In the past 10 months Steven Vincent and Theo Van Gogh died at the hands of militant Islamists. They were cruelly, brutally, inhumanly murdered – for the crime of thinking.
This piece by Bryan Preston at Tech Central Station is a wonderful short explanation of why Islamism must be defeated.
It does not discuss the subjugation of women demanded by Islamists. It does not mention the vilification of gays required by Islamists. It does not even generalize the question of the treatment of civilians at the hands of Islamists, not even the videotaped beheadings.
Preston’s point is this:
…two of the most prominent casualties are an art critic and a filmmaker. Steven Vincent and Theo Van Gogh both died for the cause of freedom, in their own way exemplifying just why this war is so dangerous, so awful, and will be so difficult to win. Yet win we must.
Both men died because they expressed thoughts that hard-core Islamists found offensive enough to kill for. They died exercising one of the most basic rights we have long taken for granted: The right to think and speak as you please.
This is why we must defeat the Islamist Jihad, and why it doesn’t much matter where we do it. Iraq is a fine place to start.
This is why enemy combatants are detained in Guantanamo – for Islamists the wonder is that they weren’t summarily executed.
For the ACLU and Amnesty International, the wonder is why these Jihadim aren’t being released on their own recognizance.
I have heard no better suggestion on place from any of the battle of Iraq’s critics. The criticism I do hear is all unreality-based appeasement.
If making films and writing are death penalty activities, then the wonder is that most American actors and writers, and too many politicians, are in favor of an Islamist victory.
Michael Moore, Tim Robbins, Noam Chomsky, Joe Biden – they’re all going to be up against the wall before I am – what are they thinking?
Does Salmon Rushdie refuse to return their calls?