoned–response to the hubbub. That hubbub, unfortunately, has already turned deadly – police killed by demonstrators in Yemen, more mobs swirling about U.S. embassies in Arab capitals practically everywhere. Words matter. The film was cheap and inciteful rather than insightful. Like crying "FIRE!!!" in a crowded theater, which we all seem to agree is NOT an acceptable exercise of free speech.
Mitt Romney said a number of things that were wrong and ill timed. He defended the Muslim-attacking film as "the right of free speech." Would he have similarly defended a Muslim film that exalted desecration of Christian holy sites, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem? Next he had the timing of the embassy statement completely wrong, putting it "after" the attack rather than "before." Finally, when his poor judgement was pointed out to him, he did not apologize or retract anything but doubled down on it right in the midst of President Obama, Secy of State Clinton and U.S. ambassadors posted to Arab countries trying to cope with the spreading furor and threats to safety of other U.S. personnel.
Mr. Romney gave a crystal-clear demonstration of why he should NOT be president, NOT be our commander in chief, NOT have his hands on the red button that could trigger a nuclear war. We can only hope he will refrain from issuing any more inflammatory declarations or accusations and will let the professional diplomats handle this crisis unmolested by domestic political assaults.
John Patrick Grace
Huntington, West Virginia
John Patrick Grace:
CORRECT ! We would MUCH rather have a President who apologizes and who would find fault with us being able to express our opinions, when such opinions (and, yes, FREE SPEECH) hurts others' feelings.
You seem to say that had the hate movie been aimed at Christians, Romney would have sung a different tune – I doubt it. He would have LAMBASTED it, but would NEVER have, in any way, advocated to prevent the speaker from speaking.
Speech, in any form, on controversial issues, is going to hurt SOMEONE; to in any way advocate the prevention of speech for this reason, lets the terrorists WIN. I EXPECT that from certain countries....but to hear it from an AMERICAN (such as, say, the embassy, or....you, for that matter) is...disgusting.
Put the blame where it belongs – SOLELY on those who murdered. To do anything else, is a slap in the face to the victim and to OUR way of life.
SHAME ON YOU !
He certainly had a right to make that movie, but I mean what did he really expect would happen there? He was trying to make a point. Well, congratulations. Point made. People died. Good work.
Counselor, you have a right to free speech. but i hope you also know nobody gives a rats behind for what you say. Under the guise of being a reasonable voice you are actually sounding ridiculous.
@ Brian
What he expected is irrelevant. The Muslims involved acted of their own free will.
No, Mr. Grace: making a movie about a religion is not like yelling "Fire" in a crowded theater. Are you suggesting, Mr. Grace, that it is morally wrong, or somehow unacceptable, for any American to say, write, or film anything that might offend anyone else, anywhere in the world?
It is morally wrong to produce a movie that is intended solely, through the use of lies and offensive characterizations of the most important figure in a religious faith, to cause the violence that occurred. We need to separate the morality of the film from the morality of the protests. Both are wrong and the violent protests clearly worse. But pointing out the lack of morality of the film does not, as so many argue, somehow express sympathy for or jusitifcaiton of the acts of violence.
@Paddymurphy
Morality is subjective by definition. And considering your entire argument is based on YOUR version of morality…it’s pretty weak.
No, he is pointing out that is is not only immoral but illegal to shout fire in a crowded theater. That pretty much speaks for itself. If you can't hear it, you are willfully deaf and won't hear the warning anyway!
The film did not cause the violence dimbulb, the muslims going berserk caused the violence.
Thank you to Dan Kurtzer for his clear, controlled and level headed analysis of the situation. What a breath of fresh air in a difficult time.
As we clean up the region let us not lose focus of the shift in terror center of gravity to India.
It is no secret that Hitler and his Nazi cronies sought inspiration from Indian extremist groups including the branding of his Nazi Party by adopting the Swastika, a traditionally Hindu symbol and representation of Hindu god Ganesha, as its marketing tool. The thesis being that like the Norwegian massacre, the Jewish holocaust orchestrated by Hitler was inspired by the inherently violent cult of Indian Hindus and the manifesto of its then extremist/terrorist groups still in existence today. These groups are now the successors to and carrying out the vision of Al Qaeda all over the world albeit in a clandestine manner.
