"Terrorists" who are cast as villains by the West are praised and noted as heroes by those oppressed by the west.

The reputations of Osama bin Laden, Sheikh Yassin, Imam Cassiem, Yahya Ayash, and many other activists, (so-called terrorists), have exceeded to a point where individuals worldwide honor them for their bravery in standing up to Western barbarism.

The massacre of Iraqis, Palestinians, and now Afghani’s, mostly children, through sanctions, depleted uranium shells, live ammunition and helicopter gun ships, have lit a burning fuse of Islamic anger.

Islamic Movements interests, headed by the likes of bin Laden, against the United States alliance are regarded as victorious. The death of a soldier in occupied land is observed as a victory that elevates and honors the entire Muslim community.

The Iranian Revolution in 1979 against Shah Reza Pahlavi, at that time America's favorite Muslim tyrant in the region, injected a boost of confidence and possibilities to the Global Islamic Movements throughout the world. It broke the psychological fear that had prevented Muslims to face up to the illegitimate Western surrogate dictatorships oppressing them.

The presence of the American and British military in the Middle East has been a contentious issue amongst Muslims. The Western powers support of governments hostile to Muslim freedom fighters in different regions such as Chechnya, Kashmir, Philippines, Somalia, Palestine, Algeria, Nigeria, Serbia and others has exacerbated the situation. Further, unconditional sponsorship of tyrannical and oppressive rule of the Arab and "Muslim" secularist regimes in Indonesia has inflamed the passions of the ordinary Muslim.

The permanent US military bases set up in Oman, Kuwait, Yemen and Saudi Arabia was an affront to Muslims sensibilities. It became clear that the Americans and the West had engineered, in collusion with the corrupt leaders of these countries, to control the resources of the region for the sole benefit of the dominant powers. They would also protect the illegitimate racist Zionist Israeli regime foisted into the region. The invasion of Afghanistan by the USSR in 1980 proved to be fertile ground for disparate Muslim groups to interact, develop a comrade and forge a common bond to counteract the onslaught against Islam.

After enduring decades of being bludgeoned into submission, ordinary Muslims decided that it is better to die on one's feet than to live perpetually enslaved on one's knees. Muslims from Palestine, Kashmir, Mindanao, Africa, Kosova and Chechnya and elsewhere amalgamated into a single ideological unit cutting across all cultural or national barriers. This confrontation elevated the Mujahideen (freedom fighters) from psychological humiliation to a stand of dignity, pride and power.

The return of the victorious Mujahideen to their various countries bolstered the firm and uncompromising Islamic resistance against puppet regimes. An even greater victory was the unprecedented (in the modern era) international co-operation and co-ordination between Islamic groups and movements. When brave Islamic figures such as Osama bin Laden focused their attention to liberate Muslim lands occupied in other parts of the world, the Western world transformed these Muslim heroes into villains.

In the aftermath of the Gulf carnage in 1991 the Arab religious leaders were agitated to have the American troops ousted from their lands. It became apparent that their presence in the region was to protect and exploit the oil resources for the dominant powers, to support the illegitimate Israeli regime and to shore up the fragile and corrupt potentates of the Middle East. The Western world's and the United Nations reaction to Iraq, in contrast to the absolute inaction in the case of Israel, was the most blatant display ever of selective justice, of biased morality and double standards in the annals of international relations.

The Western media's propaganda machine had dismally failed to demonize Muslim organizations such as Al Qaeda, Hamas and al-Jihad before Sept 1l. Fearful of Osama bin Laden and the increasing support for Islam worldwide, America required a well coordinated, horrific event that could be blamed on "the Muslims".

The Sept 11 attacks did not benefit any Muslim, Arab, Palestinian, or Osama himself. Instead it served as a trigger for America's assault on Islam and Muslims. To date, no one has claimed responsibility for the murderous plot that killed many Americans, and there is no credible evidence linking Bin Laden to this crime.

It is only a matter of time before America is destroyed, as well as all those who support the current unjust war in Afghanistan. It is now more evident that the "war on terror" has nothing to do with Al Qaida or Osama bin Laden, but instead an imperialist quest for the mineral wealth of South East Asia.

True Muslims will never submit to anyone's requests except God Almighty. The fight for Muslim dignity will continue till the day of Judgment.  It is therefore correct to conclude that "Islam cannot be defeated". No matter how hard Bush, Blair, or Sharon persist, each time an "Osama" is killed, many more will arise, with more fury for the West.

by courtesy & © 2001 Media Review Network & Abdullah Vawda