In the October 5th issue of this online magazine, Subrata Mukherjee, a software consultant out of New Jersey, offered his perspective on contemporary terrorism, which he ties with "religious fanaticism" (Global Terrorism and Religious Fanaticism). 

In his article he much accurately reflected the racist attitudes of the U.S. government and the Hindu-Indian population residing in America. His shallow position belied a myopic understanding of the issues in world politics and international relations. Thus, I would like to offer a mature rebuttal to Mr. Mukherjee's baneful conceptual framework of stigmatizing Islam and Muslim states.  

Mr. Mukherjee, much respectfully, started with an apologetic tone, however, slips later into a caustic attack on Islam: as the only religion that promotes terrorism. He speaks of "mythological periods" of warring factions based on "social disparities", while not providing any background or evidence to substantiate this delusional claim. He further asserts causalities between social disparities, religious wars, and terrorism without a clear definition of these terms or their impact upon each other. Having not resolved any coherent argumentation to show causality, he proceeds to incriminate the Taliban in Afghanistan and their support for Osama Bin-Laden's terrorist organizations. He throws few weak punches at Pakistan, Palestine, and Syria. And finally, he reveals his true nature as a Hindu sycophant to American anti-Muslim propaganda, by referring to the Fatwa of Muslim terrorist organizations vowing to rid the world of American citizens. 

Anyone with an honest understanding of the situation in the Middle East will not jump to conclusions as Mr. Mukherjee has dared to do. It doesn't take an anarchist to acknowledge the illegal, genocidal, atrocious - terrorist activities of the U.S. against countries in the Middle East: only rational, clear-thinking, logical human beings.

Aiding the formation of a Jewish state of Israel, U.S. backed troops drove out more than half-a-million Palestinians from their homes; in the process: raping, mutilating, torturing, killing thousands of innocent Palestinian women and children. The U.S. economic and military support of the Iraqi leader, Saddam "Satan" Hussein, led to the killings of innocent Kurds and Shii Muslims in Iraq. When Saddam dared to venture farther in the region with the U.S. provided weapons, the U.S. realized his threat to "national interests" - code word for oil - and acted by bombing not only the Iraqi army, but by also destroying vital civilians structures that are used for food and medicinal distribution. Leaving Iraq in total disarray the U.S. proceeded to place severe sanctions on inflow of food and medicines, a result of which has been the death of half-a-million Iraqi children by the last count. The New York Times reported in 1995, that more than 5000 children die every month, thanks to American sanctions. While the innocent masses have perished due to the "proxy" economic war played by the U.S., the Satan's administration in Iraq remains unshaken. 

The U.S. support for oligarchies in the United Arab Emirates, keeps the oil flowing into America, and money flowing into the pockets of oil executives; while the common man, that Mr. Mukherjee supposedly sympathizes for, is left with nothing and pushed into abject indigence in these Muslim lands. The C.I.A. trained and military sponsored Islamic warriors in Afghanistan in the 80's, to fight the Soviet Union, are the same now "terrorist" jihad warriors in action to take out American imperialists. Without sympathizing with these "terrorists", I believe it is not far-fetched to empathize with their frustration of wanting self-rule and independence. When countries are in a state of anarchy, like in these Muslim lands why is it wrong for the common man in these countries to support right-wing fanaticism as a way to address the problem of their homeland? 

Let me not even begin to point to you the terrorist acts of the U.S. in Latin America, where blatant military attacks and killings of innocent civilians by the U.S. troops, would clearly constitute in anyone's court of justice as inexcusable acts of terrorism. Given the history of the U.S., beginning with Indian removal in the continent, to enslavement of Africans, to clearing of Panama for the sole reason of maintaining American hegemony: America is the biggest criminal of the world, killing more lives than any other country, with her direct and proxy wars.

Mr. Mukherjee's contentions only analyzed Muslims in this complex concept of "Global Terrorism and Religious Fanaticism." Don't other religions have a hand in promoting violence and disruptions in today's world? What have Hindu fanatics of VHP and RSS done in India other than promoting acts of terrorism against the minority population? Sure, I won't deny the Pakistani-Islamic terrorism in India, however, that does not validate the actions of Hindu bigots in their blatant religious "wars" against innocent Muslim communities. What about the Jewish backed attack of Muslim populations in Syria and Palestine, which if one views in historical perspective, rightfully belong to Arab natives, and which was once a place of flourishing culture with Jews taking refuge in Arab nations against the Catholic church! Why was there no mention about the crusades of the Church, and still ongoing Christian acts of violence against Muslim communities in Indonesia and Africa? Why didn't Mr. Mukherjee consider these issues in addressing such a heterogeneous subject?

My response to his essay is not to nail Mr. Mukherjee to a cross and extirpate him of any worth, but merely to point out his inane argumentation and hasty jump to conclusions based on his biases. I certainly hold my biases in writing position papers; I would be a fool to deny it, however Mr. Mukherjee in my opinion, has stumbled to come across as objective in his analysis, which is a shame. A thoughtful analysis can be presented in this subject; however, a position rendering stigmatization of a group, alien to your understanding should not come from such misinformed data. I hope for a positive reply.