Abigail White, WOW!! What have you been smoking, woman? Get off of your "knowledge" horse and travel some. Learn about India, Hinduism and if you really find something to corroborate your twisted thesis, then write. Otherwise, don't open your mouth and prove yourself to be an idiot!
Thanks for your response to Abigail...couldn't have said it better myself..
Is this the hinduism you practice? Is this the India that you built. Shame on Indian hindus!!!!!
In some Haryana villages in India, the young girls are routinely threatened, abused and killed all under Khap (tribe/clan) verdicts. It is acceptable for the families to feed pesticide pills to the teenage girls and then dispose off their bodies by burning them without any police records.
SHAME ON INDIANS AND THEIR BARBARIC CULTURE .....
The Aghori or Aghouri is a Hindu cult that is considered to have split off from the Kapalika order in the fourteenth century AD. They have cannibalistic rituals. The streets of northern Indian cities are littered with followers of this cult carrying a kapala, which is a cup made from a skull! These bizarre people will eat anything from rotten food to animal faeces. In order to achieve the highest citadel of enlightenment, the Aghori will perform horrendously crude rituals. The finality of their rituals is attained from eating the decaying flesh of a human.
I agree with Kingfisher. You probably should switch to another kind of smoke. This is probably the most stupid post I read in a long time.
Right on Abigail and I wholeheartedly agre with you. the world is catching on to the duplicity of Hindus as a nation and a cult. May I further add.....
We continue to be of the opinion that India is a zero sum event in history and that a break up of sorts is the optimum way to maximize its potential for the people. The current events in India reinforce our belief that the inevitable implosion of India has begun and the beginning of the end state is upon us. Whether that will be nirvana that most of us believe it will, is yet to be seen. But this we will say. This defragmentation of India will unleash boundless opportunities and uber economic demand that will be beneficial to US and Europe and help pull them out of current recessionary malaise. We pray for the events to unfold peacefully and in a harmonious manner for the people of India and its neighbors.
You want peace??? Try doing away with organized religion.
How did you all go from her saying "extremist Hindu group" to India as a whole? I think I've heard something similar somewhere else... yes; "extremist Islamic group". Yes. damn those Muslims They want to burn the world, yadda yadda. Oh, wait... we have heard that before.
Abigail referenced small subsets of people found in India. She was not pointing the finger at the entire culture or country. While I may not agree that the the motivation behind the Nazis was derived from that, I can at least respect that the theory limited itself to a small percentage of people in India. Perhaps Hilter himself was an "apologist," using a reference to another precurring group in India to justify his own beliefs?
Or maybe he just really liked the symbol.
It's no secret? IT"S NO SECRET???? Then why oh why haven't I been imformed? If this is no secret – that should mean I should know it. I am so confused...and obviously ignorant of this non secret thingie with the Hindus and the Germans and such like. When you open with "it is no secret" – honestly it shouldn't be a secret. \Making us look up our references to confirm what you are saying is a best a poorly kept secret – not a universal truth. Wow – you must know it all and think we do too, or know nothing and keep tossing those that know less crumbs of wisdom. You are so good to us!
You have been too busy smoking dope to be aware of your surroundings ya idiot.
I am afraid these Indian hindus are the termites that are eating away the very fabric of peace and stability in the region. It is an unmanageably huge country that has kept the neighbors lagging behind while its own population is mired in poverty and starvation.
Mr. Kurtzer makes some good points. It provides some food for thought regarding a related issue – if we arrive at a hypothetical solution based on fact, does that solution work always in a practical way? For example, what happens if there are a large number of people with strong, but differing/incompatible beliefs, both of which have strong arguments in their favor?
what ever happened to the islamic holy man who put the' RIPPED OUT PAGES'of the quran and LIED about it in court , in a poor younge girls possession who just happend to be christian....WHERES THE OUTRAGE THERE..I JUST DO NOT UNDERSTAND, that false religion! WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THAT STORY! this world is going the wronge way...
