Jihadist Attacks on American Embassies

The events of the week of September 11, 2012, are disconcerting on several fronts. It would seem that negative references to the Prophet Mohammed and visualizations of Mohammed in trailers on Youtube for an as yet to be completed American film have triggered Muslim tirades against America. The US Consulate at Benghazi, Libya, was attacked with rocket fire and crowds tried to storm the building. The US Ambassador and three other personnel were killed. In Cairo, mobs stormed the US Embassy. While no life was lost, many were injured an American flag was desecrated...ripped apart and burned. Apparently, some of the protesters objected to the flag burning. However, even Coptic Christians present supported the attack. US officials at first accused Egyptian security forces of not trying to control the mob, but the complaint was later withdrawn. Later in the week, US Embassies and consulates in Nigeria, Tunisia, India and Yemen were also attacked. So far, President Obama's response has been apologeyoc, as if somehow America deserved the attacks. The White House even tried to force Youtube to withdraw the trailet. Youtube, understanding freedom of speech better than the President seems to, refused. It is perhaps unusual to compare a flag to a religious prophet. But, there are comparisons that need to be drawn, just the same. The American flag is sacred to all Americans - regardless of their politics, religious beliefs or ethnicity. Americans have laid down their lives time and again to protect the precious symbol of their independence and nationhood. The story of the winter at Valley Forge and the letter of a young lieutenant to his wife, Betsy Ross, telling her that the Americans needed a flag to bolster their determination, is known to all Americans, as is her creation of the first Stars and Stripes and General Washington's appreciation and call to the Continental Congress to adopt the flag. It is the seminal American story of love of freedom, country, of the sacrifices of the soldiers protecting her, and of the citizens sharing in the work of independence. So, while I appreciate that Muslims do not believe that their Prophet should be visualized, I cannot help but feel that they have deliberately desecrated the sacred symbol of America in the full realization that they are delivering the greatest injury possible to the American soul. Muslim governments who are charged, as is every government, to protect foreign embassies and diplomats in their countries need to consider that if violence against Americans is an acceptable reaction to a desecration of the Prophet, then serious negative American reaction should be acceptable when the American flag is desecrated - not street violence against Muslims but perhaps withdrawal of American support for their countries or the withdrawal of American aid in times of crisis. It is no longer acceptable, in any sense, for Muslim countries which want to be treated as full members of the international community of nations to permit such violent civil disobedience in their territories. It is now time for all Muslim nations of good will to accept their duty to control religious extremists. America does this, as do all serious civilized nations. And, finally, Muslims themselves must stand up and be counted. We are living in 2012...not 800...and they need to take control of, and responsibility for, their countries, their religion and their lives. After all, Ameticans have feelings, too, and it is high time that the Muslim world matures enough to understand this and act accordingly.