Islamic Supremacists, and the moderate Muslims who support them, want to pave the way to a geopolitical caliphate with the sacrifices of bomb-fodder Muslims made suicidal by their intolerant and fatalistic beliefs, and the shredded bodies of men, women and children whose innocent will for personal freedom they passionately hate.

Some of us, who believe the number of American soldiers killed and wounded there has exceeded “acceptable” for Mid-East nation-building, say now that we acted prematurely in deploying our military to Iraq. Islamic Supremacists listen to us decry our mistake, and think their plan to plant their seeds for a repressive and totalitarian geopolitical caliphate in the fertile fields of terrified and destabilized countries, will work. They are, of course, wrong. They lack leadership. Men who give orders from mountain caves and sub-basements in mud huts are not leaders. And they don’t remember that our nation was hard-wired from birth to hate repressive, totalitarian governments, especially those with aspirations for world domination. We have demonstrated that through two hot wars, a cold war, numerous mini-wars, and several long-term police actions. Should they succeed in coughing up another Hitler or Mussolini and/or become more successful in their efforts to damage the world and destabilize more already tortured nations, they will hear our anti-war voices become quiet, and see the rest of our weapons come out.

Islamic Supremacists are also wrong, dead wrong, in believing a geopolitical caliphate begun by terrorists will bring Muslims respect, power and influence in the world. Evil does not beget good; evil begets evil.

I feel sorry for the Muslim world. In spite of an immense population and vast resources, it rides backward while the rest of the world faces forward. Rather than making advancements in Art or Science, rather than contributing positively to the human spirit, rather than helping humankind advance as a species, rather than developing a culture that makes the world a better place in which to live, it works on its reputation as inventor of the bomber jacket. Terrorism is the weapon of choice among fatalists. The fatalism endemic in the Muslim world reflects a suppressive culture that is not just incapable of tolerating others, accepting others, welcoming others, loving others, but also is incapable of tolerating, accepting, welcoming and loving self. Self-loathing is the result. Terror is the result. Terrorism is the result.  

How can Islamic Supremacists achieve the power, respect and influence they crave if not through barbarism and terror, national destabilization, and destruction? They could start by creating a spiritual caliphate. The Pope, the Eastern Orthodox Patriarch and the Dalai Lama, all govern the religious lives of millions, but keep their holy hands off the non-sectarian governments of the nations in which their followers live. Non-sectarian governments world-wide should welcome the development of a benign, spiritual caliphate. But there is a reason why such a caliphate, spiritually uniting Muslims across the troubled geographic and philosophical borders that separate them, does not exist today: their own self-imposed inability to tolerate, accept, welcome and love others, and, as importantly, themselves and each other.

Muslims claim to grant respect to the great religions of the world. They claim to respect Christ, not as the Son of God, but as a great prophet. While they may claim to respect religious figures other than Muhammad, they apparently don’t read their teachings. Perhaps if they read the teachings of Christ or Buddha, or heard the voice of the Dalai Lama, Muslims might find what they need to have a chance to build a spiritual caliphate, and Islam can truly become one of the great religions and a true, Godly, spiritual leader of the world.

I won’t hold my breath.