That story, Tman, was all over the news when it happened. Several days ago. More things happened since then. What, exaclty, is your point?
Besides emerging as a regional power, the time has come for Pakistan to take the leadership role in the Islamic World and lead them to the path of progress, prosperity and glory. The only nuclear nation in the Islamic World, Pakistan has shown the world that it can stand up to the nuances of world politics on principles and partake in global affairs. Also, that it can equally contribute to the progress of this planet called Earth. The sacrifices of the Pakistani nation in making this world safe are unmatched and deserves a seat at the table of the permanent members of The UN Security Council.
On what planet do you live? Pakistan has never achieved such a position on the world stage. Possessing nuclear weapons is no qualification to lead the world. Although it might be a diversion, Turkey is probably the most moderate, advanced Muslim. I wonder what made you bring Pakistan into this discussion, besides sarcasm.
Agreed wholeheartedly. pakistan has come of age and should be coronated as the regionla power.
And what do we hear the liberal media pontificating about when Christian's are being unfairly attacked??
Answer: (this space intentionally left blank).
Nothing is unfair about critizing a religion. Do away with all religion and there shall be peace. (until the next war).
good luck telling that to the DEAR LEADER.
A very well-thought out article. Thank you for some calm and balanced thoughts that asks for honesty, respect and integrity. Honesty in not excusing criminal actions. Respect in asking us to not label all people of a group as evil. Intr in putting the needs of the country above short-time political points.
It doesn't matter whether we think Muslims are rightful or not in their reaction to what the call assaults on their religion. What matters is how the feel about something like this movie.
If you see a rabid dog on the street you just don't keep it provoking even more poking at it with a stick.
This is simply a question of common sense and people like Jones or the producers of this movie are idiots, provoking trouble for no good reason.
Burning Quorans or publishing inflammatory movies will not change the mind of any Muslim and much less the mind of a radical Muslim, but only lead to events as the ones we are currently observing.
This has nothing to do with being apologetic nor is this a defense for terrorists but just being practical.
Beyond that, this all is just additional proof that a world without religion would be much more peaceful.
But Harald, if for many years I have walked down the street I live on, and then a rabid dog begins to threaten me on my walks down the street, do I have a moral obligation to stop taking my walks? To avoid irritating the irrational, diseased dog? Or can I continue to walk, and use reasonable force to defend myself from the dog? I suggest the latter.
Alan, re-read my comment. It appears you didn't pay attention to what I wrote. Hint: key word is "provoking".
Hillary got it wrong as usual, their government may have had a lot to do with this.
May have a lot to do with it? In other words it may have something to do with it, or nothing to do with it. Hillary as done
a fabulous job, She knows what's happening. Not like that character that jumps to conclusions without knowing the facts.
a libyan police officer was taking pictures of their compound, just prior to his attack and murder.
Spin your democratic party as you will, but the facts are the facts. This was perpetrated by a supposed 'friend' and 'colleague' of theirs.
There is blood on the hands of libyans, and they are muslims.
Now, run-along & spin a yarn for Fast and Furious.
You're my new hero. I'm going to listen to you instead of the guy with 29 years of actual experience in foreign countries in the diplomatic service. Obviously, you have superior knowledge.
because he has a highly-developed mass-movement sheeplike mind.
You would have made a fine PSU alum.
That cop that they saw intel pics of them was a 'regular old muslim Joe.' 9-to-5 government lackey-schmo. Sheep in one hand, 6-pack in the other.
A regular libyan citizen, whom their government put in place to protect these men, gave them up to murders. They may have been the trigger-creatures, as well.
You're the type of person who'd believe JoePa's wearing a halo, too, Jeff.
No, I'm just not a partisan hack dullard such as yourself.
Strange – the moment I heard that these guards were armed with phones and not guns I had immediate respect for the guy taking pictures of the people attacking the consulate. I know – I'm funny that way – thinking the only lasting evidence available might have been taken by the guy taking pictures.
It is this 1 sided white and black thinking that is making the world hate us.
