Muslims Killing Muslims- Whose Fault is That?

Car Bombing in Iraq 2005

In the past 24 hours, three bomb attacks have been carried out in Algeria, Lebanon and Iraq. The final body count is not yet complete, but it appears about 100 people have died. It also appears that all of the victims are local folks-probably all Muslims. With all the hoopla about the supposed sins of America, Israel and the West committed against Muslims, why is there so little comment about the internecine violence committed by Muslims upon other Muslims?

In Algiers, Algeria, two bombs went off, one near the Algerian Constitutional Council, the other near a United Nations office dedicated to relief operations. At this point, it appears over 60 people have been killed. Credit has been claimed by an organization called Al Qaeda in the Meghreb.

Algeria has been plagued by civil strife since the 1990s, when Islamic fundamentalists went to war against the government. Over 200,000 people have died in that period.

In Lebanon, a top Lebanese general, Francois Al-Hajj, was the targeted victim, killed by a bomb placed under a nearby car, in apparent retaliation for his role in the recent siege by government forces upon a Palestinian refugee camp used by terrorists.

And in Iraq, three car bombs went off Wednesday in the town of Amarah, killing at least 27 people. Were the bombs directed at American, British or coalition soldiers? Hardly. There are no coalition soldiers in that area since the Brits pulled out. Clearly, another case of internecine killing.

So why do we hear all this breast-beating about how we have created the problems in the Middle East? The fact of the matter is that even if the US and every Western nation left the Middle East tomorrow, people would still be killing each other, either because they want to take over the government, install a religious regime, kill Sunnis/or kill Shia, etc. Why is it that many Sunnis want to kill Shia and vice-versa?

There is something very wrong in the Middle East, and it has little to do with the West. It is a region that has never seen democracy. Its leaders have skillfully diverted attention and blame to Israel, blaming that tiny nation for all the woes of Palestinians and Arabs in general. And now, millions are turning inward toward Islam to vent anger at outsiders. A truly explosive mix.

I don't pretend to have the solution to the problems in the region. I wish we could isolate ourselves from it, but I know that is illusionary. On the one hand, the world should encourage moderate factions and hope they prevail. On the other hand, I am not optimistic.