On Wednesday, the British police allegedly stopped a terrorist kidnapping plot of a British Muslim soldier who had served in Afghanistan. The police arrested nine terror suspects in Birmingham, England, who reportedly planned to torture and behead the soldier in an "Iraqi-style" execution and then broadcast it on the Internet.
Though the motive has not been disclosed, the British public, especially young British Muslims, have become increasingly angry over England’s involvement in the American-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The British Muslims' anger is also fueled by the increased scrutiny given them by the British police forces.
There are 330 Muslims who serve in the 180,000-strong British armed forces. When the first British Muslim soldier was killed last year, militant Islamist Web sites to the opportunity to denounce Cpl. Jabron Hashmi, 24, as a traitor. One web site even displayed an image of him with flames around him.
Counterterrorism experts said Islamic extremists have been looking for new ways to rattle the West with their use of the Web to broadcast propaganda and unsettling images such as the beheadings of Western hostages in Iraq. "This would be the first case (in Britain) of Islamic extremists using kidnapping as a tactic," said former U.S. intelligence officer Bob Ayers, now a security analyst based in London.
For more coverage, see the following:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/ci_5133108
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070131/ts_nm/britain_arrests_dc
http://secondlife.reuters.com/stories/2007/01/31/cc191bd817187daf2de7ef470a614436/
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Comments: 8
The real issue here is the Muslims against the West have found the American people are so wrapped up in believing the media wants to portray real journalistic stories about the world around us, they do not see the reality between the lines.
This is a good approach for them, it is a disaster for the public at large.
Whether extreme or mainstream, the British Muslims are angry about the war, angry that their country so devotedly follows U.S. foreign policy, angry at what they see as a worldwide war against Muslims and Islam.
Extremists and radicals are very adept at playing the media's game. Even though they are a minority, a small number of them can gather on a corner, hold a protest or demonstration and get a massive amount of media attention and air time. That's because today's mostly tabloid media culture in the UK has sensationalized the "Muslim issue" and focuses only on the extremists, rarely finding the facts, context and texture beneath the surface.
But there is a sense of Islamophobia on the rise here in Britain and across Europe. The European Monitoring Center, which tracks religious and ethnic bias, says Muslims regularly face abuse, threats, attacks and misunderstanding. More than ever they feel like second-class citizens in their own countries.
The NY Times had an article on 7 Aug 2006 about a Yemeni Muslim that was a US Marine that recieved a purple heart in Iraq. Since his return he has had to handle the complicated social issues of talking with others about his service, especially among his Muslim neighbors and relatives.
Army Man,
I agree, it is not a war about religion. However, on the Islamofacist side it is. According to the Princeton Middle East professor Bernard Lewis the Islamic extremist sees this as a war between the two great religions, i.e, Islam and Christianity. In their mind this is a battle that has been going on for centuries and they are losing.