You can condemn an act and still show empathy. It is not weakness it is strength.
No, it is the muslims who are doing the "berserker" thing.
This article was well written. Those who serve in our diplomatic forces and embassies should be better recognized for their work. They certainly shouldn't have to lose their lives. However, why should Americans apologize for our right of freedom of speech? Yes, the video was in bad taste, but so is South Park. It does not matter to these people how much aid we send, so we should not send any until the perpetrators are cuaght, and justice served.
The World must solve the Jews vs Arab problem. It messed-up our quiet enjoyments in Planet Earth.
Peace to all.
This article sounds very much apologetic itself. Indeed it is so lame as being irrelevant.
All these sage words don't change the facts. The Muslims are blood thirsty killers living in the dark ages.
Should the film be protected by freedom of speech? YES
Should we have expected a violent response? YES, it's not like it hasn't happened before.
Did the filmmaker make a point? YES, people died because he didn't take into account the consequences of making the film.
So where should responsibility go? Obviously, to the people who killed the ambassador and three others, for obvious reasons, but also to the filmmaker, at least partially. He made the film under that knowledge that this would trigger a violent reaction which could not have been reasonably prevented, and at least he is guilty of being the type of person who hinders our national image.
Wrong.. people died because Muslims decided to kill people over a perceived offense.
People died because muslims killed them.
Not sure who the author is referring to....
BUT
The GREATEST MUSLIM APOLOGIST who's Hoodwinking Americans (MIS) guiding Pres. Obama is CNN's Mr. FAREED ZAKARIA.....who's in reality a CLOSET SYMPAHISER of these Islamists and poses a GREAT DANGER to America.
So, if any one has any doubts about which way US policy to the Muslim world is headed???????????????????
Just imagine the HEIRARCHY!
1) PRESIDENT – Mr. Barack HUSSAIN Obama
2) US SEC. OF STATE: The DECEITFUL Islamist Mr. Fareed Zakaria (as it's strongly rumored to be...if Obama wins re-election).
3) US AMABASSADOR TO THE OIC (Organization of Islamic Conference): MB terrorist supporter RASHAD HUSSAIN (another fellow Indian Muslim like Mr. Zakaria!)
4) US GOODWILL AMBASSADOR TO THE MUSLIM WORLD: IMAM RAUF (Imam of the 9/11 CARDOBA VICTORY MOSQUE- Decietfully renamed – Interfaith Center to tide over New Yorker's opposition!)
5) DY. CHIEF OF STAFF at the US STATE DEPT – HUMA ABEIDIN – Daughter of MB activist Saleha Mahmood Abedin
GOD SAVE AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So-what's your problem-–you wanted some indian names in their instead-–.
Wow – you're weird and funny and you kinda smell. Sorry – misprint – you can't spell! If you weren't quite the twit you are I might be tempted to follow you on twitter. I honestly believe you are taking the twit part of twitter too seriously and thus will not follow!
Kurtzer, you don't even have the facts straight. This was NOT some mob protesting...it's now clear that it was a well-planned al Qaeda attack. Militants. Not anti-American ideology from some angry locals.
It is a terrible tragedy. One libyan security detail was also killed along with 7 libyan security personal who were injured. The transition that has taken place in libya is not a small thing-. Taking down Qaddafi was a mega event-now some people will not like u s participation in it-for obvious reason. This is not the first time that the u s facilities will be struck by the terrorists and it won't be the last time.
The terrorists want to see reaction from the u s-what is it going to do-that is how they measure their success. If u s acts like-okay-this has happened-we are going to take stronger pre-cautionery measure to protect our embassies, but as long as the local govts stay with us and take charge of the situation and go after those who started all this-we will keep helping those nations-the terrorists have lost-.
The terrorists want a reaction from the u s and ie-for it to say okay to the govt you are on your own. We are out of here. If it happens-they have already won.
What if these were pro Qaddafi people disguised as fanatics-seeking revenge in an oppurtune moment!
Africa is full of Chinese, running their oil fields & rare earth mineral mines. Chinese prospectors are boring.
