28 March, 2004
 

Babes in Jihadland

"We have seen the enemy... and he's in the fourth grade." What will the enemy think of next - Semtex Pampers?

By Ellen W. Horowitz

Arab fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, university students and professionals - male and female alike- are doing it. So two days after two eighteen-year old terrorists from Gaza blew themselves and 10 Israelis to death, was anyone really surprised that death can also come in the form of a 10-year old Arab boy carrying a bomb-laden bag? Luckily, the explosives were discovered in time. The seemingly innocent child was sent back to school and lived to tell about the episode.

Come on, this 10-year old kid isn't even ripe enough to take advantage of the 72 virgin bonus in paradise (talk about purgatory...). Where will all of those maidens come from anyway? Will Hamas recruit multitudes of young school girls to don explosive-packed chastity belts in order to satisfy the glut of martyrs in paradise?

The exploitation of children has been in the picture for a long time and we1ve all seen the images. The international media has been hard-pressed to present the Arab inhabitants of Judea, Samaria and Gaza in a humanitarian light. Usually the only way to achieve this has been by denigrating the Israeli soldiers and settlers, thereby leveling the playing field. But every once in awhile a photojournalist neglects to crop his photo before exposing it to the world- and the truth is inadvertently exposed.

Last month http://www.MidEastTruth.com sent a communiqué with an incriminating photograph -compliments of Reuters- of a terrorist firing from amidst a group of children. Whether the terrorists deliberately set-up shop and fire from areas swarming with children, or whether the children are allowed and encouraged to enter the firing zone makes no difference.

Under the circumstances, it's something of a miracle that more Arab children are not killed in the line of fire. This is obviously due to the scrupulous policies of the IDF. However, this must be frustrating for the terrorist organizations, as they would resort to anything in order to recreate the media extravaganza that produced the poster child of the year 2000. Mohammed al-Dura was caught in the crossfire and the twelve-year old's dramatic death was captured on screen. That the fatal shots were likely fired from Arab guns made no difference. Al-Dura1s death became an enduring symbol for the international community and an endearing moment of glory for the Arab world.

The real tragedy is if al-Dura were alive today, it1s very possible that he would be armed, dangerous and an up-and-coming member of one or more of the following "youth groups": Fatah, Tanzim, Force 17, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hizballah, DFLP, PFLP or Al-Aska Brigades.

There are no innocents and subsequently no virgins in the Arab-occupied portions of Judea, Samaria and Gaza. The young generation has been raped and indoctrinated by their parents, clerics, educators, political leaders and society at large, in an orgy of self-induced violence and rage. It is a society which simultaneously thrives on and consumes itself with hatred.

I reject the assumption that a tendency towards evil stems from oppression, occupation, or poverty. Rather, I believe that destructive traits are revealed in individuals and groups which are lacking in a heritage that is based on sound ethical and moral foundations. It's this perception that causes me to question the validity of the Palestinian Arab claims to legitimacy.

A good portion of the Arab inhabitants from Judea, Samaria and Gaza have chosen to answer their challenges and trials with terror and destruction, rather than search for creative and productive solutions.

The Jewish people as well as other nationalities and ethnic groups have managed to adhere to basic ethical principles and moral behavior even when repeatedly confronted with persecution, upheaval, and unspeakable anguish. A quest for order and the desire to create when faced with chaos is the miracle of the human spirit, and ultimate test of humanity.

As human beings we have every right and are obligated to investigate and question the purpose, goals and origins of a purported people who consistently destroy the life and hopes of its progeny to the point where their children dream and aspire to death -their own as well as that of others.

We also reserve the very human right to remove those who aim to destroy us from our midst -regardless of their age.



(2004-03-28 15:33:56.0)