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American Becomes A Target Of Terror Threats

Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. - 2/5/2007

A writer on a radical Islamic Internet forum is suggesting I should have my "neck struck" for what he calls my "witch hunt" against Muslims.

His anger against me follows last week’s raid by Britain’s anti-terror police on a number of addresses close to Birmingham, England. British media reported (http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article2214867.ece), "It is understood that a terror gang was close to enacting plans to seize their victim, a lance corporal who fought against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and then post footage of his ‘Kenneth Bigley-style’ execution on the Internet."

The forum participant wrote in part ("http://muntadaa.aswj.net//index.php?showtopic=5378),"If you look who these people are ... you see the name Jeremy pathetic Reynalds come into play. (He) has launched a witch hunt on Muslims for years like Blair and Bush. The false police case against brothers in Birmingham is based on false reports by this and other researchers and kuffar (non-Muslim) media ... If it was allowed under the Shariah (Islamic) law, (Reynalds and others like him) should have (their) neck struck for attacking Muslims. This evil kuffar Reynalds should be first in line."

The individual continued, "Islam is a faith that does not allow us to attack anyone for (any) reason, but the attacks by Reynalds and Vigil against the sheikh and other brothers are coming close to a call for action against this evil Christian. May Allah strike him dead!"

I’m not surprised by this sort of rhetoric, and while I take it seriously, it doesn’t intimidate me. A couple of years ago I was the subject of another death threat when after getting an Islamic "snuff video" website removed from the Internet, Islamists posted my home address with a wish that I would be "visited" and my ribs broken.

Another writer offered prayers to Allah that my "fatty neck" would be delivered to them, a reference to Islamists’ common method of decapitation (www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=42757).

In this current diatribe, the writer also associated me with Vigil, an anti-terror organization about which I have written several articles. What is Vigil? The organization’s web site (www.vigilnetwork.com) describes itself as "a private, international anti-terror network – aiming to disrupt terrorist activity and silence those extremists who, wittingly or unwittingly, act as a conveyor belt progressing future terrorists." For the record, I am proud to help them out a little.


Islam: A Religion of Peace?

So is Islam a religion of peace? Some would claim it is, and moderators of the site containing the threat against me have written (http://muntadaa.aswj.net//index.php?act=boardrules) "Advocating violence or inciting terrorism against innocent people is not permitted at all. Those who are found doing this will be warned and may even face being banned."

However, site administrators seem very lax about enforcing their own rules, unless like many of our current laws against terrorist activities in the United States they are designed more for cosmetic effect than anything else.

Here are a couple of posts on the Muntada site. A link to http://moderatesrefuted.blogspot.com/ from http://muntadaa.aswj.net//index.php?showtopic=5004 and titled, "Is Islam a Religion of Peace? reads, "‘Islam means Peace!’ ‘Islam is a religion of peace.’ These are the words we hear constantly uttered by the moderate Muslims, who are quick to jump atop operations carried out by the Mujaheedin. So, here I ask: ‘Is Islam a religion of peace? No it is not, Allah ... clearly tells us to fight the kuffar till Islam is dominant and the kuffar have both stopped occupying our land and are paying Jizyah (a tax on non-Muslim adult males: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jizya).

The writer continued, "Allah also commands the believers to terrorize the enemies of Islam, and strike utmost fear into their hearts." And a document available on the Muntada website sounded far from peaceful. It read in part, (http://muntadaa.aswj.net//index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=204), "Muslims believe that Islam is a superior ideology able to resolve all of the many problems which mankind faces today, from the economic to the social, from international relations to the ecological."

Speaking about life under Islamic rule, a terrifying possibility to consider, the writer continued, "If (that law) was indeed implemented in Britain let us have no doubts that Britain would look very different to what it does today ... The sale of alcohol or pork would be prohibited, gambling would be outlawed ... There would be no pubs for example, and night-clubs, porn shops or other places of entertainment between men and women, encouraging promiscuity and sexual deviancy (such as homosexuality) will be banned. Both men and women will be required to cover themselves properly in public – with women wearing the Khimar and Jilbab (head scarf and long barrel shaped dress), and men covering at least from the navel to the knees at all times ... Judges would roam the streets and markets accompanied by police to implement and maintain the Islamic public order ... The Islamic judicial system would be implemented where adulterers would be stoned to death and thieves would have their ha nds cut. There would be no jury service or solicitors or barristers – rather judges qualified in Islamic Law would preside over all cases and judge according to God’s law."

My Feelings about Muslims

Some may be wondering what I feel about Muslims and the Islamic faith. At its core I believe that Islam is a religion of violence and Islamic radicals when reading the Koran are just taking what they read at face value and acting accordingly.

However, I care for individual Muslims deeply and pray that they may find the forgiveness which Jesus Christ is waiting to offer them. Additionally, I know that there are many wonderful, caring Muslims who would never even think of committing an act of violence. Just like the peace-loving Palestinian Muslims in Bethlehem whom I visited a couple of months ago thousands of Muslims worldwide are asking a simple question, "When will the violence stop?" That’s a question all of us would do well to consider.