Nothing to see in Africa, move along now....
"The apologists, the accusers and the political gamesters are the last people we should listen to for answers at a time like this. "
Bingo. that nails it.
I should have known this would be another pro-Obama article. Typical Cnn. I'm surprised it wasn't written by Fareed Zakaria himself.
Every article based on sound reasoning, grounded on facts and devoid of emotional outburst is pro Obama.
Fartweed Zakaria in nothing but a pro-Obama,Pro-muslim piece of stinking offal
I like the article. I think, Obama should condemn the Qumran burning pastor and fanatics of all religious groups, either christian or muslims or whatever. People who want to be taken seriously as actors, carricaturists and film-makers should know, that their production could violate feelings of believers and religious fanatics. It wasn't in any way acceptable to provokate muslims with a film that wasn't at least satirical or art. Freedom of speech isn't a good argument, because a democratic society doesn't come up and is changing people's way of thinking just with elections. It takes time. The freedom and liberty of one group, is sometimes surpressing the liberty/ freedom of the other. But I can't understand the bad taste of the film-maker! Even if religious thinking is narrowing the diplomatic agenda, such a crass movie is absolute tasteless. Romney made himself a fool – again! If american people want to go on war, they should vote for him!
muslims riot and hillary aologizes ! why ? does she realize how weak she makes us look ?its a sad day when muslims dictate what kind of movies people can make.
"This was an act of terrorism — horrific, inexcusable, intolerable assaults against a prominent diplomat — and a message to all America"
Exactly what message is that other than GTFO of our country?
"It is instead a moment to unite behind our government as we mourn the victims and stand up for our diplomats serving abroad."
To be perfectly honest, no. I will never unite behind our corrupt government. Maybe when it concerns itself with our country and its people rather than playing little games overseas, I'll change my opinion.
Like
Anyone who writes for Fareed "Plagarist" Zakaria's Global Public Square is a muslim apologist terrorist who needs not live in America. All Muslims are animals and thus need to be treated like the animals they are. Collar them and beat them all into submission. Islam is NOT a religion of peace, it's a religion of violence.
Ignorance is not a justification for hating Muslims.
muslim ignorance is not justification for killing Americans, Brits,Germans, French...
Why when someone makes fun of Jesus Christ no one riots? Why when the Christian GOD is slandered no one cuts off peoples heads? I am tired of people trying to protect or make excuses for these people. Spin it anyway you want but the Muslims and their religion is full of hate and always looking for a reason to kill. I watched the video and there is NO reason to think any other thing than how stupid it is. MY GOD says that Vengeance is His.
"Your God" thinks you ought to read his book again. You apparently did not pay too much attention the first time you read it.
He is right actually.
-Atheist
NO ONE APOLOGIZED. This makes Kurtzer is a biased hack just like Romney.
So sad for the English-speaking world that this author, the CNN headline generator, and most of those commenting don't even know what the word 'apologist' actually means.
okay genius, go ahead and educate us.
The accusers blame all Muslims for terrorism. They quote selectively from the Quran to “prove” that all Muslims are liars,
In other words the Quaran is just as contradictive as the Bible. And the author is just another cherry picking religious type that likes to ignore the parts of their “holy book” that don’t match their world view.
HINDU KALI – GODDESS OF VIOLENCE/TERRORISM
A recent report by United Press trust of India (UPI) stated that during the past three years more than 2,500 young boys and girls were sacrificed to goddess Kali in India. Another of AFP's recent reports say: hundreds of young boys and virgin girls are sacrificed every month for the deity Kali. In one case Rama Sewak hacked his eight year old son to death in broad daylight in Delhi because goddess Kali had told him he would come back to life and bring him good fortune. Bloodthirsty Kali is worshipped openly the length and breadth of India. Kali's statue stands naked astride the inanimate body of the Hindu deity Shiva, tongue stuck out with blood dripping from fang-like teeth. She holds a noose, a skull-topped staff, a blood-encrusted sword and a severed head. She is also known as Durga, Devi, Shaktima, Uma and Parvathi in other manifestations. The priest of Delhi, Kali Bari, says that a child sacrificed to Kali ensures a man the birth of a son. Human sacrifices are also made to these gods or goddesses, either to appease them or to ask favours of them.
