In a dismal world of unmitigated violence, rape, massacres, genocide
and brutality, it is still shocking to view the horror videos coming
out of Iraq and Syria in which hooded cowards behead their helpless
victims, denying them all dignity, mocking them before and after the
brutal execution and getting crowds of onlookers to chant Allahu
Akbar (God is great) while they perform their grisly actions.
The chant performs a double function - it drowns out the pitiful cries of those being slaughtered and makes the onlooking believers-in-Allah afraid to challenge the butchers who, they fear, must have got Allah onside. Humans hiding their faces cut off the heads of various victims and then put the bleeding heads on show. Among the onlookers are little children whose parents have brought them to view the vile and disgusting butchery of a human being as if it were a treat for their birthday.
ISIS is the villain that authorizes this savagery. ISIS leaders and members carry out the gruesome murders. With the full use of modern technology they show their evil to the world: while victims are tied up waiting to be slaughtered they get the video cameras in place and chat like film directors enjoying a job of work.
Except that these "directors" have guns and tanks that have overrun large swathes of Iraq and Syria. They swagger about the towns and villages laughing, drunk with power, calling on a trader here to ensure that the Ramadan fast is being observed or on a husband there to get his wife to adjust the length of her dress. They kidnap at will, murder at will. Fear and terror have been the instruments of their victories in acquiring control over towns and cities. They instill not only the fear of public beheadings but also the fear of their version of the Muslim's holy book, the Quran, appearing to have the authority to interpret and enforce its edicts - or what they say are its edicts - on a passive and sometimes benumbed population.
The victims are anyone who run foul of the butchers for any reason.
Their actions are pure evil and no religious or patriotic convictions can justify them.
The chant performs a double function - it drowns out the pitiful cries of those being slaughtered and makes the onlooking believers-in-Allah afraid to challenge the butchers who, they fear, must have got Allah onside. Humans hiding their faces cut off the heads of various victims and then put the bleeding heads on show. Among the onlookers are little children whose parents have brought them to view the vile and disgusting butchery of a human being as if it were a treat for their birthday.
ISIS is the villain that authorizes this savagery. ISIS leaders and members carry out the gruesome murders. With the full use of modern technology they show their evil to the world: while victims are tied up waiting to be slaughtered they get the video cameras in place and chat like film directors enjoying a job of work.
Except that these "directors" have guns and tanks that have overrun large swathes of Iraq and Syria. They swagger about the towns and villages laughing, drunk with power, calling on a trader here to ensure that the Ramadan fast is being observed or on a husband there to get his wife to adjust the length of her dress. They kidnap at will, murder at will. Fear and terror have been the instruments of their victories in acquiring control over towns and cities. They instill not only the fear of public beheadings but also the fear of their version of the Muslim's holy book, the Quran, appearing to have the authority to interpret and enforce its edicts - or what they say are its edicts - on a passive and sometimes benumbed population.
The victims are anyone who run foul of the butchers for any reason.
Their actions are pure evil and no religious or patriotic convictions can justify them.
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