By THE WITNESS STAND BY CLIFF NICHOLS
Am I alone in the belief that certain events in the last week seem to have whipped up the winds of war we all have been feeling recently to become, at the very least, increasingly “gusty,” giving rise to the possibility that they could soon achieve hurricane status?
There are two reasons this concerns me. First, if history has taught us anything, it is that most wars seem to have been the products of miscalculations.
And secondly, because I have four sons, the miscalculations I am now witnessing remind me with extreme clarity of the truism that the best time not to become a father is 18 years before a war.
First off, the secular mass media types would have us believe that the Pope pulled a Gibson last week by saying some things about the Islamic faith that he now regrets, to the effect that Islam is a religion with some inherent tendencies towards violence. I’m not sure why he took it upon himself to make those remarks, but they did spark some interesting responses from those within the Islamic community. For example, while some were proclaiming the pacifist nature of their beliefs, others, like the Mujahideen Shura Council, put the following statement on the Internet: “We tell the worshipper of the cross (the Pope) that you and the West will be defeated, as is the case in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya... We shall break the cross and spill the wine... God will (help) Muslims to conquer Rome... (May) God enable us to slit their throats, and make their money and descendants the bounty of the mujahideen.”
Doesn’t such talk warm the cockles of your heart? What could the Pope possibly have been thinking? Isn’t it obvious to him that people such as this only desire, ever so ardently, to build bridges that will bring all of us of different faiths together? Should it really matter if those bridges are apparently only to bring us together to engage in some kind of hand-to-hand combat involving sharp blades? So what if we won’t all be there to sing kumbayah? At least we’ll all be together, and if that happens, won’t there then be an increased possibility of productive inter-faith dialogue? Not. Just ask the Italian nun who was shot this week in Somalia and whose death, for whatever reason, is being linked to the Pope’s remarks. Oh, sorry, we can’t. She’s dead. I guess that’s just one of those darned unanticipated miscalculations.
Another would have to be how many in the Islamic community have morphed the Pope’s remarks into statements that they claim reveal the evil of the U.S.-Israeli alliance.No kidding. Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, said the Pope’s remarks on Islam and violence were just the latest “links in the chain” of a U.S.- Israeli conspiracy aimed at creating conflict between religions. Let’s ignore the extraordinary leap in logic required for him to reach that conclusion, because, however he did it, the fact is somehow he got there. The result? Islamic protesters last week burned U.S. and Israeli flags to protest the Pope’s remarks. Oh, and let’s not overlook the fact that German flags were also being burned, but that appears only to be because the Pope’s remarks were made while he was in Germany. Another in the series of miscalculations that could lead us into some kind of full-scale global war? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Of course, time will tell, but my sense right now is that we may not have to wait very long.
This last Monday there was a photo of Iran’s president, Ahmadinejad, being hugged by Venezuela’s anti-U.S. president Chavez. Maybe I’m alone, but to me it seemed to reveal the possible birth of another alliance that could bode ill for those of us who reside in the West. Meanwhile, I see the Washington Times has reported that: “Developing countries (including Iran and Venezuela) Sunday wrapped up a multinational summit with North Korea charging that U.S. threats drove it to acquire deterrent atomic weapons and Iran winning solid support for its nuclear ambitions.
“Iran, Venezuela and Cuba joined North Korea in leading efforts to forge an anti-U.S. alliance. Summit leaders, in a statement on Iran, reaffirmed the basic and inalienable right of all states to develop research,production and use of atomic energy for peaceful purposes.”
Right. Could it be only a coincidence that those are some of the very countries that also have indicated a desire to wipe both Israel and the United States off the map? Somehow I suppose it could be,but then again,I tend to think, maybe not.And if not,maybe we should at least consider the possibility that such nations could be willing to use such nuclear capabilities for purposes that, shall we say, could be adverse to our pursuit of life, liberty and justice for all.
At the very least, shouldn’t we consider the possibility to be one more in the possible series of miscalculations constituting the strong gusts occurring with increasing frequency among the winds of war that seem to be moving us toward a world war?
And that brings us to today.As you read this column, none other than Iranian president Ahmadinejad is scheduled to speak at the U.N. in New York, and of one thing there can be no doubt. The events of last week have lent to his visit a frightening significance that will cause many around the world to be listening carefully to his every word.Who could have anticipated that random events would empower him so quickly so that the mere force of his breath as he speaks could possibly cause the winds of war to become transformed into a perfect storm if he so chooses? What a miscalculation. My only prayer now is that he will use the opportunity wisely. Unfortunately for those among us who are around the ages of my sons, however, the remarks he has recently issued to the world suggest it is more likely he will choose to do otherwise. But I guess we’ll see soon enough, won’t we? (Cliff Nichols is an attorney practicing criminal defense in Santa Monica. He may be contacted at either (310) 917-1083, or www.cliffnicholslaw.com. You may join his blog at www.thedailystand.com.)
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 20, 2006. Read the original PDF.