HEIGHT OF TERRORISM
Mahatma Gandhi and Jerry Sandusky: Strange Bedfellows
What do these two have in common???? Terrorizing boys !!!! Shame. Let us bring their memories down and their legacies trashed. Let us knock their statues down and their thoughts erased.
There has been ample precedence to predict the response of the Muslim Nations once provoked by insulting Islam. While all violence is condemned as means of resolving conflict, the outrage that contributed to the death of four Americans in Libya is neither surprising nor unforeseen. The film is produced in the United States, by an Israeli whose allegiance is to a state –Israel- that is engaged in ethnic cleansing in Palestine as we speak and who admits that Islam is a “cancer”, both him and that state are coddled by the United States! Nakoula Basseley Nakoulaa Coptic Egyptian is part of another fringe separatist group with deeply rooted animosity against Islam that the United States also coddles! And not to forget Terry Jones of course, who shamelessly burned the Quran right here in America.
While we are inundated with moderate Muslims and apologists on either side on the issue, in this instant, it is not sufficient to quietly observe and revel in the nobility of Islam as we know it and as philosophers and writers might have noted. It is not sufficient to hear and read the apologies and outcries from Presidents and Secretaries of states. Those responsible must be held responsible by law, and those moderates, must deliver a clear and resounding condemnation. And to those who belittle the incident, worry not about the heads of state in Muslim Nations, it is the people who changed regimes that need to be taken into account, they have a point, at least five and a half.., or need I count, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Tunisia and Jordan being the half point.
The sooner we –collectively- learn and learn to respect the expressed red lines of all civilization living on this planet, the sooner we can achieve peace, otherwise, we cannot lament that which we had ample precedence to stand up for and prevent. There are two ways to build and empire, one based on self-preservation, self-interest and embracing of all forms of mutant contradictions, or, one built on a foundation justice. I choose justice.
agreed, so we will ramp up the droning to wipe out your thinking, you don't get it, you are wrong- you believe killing over your feelings re justified but then you are agasth that a racist in the world believes the same thing about you except the racist does not follow through with the act because they know it is wrong, illegal, against a human right to live.... i hope everyone sees that even though the ex ambassador has so eloquently written this piece, that there are still uneducated muslim buffons in existence even in our society!!! get them out of our society!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For all that he says, and even acknowledges that the film was a "bigoted, anti-Muslim film", he ignores the fact that the film itself was only just published on YouTube, triggering these assaults and possibly choosing the date of release specifically for the purpose of triggering them on September 11th.
Yes, I will agree that Muslim extremists took advantage of the situation and I'm quite certain they helped stage that first one in Libya. As yet, you don't see the same level of violence at the others (though it's still severe enough to warrant some serious precautions) but I can bet that the extremists will be working overtime to stretch this outrage to all Americans; painting us with the same stripe that one extremist Christian roundly deserves. If you ask me, that one individual should be given over to them for their form of Justice–ours won't do a thing despite the fact that he may have caused an all-out war against the U.S.
Our country was founded on the idea of Freedom of Religion. That means ALL religions, not just one. Be careful what you wish for; you might just get it. You might be surprised at what you've reaped.
It is easy to be outraged every time they kill one of our own. Where were you when our own government assasinated their leader Qaddafi, and let thugs drag his body through the desert? Where was your outrage? Or is it OK when we kill their political leaders, and it is an outrageous act of terrorism when they kill one of our own? I guess I am one of those unflattering apologists. If you kill their people, they will kill ours. Go ahead, do not apologize, be outraged, kill more of them, and be prepared to be outraged even more.
I thought the whole thing was barbaric, what do you expect from muslims?
