I agree entirely that a billion Muslims should not be punished for the
actions of a few.  But comparisons to Timothy McVeigh betray a certain lack
of seriousness.

McVeigh was not, to my understanding, a particularly devout Christian.  I am
not aware of his using the Bible to justify his actions.  I know of no sect
of Christianity where preachers exhort their congregations into commiting
his heinous acts.  Certainly there are no Christian schools spreading his
philosophy of hate.  And no Christian governments gave him shelter.  

A handful of fanatics have taken the beautiful religion of Islam and twisted
it into a justification for the most vile actions.  This is a problem, first
and foremost for the millions of Muslims who don't like seeing their
religion perverted (my girlfriend among them).  Yet little has been done--a
fatwa in Spain, a problematic procolomation in England, a few editorials
(mostly in free Iraqi newspapers), but by and large mainstream Muslims have
not taken many visible steps against the terrorists in their midst.

(Compare this to the immediate and universal condemnation of Pat Robertson's
recent statements from mainstream Christians, and from politicians and
cultural leaders in predominantly Christian countries.)

Thus enter the neo-cons.  Whatever mis-steps they have made, they have
succeded in toppling two facist regimes, and exerting positive pressure on
numerous others.

The comments on Hitler also indiacte a lack of familiarity with some of the
basic facts.

I continue to seek the relevance of all this to museology.

Eugene Dillenburg

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