The IRA never defined or justified themselves on the basis of Catholicism, whereas the organizations that you noted clearly do you sharia as part of the basis for justifying their actions. Those who pursue violence because of Christian beliefs (ie: Joseph Koney) are labeled as such.
The problem is that the focus is on the bombers quoting from the Quran and citing 'Allah' in their suicide wills. However, listen to the reasons they give for willingly giving up their lives - it is not because they hate Christians or all Americans/Westerners etc. It is because they believe injustices were/are being carried out.
I strongly agree with this, but would still classify them as Muslim terrorists. While most Americans are woefully ignorant of why various terrorists groups are blowing people up and should be far more intently focused upon the political causes of these conflicts, the fact remains that this is a form of religious terrorism as secular goals are being advanced by religiously-sanctioned techniques in a religious context.
If Japanese pilots thought they were going to heaven - is not their religion condoning suicide?
Which is why Shinto was considered to be a key aspect in the WWII Japanese war machine.
If Tamil Tiger ladies thought they were abiding by their Hindu beliefs by blowing themselves up, how is this any different from muslim suicide bombers' delusion that they will be going to heaven?
The difference lies in the Christian Tamil Tigers. Care to point out the Christian authorities in Al Queda or Islamic Jihad for me? No?
LTTE is a secular organization, and states as much. While most of its members are Hindu, not all are, and its philosophy is based on race and secession, not religion.
The label 'Islamic Terrorist' falsely gives the impression that the main driver is religion - and my question is why this is the case when there are political objectives to their madness.
Again this I will certainly agree with. Personally I prefer the term Qutubism, as it draws upon the political and religious factors involved without as much ambiguity or misrepresentation as other labels.
I quote a few extracts only to show that his logic and objectives are as valid as PIRA or Tamil Tigers - in that it is a reaction to what they all perceive as injustices:
Before I begin, I say to you that security is an indispensable pillar of human life and that free men do not forfeit their security, contrary to Bush's claim that we hate freedom.
If so, then let him explain to us why we don't strike for example - Sweden? And we know that freedom-haters don't possess defiant spirits like those of the 19 - may Allah have mercy on them.
No, we fight because we are free men who don't sleep under oppression. We want to restore freedom to our nation, just as you lay waste to our nation. So shall we lay waste to yours.
(Q2) As for the second question that we want to answer: What are we calling you to, and what do we want from you?
(i) You are the nation who, rather than ruling by the Shariah of Allah in its Constitution and Laws, choose to invent your own laws as you will and desire. You separate religion from your policies, contradicting the pure nature which affirms Absolute Authority to the Lord and your Creator. You flee from the embarrassing question posed to you: How is it possible for Allah the Almighty to create His creation, grant them power over all the creatures and land, grant them all the amenities of life, and then deny them that which they are most in need of: knowledge of the laws which govern their lives?
(ii) You are the nation that permits Usury, which has been forbidden by all the religions. Yet you build your economy and investments on Usury. As a result of this, in all its different forms and guises, the Jews have taken control of your economy, through which they have then taken control of your media, and now control all aspects of your life making you their servants and achieving their aims at your expense; precisely what Benjamin Franklin warned you against.
(iii) You are a nation that permits the production, trading and usage of intoxicants. You also permit drugs, and only forbid the trade of them, even though your nation is the largest consumer of them.
(iv) You are a nation that permits acts of immorality, and you consider them to be pillars of personal freedom. You have continued to sink down this abyss from level to level until incest has spread amongst you, in the face of which neither your sense of honour nor your laws object.
Who can forget your President Clinton's immoral acts committed in the official Oval office? After that you did not even bring him to account, other than that he 'made a mistake', after which everything passed with no punishment. Is there a worse kind of event for which your name will go down in history and remembered by nations?
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/worldview/story/0,,845725,00.html
Osama bin Laden was just as religious as he is now when he was being trained by the CIA and being armed to fight against the Russians in Afghanistan
We did NOT support Bin Laden and the Arab Afghans. That was Saudi Arabia through funds funnelerd in through Pakistan on order by the CIA.
