Letters: Terrorism in the UK

It is a truism that not all Muslims are terrorists, but the recent events in Britain and around Europe have proved that just about all terrorists are Muslims.

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters (photo credit: REUTERS)
Letters
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Terrorism in the UK
With regard to “‘Enough is enough,’ May vows after London attack” (June 5), I am an English ex-pat living for the past 48 years in Jerusalem. I am appalled at the heinous rampage and massacre that took place in London but, sadly, not surprised, as we have lived through these events for many years.
I would like to make a suggestion to the British authorities as to one way of combating this horrendous pattern of hatred.
It is a truism that not all Muslims are terrorists, but the recent events in Britain and around Europe have proved that just about all terrorists are Muslims. When a serpent attempts to strike, one must go for the head and cut it off. The head, in these cases, is invariably the imams who preach hatred and encourage these acts of religious venom, where terrorists imbibe their vicious obsession to kill.
You must locate the mosques that influence the terrorists and act immediately to expel their clerics and seal their doors and windows to prevent future exploitation in the cause of religious fanaticism.
I was pleased to hear Prime Minister Theresa May finally throw aside political correctness and face the facts as they are. It is indeed Islamic extremism.
Let us not beat about the bush!
LAURENCE BECKER Jerusalem
As an officer in the British Army in 1897 and 1898, on the northwest frontier of India and in the Sudan, Winston Churchill had eye-opening encounters with Muslims.
These encounters allowed his keen powers of observation to weigh in on the subject of Islamic society, and they serve as a prophetic warning to western civilization today: “How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries.
Their fanatical frenzy is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia [rabies] in a dog.”
Israel has led the fight against extremist Muslim terrorism for the past century. In the wake of the terrorist attacks in London and Manchester, it is high time the UK followed its lead.
JACK SHEBSON Jerusalem
There is nothing cowardly about these attacks. It takes incredible courage to set out on a suicide mission of mass murder.
The killers are devout, obedient, committed Muslims acting out on their beliefs. And clearly, there is virtually no visible and meaningful opposition by other Muslims.
Such terror will only escalate until the western world stops making a distinction between terror perpetrated against Israelis and Jews, and terror perpetrated against others.
Palestinians singlehandedly invented modern terror, but the world turned a blind eye because the targets were Jews.
Now the chickens have come home to roost. And it’s no longer just a question of putting up with several extra hours of nuisance and indignity when checking in for a flight.
Yes, I do feel a measure of schadenfreude when these horrible deeds happen, but not because I am insensitive to the plight of the victims. Rather, it’s because I am disgusted by the suicidal combination of western political correctness and indifference to the spilling of Jewish blood.
If there is a world capital of such duplicity, London is certainly a leading contender.
J.J. GROSS Jerusalem
Author Herman Melville describes Ramadan in Chapter 17 of Moby Dick as a “Fasting and Humiliation” (his capital letters).
Yes, Islamic extremists’ fasting, and our humiliation. Quite enough.
DANIEL ABELMAN Jerusalem
Ultra-Orthodox protests
Constant haredi-bashing on the front page is very hurtful to a whole group (“Haredim ramp up attacks on police in Mea She’arim,” June 5); “‘Kill women soldiers, IDF commanders,’ declare ultra-Orthodox extremists,” June 2).
Not all haredim want to murder or hurt the people who are protecting our country and us as a people, the IDF and police, who do a wonderful job and exercise great tolerance and restraint when being attacked by fringe groups. It would be more appropriate to refer to this fringe group of people as radical extremists.
The non-Jewish press has been concerned not to offend terrorists whose religion is Islam by not calling them radical Muslim terrorists or extremists; it just refers to them as terrorists without mentioning their religion.
Can we not be sensitive to all Jews irrespective of their religiosity and stop branding people by how they look or practice their religious beliefs, and do likewise?
AVRAHAM WAGSCHAL Jerusalem
There have been reports of haredim hanging an effigy dressed in an IDF uniform and burning an effigy dressed in an IDF uniform, and of a flyer calling on haredi followers to kill the next female soldier they see. By any definition, these are acts of terrorism designed to harm our children who are doing their duty for their country.
Imagine if this occurred in a Palestinian village – one can assume the full might of the IDF would descend and make mass arrests. The prime minister and defense minister would urge the toughest measures.
It is against the backdrop of this sheer hypocrisy that we should be standing up. Why do our senior politicians worry more about the state of their coalition then the lives of our children? Let us not forget Yishai Schlissel, the attacker at the Jerusalem gay pride parade.
Does anyone believe he is the only deranged zealot capable of murder? These young haredim can be imprisoned for crimes of terrorism.
The gray-bearded men who encourage them should be treated the same way we would treat an imam in a mosque who preaches hate and death.
As we are not an apartheid state, there should be one law for all terrorists who commit or encourage acts of violence.
MARK SPIGELMAN Jerusalem
What’s the point?
With regard to “PM: Israel doesn’t have ‘diplomatic blank check’ from US” (May 30), what is the point of being a sovereign nation? What is the point of the thousands who have sacrificed their lives – so many, so young? And why do we continue with the charade of celebrating our independence and the reunification of Jerusalem? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at a weekly Likud faction meeting, spelled it out loud and clear: Israel might be a sovereign nation and (hurrah!) can make many decisions for which there is a great deal of understanding in Washington, but don’t expect to take it any further without explicit agreement from President Donald Trump. And surprise, surprise! The prime minister and his cabinet made the decision to grant even more concessions to our enemies, making it possible for them to encroach further into Area C, which is supposed to be under our full control (as if we were in control of anything in this country).
Netanyahu said Trump was determined to reach an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, quoting him as follows: “Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas assured me that he is willing to reach for peace with Israel in good faith, and I believe him.
Likewise, Netanyahu assured me that he, too, was ready to reach for peace – he is a friend of mine and he means it.”
This is the astute “master deal-maker” in whose hands we are putting our future! I hope that the majority of the people feel as humiliated and sick of subservience to America, and of dhimmitude toward the Wakf Muslim religious trust, as I do in the one and only Jewish land.
EDITH OGNALL Netanya