Ron,
I BET YOU A ZILLION DOLLARS THAT B. DENARD IS OUR MAN!! --NO KIDDING.
I just stumbled on this:
islamtz.org
The above is a link to some academic/cultural-oriented site whose purpose is to inform about Tanzania's Islamic culture.
Now, under the Islam and Politics in Tanzania headline, you'll read this:
ISLAM AND POLITICS IN TANZANIA
By BROTHER MOHAMMED SAEED
Muslim Writer's Organization
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
INTRODUCTION
Islam has been in existence in East Africa since the eighth century. With Islam, emerged the lingua franca, Kiswahili, spoken throughout East and Central Africa and the Swahili culture which is mostly associated with Muslims. About two-thirds of East Africa's Muslims reside in Tanzania which is the most populous of the East African countries i.e. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
According to the 1957 population census, Muslims outnumbered Christians at a ratio of three to two. This means Tanzania is a leading Muslim nation in the region. But the 1967 census the total figures for Tanzania Mainland are 32% Christian, 30% Muslim and 37% local belief. This shows Pagans as a leading majority. The 1967 census has not been able to show the reasons for the sudden decrease of Muslim population nor the growth of Paganism. This was the last population census showing religious distribution. It is widely believed that the figures for the 1967 census were doctored for political reasons to show Muslims were trailing behind Christians in numerical strength. This paper "lnsha Allah", will try to show the reasons behind such a move and many others.
Christianity is a relatively new religion in Tanzania having introduced into the country during the 18th Century by professional missionaries. Christianity was resisted by Muslims right from the beginning. In any uprising against the colonial state Muslims took that opportunity to attack missionaries and Christian establishments.2 Muslims perceived both missionaries and the colonial state as fellow collaborators and therefore enemies to Islam. Islamic radicalism has therefore a long history in the struggle against colonial rule and Christianity. Christianity meanwhile became a reactionary force siding with the colonial state.
In the Maji Maji War of 1905 some Christians fought alongside the German army against the people to safeguard Christianity.3 In this war some Muslims were hanged particularly for killing missionaries and for waging a war against German rule.[...]
Direct link:
islamtz.org
Got the picture, Ron? In my previous post, I hinted to you that the East Africa bombings didn't fit the Islamist terrorism's mindset. Well, this was inaccurate: not only didn't they fit the Islamist mindset but they also didn't fit the Islamist terrorism's method.
As you might be aware of, Tanzania incurred the heaviest toll --over 200 fatalities out of a total of 272, if I remember-- and, as depicted in the above links, it's a country whose over 30% of the population is Muslim. At this point, let's refresh our memories about Islamist terrorism in the past... I believe that, as far back as you might check it out, you can't find a single occurence involving an Islamist attack with such a high collateral damage as in the East Africa bombings --especially within a Muslim-rich environment. Quoting from memory:
# The bomb attack against a US Marines camp in Lebanon (over 200 casualties) in the early 1980s. Pres. R. Reagan was consequently forced to withdraw from Lebanon;
# The similar bombing in Dahran, Saudi Arabia (toll of dead amounted to 19 US militarymen) where the FBI is still investigating;
# The hijacking of cruise liner Achille Lauro during which a disabled Jewish American was thrown overboard;
# The shooting attacks by Egypt's Muslim Brothers aimed at Western tourists;
# The suicide bombings in Israel;
# The Lockerbie/Pan Am bombing;
# The WTC bombing in NY City;
Etc.
None of these allegedly Islamic attacks was ever ''smeared'' by some collateral damage involving Muslims --whether people or brick-and-mortar assets... The only instance of Muslim terrorists supposedly killing other Muslims is Algeria but, as I've brought evidence before on the WWIII thread, the so-called GIA attacks are essentially retaliations perpetrated by Algeria's governmental death squads.
So, Ron, why all of a sudden such random blockbuster-bombings in East Africa? I think that, while it doesn't tell us much about the underlings who put the bombs at the US embassies and who, indeed, might happen to be ''genuine'' Muslims, it does tell us much more about the sponsor country who masterminded these outrageous bloodsheds. That is a country who doesn't care about severing its relations with anglo-Saxon East Africa and who doesn't mind Islam alienating moderate Muslim East African countries --not to speak of US reprisals. Does Iran, or even Sudan, fits such a whopping criterion??
Time to consider to have your next Summer vacation in France!
Regards,
Gustave. |
