Anwar Al-Awlaki’s American Journey

[Valin]

National Review:

He was born in a land of freedom, tolerance and opportunity. He wanted none of it.
Clifford May
10/6/11

It is a paradox of modern times: We are committed to diversity yet have enormous difficulty imagining people who actually are different. Americans and Europeans prize peace and, on that basis, assume peace has become a universal value. The West has lost the will for power and the thirst for glory — the very phrases sound archaic — so most of us assume no other nations seek to conquer and dominate. And because we are willing to compromise, we are confident others would settle for a half-loaf rather than killing and being killed in pursuit of the whole.

Lack of imagination leads to the conclusion that all conflicts can be resolved — if only we’d explain ourselves better, show others respect, address grievances, and offer more generous concessions. But this conclusion is erroneous. Anwar al-Awlaki — the al-Qaeda cleric and commander killed by a Hellfire missile last week — provides a vivid example.

(Snip)

More than 30 years after Iran’s Islamic Revolution and more than a decade after the 9/11 atrocities, this is not just evident — it is patently obvious. It is what the self-proclaimed jihadis tell us over and over. Yet many Americans and Europeans still do not hear it or see it. They believe in the idea and ideal of diversity. They just can’t accept the possibility that there are people who, deep down, are not like them.

[Geee]

http://www.therightreasons.net/index.php?/topic/35174-anwar-al-awlakis-american-journey/