A generally well-balanced piece – with the exception of one assertion: the inference that a small number of fanatics are responsible for the violence attributed to Muslims. While technically accurate, the big picture is that even a "small minority" when expressed as a percentage of the whole belies the fact that at only 15% equals an army of upwards of 200 thousand. While the components of this number may be at odds with each other, they are united when it comes to their hatred of the West and all that it stands for. Only when the politically elite come to grips with this fact will the West have a chance of overcoming this "militant faction" of a totalitarian philosophy that masquerades as a religion.
Thank you for your post.
I cannot agree more.
We need to wake up and see that we are in a culture war with islam.
And until we in the west come to realize that being politcally correct is not a solution, it will be a one-sided war....and we shall be the targets.
Such a PEACEFUL day in the world of ISLAME!!
The message the muslims are sending is very clear. Don't fuk with them otherwise they will come after you. Period. So drone 'em, bomb 'em ....whatever you may wanna do.... but they will will keep on coming at ya.
Just don't mess with muslims. Simple.
Time to focus on hindus instead. Their values are more in line with the western world (wink wink ). LMFAO !!
Bizarre child-burying Hindu ceremony in India
CNN:
Indian police have charged 80 people for burying children alive in an ancient Hindu ceremony known as "the festival of pits."
The ceremony, in which children - some less than a year old - are buried alive.
Every two years, parents who have vowed to bury their first-born if they are blessed with a child, take part in the Kuzhimattru Thiru Vizha ceremony.
The children are drugged to make them unconscious and placed in shallow "graves" in temple courtyards.
The pits are covered with leaves and dirt and the children are pulled out after Hindu priests chant a brief prayer - lasting up to a minute.
ARE INDIANS UBER TERRORISTS OR WHAT???? Forget the GDP, focus on these murder statistics.
In India, millions of girls are strangled, slowly starved or simply tossed in the trash. Moreover, in India, at least 1,370 girls are aborted every day. As a comparison, some 250 Indians die every day in road accidents. Terrorists killed about six people, on an average, every day in 2009. In the last two decades of economic progress, 10 million girls have died as such in India.
Muslims will come after infidels no matter what we do.
What is your point Zippy?
Stop all aid
get Americans out and
Launch the Bombers
All this has become a case of mutual disappointment. Muslims are justly angered at the lack of respect and dignity shown by the filmmaker(s) who made that stupid movie. However, I'm at the very least, disappointed by the violence and lack of respect for our democratic values, especially our 1st Amendment rights, shown by a lot of people throughout the Arab and Muslim world. No one should worry that, by saying, doing, or showing something, no matter how offense or controversial it might be, it might start a riot on the other side of the world.
This movie is in itself hate speech and should be treated as such. I am amazed that nobody focuses on the political affiliations of these Americans, who have engaged in this heinous behavior. Honestly this looks like a deliberately provocative act aiming at influencing the US election by creating chaos abroad. It has spinned so out of control that nobody wants to claim it as theirs. Americans expect the countries to apologize for the hooligans that attack embassies. Why not apologize for the heinous act of a few americans who have attacked what muslims hold so sacred and dear?
Some warn that the recent event could potentially run into another Arab-Spring style of uprising, this time against American. Yet, there is a big different between Arab Spring and this recent event. The former was a huge explosion of discontents that have been suppressed for decades by dictatorial regimes across Middle East and affected a large percentage of the population. The recent event is simply a burst of emotion among a tiny crowd fueled by hatred of US influence. If you notice, the crowd that attacked the embassies are more or less than 1000 people, while the vast silence majority of Arab nations offers some quiet level of understanding and tolerance as most religions do. We should base our foreign policy on the silence majority.
I hope our government keep a cool head, not over-react and do the radical elements a big favor by unintentionally fueling the fire further....
Right now we have a "cool head" running our government. That could all change after November 6th.
If this silent muslim majority does not stand up and be counted, then they are part of the problem.
I think this piece too detached. I'm Canadian, yet I grieve for losses felt round the world. I extend my heartfelt sypathies to the families of those lost; and offer my steadfast support to my big brother Americans in their time of pain and confusion. Please stand tall and know you are still respected and loved by right thinking people across the globe. I wish you peace and comfort in trying times.
Recent Canadian?
