Terrorism, stereotypes, and blame

Poor Nick Berg. It seems the Iraqi police arrested him, and then the terrorist kidnappers got him three days after he was released by the police. It is getting to the point where civilian specialists and contractors who support the Iraqi rebuilding and CPA are all going to leave, which would leave the occupation and handover in awful shape.

The horrendous killing of Berg could be expected to lead some far right wingers to find a demographic group to blame, instead of the vicous terrorists who are actually responsible. For such an individualist bunch, some of them sure like to collectivize blame.

The particularly odious ChronWatch tosses out such a number.

The writer asks, "Where is the anger", implying rhetorically that Muslims in fact endorse this sorry business, because she has pointedly not quoted any Muslims objecting to it.

But it is a rhetorical trick, because of course Muslims have objected to it.

Americans I am sure do not want their entire civilization, or Christendom, blamed for the idiocy at Abu Ghraib prison. It behooves us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. If Westerners or Christians seek to avoid racial/religious blame for the actions of those of our party, we must avoid assigning such blame ourselves.

Collectivization is in fact the first step terrorists take in justifying their awful acts. When another group becomes a stereotype, they are already well on the way to becoming an enemy. It is not a place as a Christian that I can allow myself to go. Jesus says, "Every hair on your head is counted." God values our individuality - and I am not free to regard Iraqis as a bunch of terrorists, or worse.

I can't help but remember the interview with one of the hapless victims of Abu Ghraib. He didn't call what he'd been through "torture" even though it clearly was. He was too embarassed to go home, and wondered wistfully if he could go to the United States.

Does that sound like the same kind of man as Berg's murderers to you?