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The Restraint of the Powerful
By Doug Patton
February 10, 2003

"Power is when we have every justification to kill, and we don't. That's power."
- Oskar Schindler

I opened my Sunday paper to find a photograph of nearly two million Muslims worshipping at their most holy site in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The accompanying headline read, "Muslim pilgrims pray against war."

The photo was dramatic. Seldom does one see the image of two million people gathered together in one spot - a sea of humanity, most from the Arab world, each having come to this place at this time in order to complete the pilgrimage Islam requires of every adherent at least once during this earthly lifetime.

As I stared at that photograph, I thought about the ridiculous notion that the United States of America is somehow waging a war on Islam.

Think about how you felt as you watched the images of 9/11. The fiery jets loaded with innocent people slamming into buildings filled with more innocent people. Individuals faced with the choice of burning to death or jumping to their deaths. Think of those in the path of the plane that sliced through the Pentagon, and the sinking feeling we all shared as we watched those towers collapse on the south end of Manhattan Island.

Now think back to the images of Muslims dancing in the streets, celebrating our misery and heartache.

Think of the power we had at our disposal. There is not a force on Earth that could have stopped us from incinerating the entire Arab world on September 11, 2001. Think of the deference this country's leadership has displayed in the seventeen months since we were attacked.

Think of the respect we display as we wait for the passing of Islamic holy days before launching our "limited offensives" against "targeted objectives."

Think of the tolerance we exhibit as we wring our collective hands over the "religious rights" of Taliban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

And think of the restraint we practice as U.N. "inspectors" play hide-and-seek with Saddam Hussein's deadly arsenal, and cowards split hairs over the connection of Iraq to Al-Queda.

The idea that America is out to destroy Islam is merely propaganda for dull-minded Islamist fanatics and naÔve Western peaceniks, because it is becoming increasingly obvious that the average Muslim doesn't even believe it.

If the United States was truly bent on the destruction of Islam, wouldn't it stand to reason that a gathering of two million of its followers would be a tempting target? If you were a follower of Islam and you believed that the world's only remaining superpower lusted for your demise, would you gather together in one spot with two million fellow believers?

Meanwhile, in Pakistan, Algeria, Sudan and elsewhere in the Muslim world, Christians are murdered in the name of Islam simply for speaking the name of Jesus Christ. Can you imagine how tempting a target two million Christian worshippers would be to those fanatics who attacked the World Trade Center?

In these surreal days of "the war on terror," nebulous enemies hide in our midst awaiting the opportunity to murder as many innocent Americans as possible. They are fanatical. They will not stop until they are crushed. And their supporters will not stop diverting the world's attention from the truth with lies like "America wants another Crusade."

America wants to live in peace, and for those who will not let us do so, the consequences that await them are the same as those that were once meted out upon the likes of Hitler and Tojo. We have the power, and God help those who assume that our restraint is without limits.