Agape Press Commentary & News Briefs
Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Compiled by Jody Brown

"…A Washington-based Muslim advocacy group is condemning the beheading of American businessman Nick Berg in Iraq as a cold-blooded murder. Rabiah Ahmed of the Council for American-Islamic Relations says Muslims are especially horrified that Berg's killers shouted 'God is great!' and claimed to be acting in the name of Islam. The killers are shown on the Internet declaring that 'the dignity of the Muslim men and women' abused by U.S. troops in an Iraqi prison cannot be ';redeemed except by blood and souls.' Ahmed says Berg's beheading was 'in opposition with what Islam stands for.' She adds that American Muslims wish to extend their prayers, condolences and support to Berg's family. On Capitol Hill, Senator Lindsey Graham said the killing shows that America is fighting an enemy that 'behaves like animals in the name of God.' Senator Rick Santorum, from Berg's home state, made the following statement from the Senate floor on Wednesday: 'If anybody wants to know what we're fighting, and why we're fighting this war on terror, this is a very good example of it.' Pennsylvania's other U.S. senator, Arlen Specter, described Berg's death as 'unfathomable brutality' and 'a barbaric atrocity of the highest magnitude.' [AP/Jody Brown]"

I'm ashamed to say Santorum is one of my state's senators. It seems the irony of his statement regarding the recent beheading didn't occur to him. He says, "If anybody wants to know what we're fighting, and why we're fighting this war on terror, this is a very good example of it." It seems to me there must be a great number of Arabs, particularly in Iraq, saying, "Look at the way these barbarians treat prisoners of war! It's an outrage! They do such evil things and then continue to wonder why we hate them!"