Friends: Okay, I’m puzzled. I have sat at my television and watched as Fox (mostly) and MSM (almost none) gave us coverage of the attack on an American Embassy in Libya. Not only was the story of this disgrace muddled and spun by our own administration to support the idea that it was a “spontaneous” action of a mob, but came about because of a trailer of a to-be-made file about the prophet Mohammad. So, at the end of a couple of weeks of back and forth we can come to some conclusions: it wasn’t “spontaneous.” It was a planned attack by militia in Libya, connected more or less with Al Quida, and was specifically timed to occur on 9/11, believed by some to be a response to the killing of Osama Bin Laden. Well, maybe. (And what’s this “preplanned” crap? Something done before it was planned? Doesn’t anyone know English any more?) The reason I’m puzzled is that I have been reading the Koran for myself for a year now, in several translations. They substantially agree. Here are some snippets from it, which I hope you will follow up on and read for yourself. It’s tough going, but worth the effort, I think.

Surah 3. Al 'Imran (The Family Of 'Imran, The House Of 'Imran)
28. Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah. except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah.
32. Say: "Obey Allah and His Messenger.: But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith.

Surah 4. An-Nisa' (Women)
76. Those who believe fight in the cause of Allah, and those who reject Faith Fight in the cause of Evil: So fight ye against the friends of Satan: feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan.

Surah 5. Al-Ma'ida (The Table, The Table Spread)
33. The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger, and strive with might and main for mischief through the land is: execution, or crucifixion, or the cutting off of hands and feet from opposite sides, or exile from the land: that is their disgrace in this world, and a heavy punishment is theirs in the Hereafter;
38. As to the thief, Male or female, cut off his or her hands: a punishment by way of example, from Allah, for their crime: and Allah is Exalted in power.
51. O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.

Surah 9. At-Tawba (Repentance, Dispensation)
29. Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.
30. The Jews call 'Uzair a son of Allah, and the Christians call Christ the son of Allah. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the unbelievers of old used to say. Allah.s curse be on them: how they are deluded away from the Truth!
31. They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of Allah, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One Allah. there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).
33. It is He Who hath sent His Messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion, even though the Pagans may detest (it).
123. O ye who believe! fight the unbelievers who gird you about, and let them find firmness in you: and know that Allah is with those who fear Him.

Surah 48. Al-Fath (Victory, Conquest)
28. It is He Who has sent His Messenger with Guidance and the Religion of Truth, to proclaim it over all religion: and enough is Allah for a Witness.

I won’t try to interpret any of this. You do it. Best --- read the thing yourself. I have plowed through three versions so far and I don’t find much difference. I will try others. It’s fascinating. I see a group that wants to dominate the entire world, convert all to Islam, apply their law which varies all over the place depending on which Imam you listen to last, and punish, kill, and dominate anyone else than Muslims. So, is it a religion we can coexist with, a philosophy that makes sense, or a government structure that works? You decide. I think it isn’t, but that’s just me.

Now, here is another “film” available on Youtube.com. It was put up in August, 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MEquLcPomM Have you seen any Jews in any of the countries where there are Jews (how many is that?) burning Mosques or killing anybody? is the link to one of what I suppose is many lies on the Internet? There appear to be many more posted by Memri on Youtube.com. Check some of them out.

Now for my puzzlement. We have (had?) free speech in the United States. It is in the founding document of our nation, the Constitution, large trashed and shredded for many years by a bit by bit process of misinterpretation by courts, congress, and the public in general. People seem to believe what they want or what they are told without any thinking facility being used. Well, that’s freedom for you. As long as the free speech is SPEECH, and is not DOING, I support the freedom to say what you want. (I hope you give me that some courtesy.) But when free SPEECH progresses into DOING (like burning things down, killing those who disagree with you, and intimidating those on the sidelines, I don’t give the DOERS any right to do what they want. We are supposed to believe that because the Muslims involved (millions, apparently) are outraged, they are entitled somehow to do whatever their Imams tell them to do. Islam, if we are to believe the Koran, is “religion” of hate, barbaric DOING, in the name of prophet who was a warlord in 10th century Arab lands. I think he spoke to “current events” and gave instruction on how to live in a multicultural world. One tenet is that Islam must take over the world and make it ONE culture. That is what I think I see in the Koran. I have also seen many Imams giving different and sometimes conflicting instructions on how to deal with life in the 20th and 21st centuries. So, I’m puzzled. I’m willing to believe (am I gullible?) that most of the Muslims who rioted around the world at the urging of their leaders never knew of or even watched the Youtube trailer. I did. It’s stupid, annoying, and certainly meant to disturb Muslims. But it does fall into the free SPEECH area. It’s the DOING I object to. Our fearless leaders seem to live in the chaotic kneejerk responses of their minds, going to several directions at once, with no one in charge, or willing to take a stand other than one that says, “Not me!” or “Not us!” Nonesense. Somebody has to be in charge.

And here I sit, confused and puzzled. We are in the midst of a bitter contest to see who will be put in charge: the man who currently IS, and doesn’t do anything except pettyfog, or the man who says he’ll do something about it, which may be a dangerous path for us all. What a choice, but one we have to make. I am puzzled. What do you think? (Please, if you don’t THINK, don’t bother getting involved with this complex issue.

Well, here I go again. I have spent some time rethinking why I wanted a blog in the first place. The reason remains pretty much the same as always: I feel I have something to say. As I watch the world events down to the local level, I am shocked at the lack of understanding most people seem to show. More and more all I see is "feelings" and greediness. No thought. No knowledge. No effort to dig for further information. It's the same thing I saw in most of my students when I was teaching. So, I find myself frustrated, annoyed, and in many cases angry. Thus, the blog. But I have never made the effort to make the blog available in any real sense. That would require advertising. So, if I am ever to get any feedback as to whether I am on a right track, a wrong track, or any track at all, I am going to have to make effort to "spread the word." Let see if any of my attempts work! A new approach but with much of the same level of commentary. I hope anyone reading my blog (if any) will take the time to mention it and/or respond to me. I encourage debate, after all. This is solely my challenge. Can I do anything about this? I'll see. Perhaps no one else will....