A Noble Effort

I came across a news article this evening describing that President Bush has appointed a new special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Conference, a caucus of 57 Muslim nations. This envoy's job will be to explain the United States of America to the Muslim world.

I feel this is a noble endeavor, although I have sincere doubts that the Muslim world is going to believe any of it. The new post was given to a Muslim who originally hailed from Pakistan, a man by the name of Sada Cumber. I can't imagine anyone on this planet with a more daunting challenge than this man. Imagine being a Muslim, traveling to predominantly Muslim nations around the world, and trying to "sell" the notion that a secular, democratic way of life is okay in the eyes of Islam and that the intentions of the U.S.A. are often simply misunderstood. I would have to imagine that after the laughter died down, and the sense of betrayal to the tenets of Islam set in, that this man would be executed faster than you can say, "Allahu Akbar." I hope this guy will be traveling with a competent security detail. He's going to need it.

If there's one thing that seems to piss off a Muslim more than Americans, it's a Muslim who has sided with Americans. Just look at all those groups in Iraq that, after years of fighting alongside Al Qaeda and eventually realizing its twisted sense of right and wrong, have changed sides and decided to join with the coalition to fight against Al Qaeda. These groups are often referred to as "Awakening Councils", and have banded together with our troops to rout out Al Qaeda elements in Iraq. It's interesting to have watched how quickly these folks are targeted by Muslim extremists. I have to give Al Qaeda credit; they've done an effective job of eliminating their former comrades. While I commend the notion that these reborn Iraqis have "seen the light" and realized that the Al Qaeda way of life is essentially no life at all, it's sad to see how quickly Al Qaeda is wiping them out. I guess I would feel more pity for them if they hadn't been so quick to embrace Al Qaeda and the insurgency in the first place. It's too bad they didn't capitalize on the opportunity that the United States of America handed them on a silver platter when Saddam was deposed. Apparently, it was more important to celebrate their newfound freedom by looting and pillaging their own nation, and then by turning on their liberators. I guess Islamic extremism was just "cooler".

While I'm generally in favor of our troops staying in Iraq and shooting dead every sorry bastard that embraces extremism and murder, I'm beginning to think more and more that if the Democrats win the White House this year and yank our forces out of Iraq in short order, which they're bound to do, that it will be a poetic justice what will happen to the people of Iraq. They'd all be doomed to suffer and/or die. I'd rather see us stick it out and continue to kill every extremist prick in sight, which would be better for everyone in the long run, not to mention satisfying. But it appears that in a Democratic White House, it makes more sense to turn tail and run from our enemies. Maybe the Democrats can offer our enemies an olive branch of peace. Maybe we can send our new envoy to explain to our enemies that Islam is a religion of peace. I, personally, would like to offer our enemies a middle finger displayed with a lot of American zeal. And then I'd like to offer each a bullet (or twenty) to the brain.

Wars, in general, are won by attrition. You have to kill more of them than they kill of you. I know that's grossly oversimplified, but that's generally how it goes. Eventually one side or the other is wiped out, or surrenders. Since Islamic extremists aren't much into surrender, but rather suicide, it would appear that the only way to win this war is to wipe them out. That's going to take a lot of time, and a lot of bullets and bombs. I fear that if we leave Iraq and leave them to their own devices, the mayhem will only spread in all directions. That would be bad. At least if we keep cracking at Iraq, the mayhem might be contained there. Maybe someday after the smoke clears, the few people leftover might even begin to see the light and realize that a nation built on pure Islam is NOT all that it's cracked up to be. Maybe we can show them the "gem" that Afghanistan had become under the thumb of the Taliban just before we whipped their turban-wearing asses.

So let us get back to our new envoy, Mr. Cumber. This man will soon set forth to "sell" America to the Muslim world. I wholeheartedly agree that the West is horribly misunderstood in the Middle East (and beyond), and that it would be helpful if someone capable were able to communicate with Muslims and state our case so that we could reverse decades of anti-Western brainwashing. I sincerely doubt, however, that envoy Cumber will be able to get a word in edgewise over all the screaming and shouting from the Muslim masses. They're not predisposed to listening, you see. They're very good at screaming, cursing, threatening, and killing. Oh, and burning stuff. And bombing stuff, too. But listening? Not so much.

If Mr. Cumber is a true moderate Muslim, and truly practices this supposed "peaceful" version of Islam that I keep hearing is the TRUE form of Islam, then I suppose I'd be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and bless him on his mission. I wish him only the best. I also hope that he and his family have prepared his last will and testament, because I suspect this man will be dead inside of two years at the hands of those with whom he's trying to communicate. I truly hope I'm wrong, and that this man can make a difference in the Muslim world (and there's nothing wrong with trying), but if his mission is perceived the same way as the mission of the Awakening Councils in Iraq, then it's safe to say that his mission is going to be cut horribly short.

Good luck, Mr. Cumber. You're going to need it. I recommend delivering your message from behind bullet-proof glass while wearing a Kevlar vest and helmet, just for good measure. I hope that doesn't send the wrong message….