Terrorism Quotes
See {585638} for the kind of statement that led people to fear him as a dictator.
Vladimir Lenin. For most of the world it was shocking how determined the Russians were to use terror against the counterrevolutionaries. However, after Lenin’s death, the terror used by Stalin exceeded anything in the previous 300 years.
The dramatic expression was actually not original with bin Laden. It emerged throughout Islamic history regarding the “enemies” of the time.
The Nazis and most of the Arabs were allies in WWII. The Jews of Palestine—although they were opposed to many of the British policies regarding Palestine—were active in the Allied cause contributing units to the British Army. Although the Germans were brutal to civilians, murdering millions, they refrained from public pronouncements or exhortations to kill civilians in most cases. The Arabs did not. The Mufti was actually given the rank of General in the Nazi SS and had his own SS unit. In this despicable exhortation he actually uses a concept and wording from the Koran. See {584355}. This quotation is important in that it refutes a common claim by some Palestinians that it was only the Germans who were responsible for the Holocaust and the post war Jewish Refugee problem and that the Palestinians had to bear the price rather than place Israel in Europe. This quotation and the other by the Grand Mufti prove that Palestinians were not only complicit in persecution of Jews but took a leadership and advocacy role.
The terror to which he referred was to the French Revolution’s executing former aristocrats and then including anyone suspected of monarchist sympathies. This quotation shows how fanatics can rationalize evil as justice.
During the Cold War, Yugoslavia was a part of the Eastern Communist Bloc, but was very independent. They had a very experienced military and were the one country of the Eastern Bloc who the Russians could not easily militarily dominate. Tito was a great and feared military leader having killed More Germans per soldier with his army than any of the Allies in WWII. He was also very independent of Moscow and would not follow Russia directives. The Russians decided on assassinating Tito but the attempts failed.
Bush was addressing all countries in the wake of the September 11 attack on New York and Washington.
“Musselman” was then a term for Muslims used by Europeans. The Arabs then, as many terrorists still do, commonly captured American and European ships enslaving the crews and passengers or holding them for ransom. Jefferson and Adams explained that if this could not be stopped and resolved it might mean war. The Americans could not understand why they were attacked when American had done nothing to offend the Arab Counties. The Arab envoy explained their “duty” and “right” to attack Americans and why war was not a serious deterrent to Islamic nations. Ironically, the same explanations were given by Arab leaders in the early 21st century to illustrate why the Arab countries could not be intimidated.
This verse is one of those most often cited by Muslim militants justifying terrorism and war against non-Muslims. However, other more modern Muslim theologians cite the unique historical circumstances when the Muslims in Arabia were opposed by all else there. They also cite the end of the verse which tends to be ignored by the militants: “But know that God is with those who restrain themselves.”
Public Hangings in America were not abolished for another six decades. See Quotation 644484 in Related Quotes.
Nasrallah claims to be descended from the Prophet Muhammad. Unlike some other Muslim fundamentalist terrorists and politicians who regard the Jews in Israel as enemies, Nasrallah is anti-Semitic and wants to kill all Jews, not just free the “holy land” from the Jewish presence. See {585746}. This quotation was used by the Israeli Prime Minister when addressing the U. S. Congress in March of 2015.
See {587287} for a later complementary statement.
Vladimir Lenin
