I am a former US Army soldier that served in Iraq as a Medic. I didn't shoot anyone or shoot at them, nor did I humiliate or disrespect any prisoners or any other Iraqi citizen. My decision to become a soldier wasn't politically or patriotically based. To me it was just a job. At the time I enlisted I had no clue Bush would be elected president or that I was going to Iraq to be involved in a illegal war started by a lying president. In fact, many Americans feel the same way I do. Please understand, before you continue reading this, that I in no way support G.W. Bush or his foreign policy.

There are 3 different views that middle easterners need to be aware of. First, not all Americans are egotistical, war mongering, cowboys that would just as soon shoot you before helping you. Second, all American soldiers that work in Iraq (viewed as occupiers) are not cruel, murdering individuals. Third, not all the pain and suffering inflicted on the Iraqi people is the fault of US soldiers.

As a US Army Medic, I was responsible for treating injured US and Iraqi soldiers and injured Iraqi civilians. In my spare time, I ran a small medical clinic and helped citizens as best I could with the medicines I had. My unit also supplied water, clothes and food to people who needed them. There are many good things that US soldiers do that both Arab and American media will never report.

But there is also another tragic truth that is being ignored in Iraq. The so called "freedom fighters" in Iraq are killing, bombing and kidnapping other Muslims in the name of Jihad. The Prophet Muhammad, PBUH, would be angered by such actions.

In 2003, I was in Iraq at the time a group of suicide bombers bombed 3 mosques during a Shiite Holiday. The final death toll was 220 people. The worst patient I treated from this horrible act was a 5 year old child with severe burns. The child lived but his family wasn't as fortunate. I saw the look in his eyes as his grandmother told him that his parents and brother didn't make it.

So imagine trading places with her or me. Try telling him why his world has come to an end because some idiot with a bomb on his chest killed his entire family. Do you think he would understand, or more importantly, do you think he would care for any lame excuse anyone could offer him? Look that child in his eyes and tell him a brave holy warrior took their lives to prove a cause made worthless by the act of murder.

Don't get me wrong, if a person wants to strap a bomb to his chest and kill himself WITHOUT harming the people around him, then by all means have a blast. The true name for these people should not be martyrs or terrorists, but murderers. If Zarqawi and other groups of armed idiots have a problem with US soldiers, then they should take it up with them. Even terrorists and so-called militia resistances should have a sense of decency and common sense to not act like cowards and attack their perceived enemy - not unarmed men, women, and children.

The Iraqi people have far more to worry about than US soldiers. The issue of Muslim-on-Muslim violence needs to be addressed. While the focus is currently in Iraq today, beware. Tomorrow it could happen in your community. The bombing in Jordan and Egypt is proof that this spreading. Although I don't agree with all policies of Israel, they have one of the most active anti terrorist programs in the Middle East. Eventually all the countries in the region will have to become as aggressive as Israel to show these cowards that their actions will not be tolerated.

Here in America, we have the right to bear arms to defend our individual homes. We do not have the right to walk down the streets with guns. If you see people in your communities walking around with AK-47's during demonstrations, or any other time for that matter, they need to be reported to the authorities. Your local politicians need to make it a top priority to protect all citizens, regardless of religious or ethnic background. Here in America it's understood that if you see someone walking down the street with a gun, regardless of who it is, they are up to no good.

I urge you all to stand up for your communities. People like Zarqawi have no respect for you, they are only interested in their own twisted little agendas. It's time to let him, his supporters and other people like him know, that hard working, innocent, and peace-loving Muslim communities will not tolerate the loss of their families to their stupidity and dreams of ill-gotten glory. The actions of these few are making us as a whole look bad. Islam is about peace, and as true Muslims we have a moral duty to take a stand against extremism to show the terrorists and the world that Islam Is not a terrorist-based religion.

I would like to tell everyone not to hate the average American citizen or soldier. Direct your hatred in a positive manner toward politicians for their foreign policy decisions. None of them have family members involved in the Iraqi conflict and have nothing to lose. As for the average American citizen, everyone knows someone or has a loved one deployed to Iraq.

I challenge you all to start a peaceful Jihad in the form of a letter writing campaign. Look up US Congressmen and Senators office addresses on the web and fill their offices to the ceiling with letters telling them to stay out Middle Eastern affairs, mind their own business, and end this war.