No – born and bred. And far more comfortable with a cool head and hand governing my next door neighbour. I don't want to live next to a country that would elect a Romney/Ryan ticket. Too scary for words....
You have no say what Americans do.
If you do not like living next door to Americans, go live in the ME. That should make you happy!
Least I live next door to the good ole USA and love and support her. I have no say in how she's run – agreed. I have all the right in the world to comment on anything I choose. We have free speech in Canada as well, in case you were foggy about that. That aside, I would think you would prefer my comments of repect and solidarity to the comments of the Israeli Prime Minister actually mixing in your politics and trying to draw a red line in American soil suggesting you must support Romney or face a nuclear disaster.
A PRIMER FOR MIDDLE EAST:::
THE ECONOMIC SUBJUGATION OF INDIA & The Taming of Hindus!!!
The one most successful aspect of recent American foreign policy has been the conquest of India without firing a bullet. That is the beauty of capitalism used as a Trojan Horse! Economic victory! Give them a taste of steak and they will never settle for hamburgers again. USA now owns India Inc. not only economically but also militarily as economic subjugation ultimately leads to military domination. The recent win for US multinationals has been pressuring the Indian Govt to open up majority ownership of domestic companies by foreign investors. US will now be virtually able to control the government policies in India via remote control in Wash D.C.
The take away is that US needs to find a similar mechanism in Middle East/North Africa to control events without having to depend on military dictatorships to do the biding. Economic subjugation appears to be the way out but what may be applicable to hindus may not work in case of muslims. That poses the dilemma that we are struggling with. Israel may have to be the sacrificial goat to make this happen, I am afraid.
US Multinationals achieved in 20 years what took British East India Company hundreds of years.Your comments are invigorating and right on the money. Thanks for posting them.
LoL !! What a joke. The retail market will not be opened up anytime soon and the US consulate just got stoned in India. GM and Ford are making record losses unlike in China where they actually buy crappy american cars . US is kept out of any strategic defense deal (MMRCA), Nuke reactors, JV for missiles and they are instead given to France and Russia. US sure does have a lot of influence. US is a good market and the multinationals provide jobs to educated Indians. Beyond that there is hardly any influence especially given US militarily's closeness with pakis. The only area they seem to cooperate on are against the chinese for some reason.Hardly worth mentioning.
We have invested a lot of resources in India over the past two decades and given a lot of aid to prop it up. There has been no investment on this return. Instead India has squandered all the resources in building nuclear weapons while poverty remains rampant in the country. We need to revisit our relationship with India. American taxpayers will not tolerate this anymore. We need to take care of our own populace going forward. We cannot be exporting jobs to India or giving it financial or technical handouts.It has become too big to govern or create any value for western countries or even for its own population. India needs to be carved up into smaller independent states to be a viable economically and geo politically.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/retail-row-may-oust-india-coalition/story-e6frg6so-1226475419132
Lets see how long the govt lasts. Anyway the next govt will reverse this decision no matter what.
Is anyone looking into Irianian involvement in these uprisings.Iran often works in a clandestine fashion through proxies or advisors. Iran itself just admitted to having advisors in neighboring countries involved in the ararb spring. How do we know if they are involved in embassey attacks ,direct or indirectly?They are currently claiming terrorists in the IAEA,and this could be a diversionary tactic.
NEW YORK: Renowned Indian activist and novelist Arundhati Roy has decried the silence of the international community over the continued “brutal Indian occupation of Kashmir” and said Kashmiris should be given the right to self-determination……
She said so little was known about the atrocities being committed by more than half a million Indian troops, the continuing repression and indignities let loose on Kashmiri men, women and children.
More than 700,000 troops were concentrated in the tiny valley, with checkpoints at every nook and corner of Kashmiri towns and cities. The huge Indian presence, she added, was in sharp contrast with 160,000 US troops in Iraq.
Ms Roy alleged that Indian army or security personnel were killing young children and women among others.
On behalf of all Indian Hindus, I apologize for the moronic and hateful comments being posted by my fellow Indians. I am ashamed of it. It reflects the deep rot that exists in our decadent Indian society.