The Myth of Islamic Terrorism in America

Ali al Shihabi

Thoughts on Middle Eastern Politics

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Myth of Islamic Terrorism in America http://www.alishihabi.com/2013/05/the-myth-of-islamic-terrorism-in-america.html

After the planes hit on 9/11, a myth-making industry was born.

“Why do they hate us?” was the first thought to cross horrified American minds.

Israel’s lobby, worried that she would be seen as having sowed the seeds of anti-American sentiment in the Islamic world, quickly came up with an alternative explanation: “They hate us for our freedoms—our way of life,” screamed the headlines. Promoted by friendly journalists, politicians, and academics, these slogans quickly drowned out all other competing theories and were eagerly picked up and trumpeted by right-wing pundits like Rush Limbaugh, and Islamophobes like Daniel Pipes, who went on to claim that Islamists want to impose sharia law on America.

Hollywood, not to be left out of all the fun, quickly jumped on the bandwagon with a slew of entertaining programs like 24; Sleeper Cell; Homeland; and others that amplified and capitalized on this paranoia.

Bin Laden, in fact, had no interest in changing the “American way of life.” He wanted instead to topple the Saudi monarchy and saw 9/11 as a way to permanently rupture the Saudi–US alliance, a goal he very nearly succeeded in accomplishing.