A violent reaction is never a good thing, whether it is done by a super power or a man who feels like he is out of options. The world would be a much nicer and more peacefully place to live in if we learned to empathize with the people who we claim are our enemy. I think that we would find that we are not that different. Even two people who claim to be mortals can probably find some common ground (maybe they both like soccer or the same movies or they have the same morals), and perhaps if things had gone different or if they do go differently they could be best friend.

>>The world would be a much nicer and more peacefully place to live in if we learned to empathize with the people who we claim are our enemy.

Sure, go ahead. I'll try to recover your body and give you a proper burial anyway. Empathy is like any other tool: it has limited application. Sometimes, people *can* get together and discover each other's humanity. I beleive this can work a great deal in Israel/Palestine for at least most of the factions on each side. However, there are some people in the world who simply want to dominate others and force them to follow a particular way of life. This applies to the al-Qaeda crowd. Some people will say this applies equally to the US push for democracy. So be it; I'd choose Western Liberal Democracy and market economics any day over impovershed pseudo-Islamic dictatorship...

OmarG Sergeant, US Marines

"I urge you all to stand up for your communities."

Now that is Divide and Conquer talk if ever i heard it. Do you really expect any reasonable Muslim to listen to the words of that person who supports those who wholesale massacre Muslims and sponsor Isra'ili terrorist aggression? You are really asking Muslim brother to take arms against Muslim aren't you.

The true colours of this 'website' become clearer day by day, the hidden agenda less subtle.

Presumably you are "setting up" the upcoming destruction of the al-Aqsa mosque, which will no doubt be attributed to Muslim on Muslim violence.

No Muslim bombs a mosque. None. Not ever. It is the Bayt Allah. You failed to mention that in Iraq, the people don't see themselves as Shia or Sunni.... only Muslim and only Iraqi (unless you talk to a Kurd looking for independance that is)

Funny how the Iraqi Defence Forces were ordered away and so "disappeared" just minutes before the Samarra bomb went off. Funny how there had never been an attack on the holy Mosque while freedom fighters and local militia guarded it (until recently).

Anyone Muslim joining the Army of the West acts naively and gullible in the first place; especially that Army which has been resopnsible for some of the most reprehensible crimes in history.

The army is the puppet of the Politician, if you did not know then you certainly know now.

How exactly do you tell the religion of a suicide bomber?

Can we spot Mossad's hidden hand?

>No Muslim bombs a mosque. None. Not ever. It is the Bayt Allah.

Wow...you can't even fathom that someone would misuse religion for their own agendas. Well...atleast people that would misuse YOUR religion. Blind faith in God/Allah is admirable. Blind faith in people is naive.

> You failed to mention that in Iraq, the people don't see themselves as Shia or Sunni.... only Muslim and only Iraqi

Did you hear that a group of Iraqi's pulled out of talks to form a new government and, COINCEDENTALLY, they are all Sunni? What are the chances of THAT happening in Iraq where people don't see themselves as Sunni or Shia?

The actions of the insurgents is inexcusable, however, you must recognize that it is a direct result of Bush's war. Many of the Iraqi's I know that desperately wanted Saddam Hussein out, say that there families in Iraq are in a much worse situation now. While I am sure there are those in the military who are not enjoying "killing a-rabs", one has to look at the sadistic humilation, torture and murder taking place in the prisons, the reporting of women being humiliated and raped by American soldiers in their homes, the innocent families shot to death in their own cars, and the words of the soldiers themselves on their own internet sites. Many of them seem to enjoy having power over the helpless, and seem to regard Muslims, Arabs and South Asians as somehow "less human."
I don't see much difference between Saddam Hussein and George Bush.

>Many of the Iraqi's I know that desperately wanted Saddam Hussein out, say that there families in Iraq are in a much worse situation now.

You have to remember that Saddam wasn't handcuffed by morals and free press. If anyone started any problems under his regime, he would kill everyone first and ask questions later. Right now, the only people in Iraq that have that kind of reign currently are the terrorists and mercenaries contractors like Blackwater USA.

> the reporting of women being humiliated and raped by American soldiers in their homes

Please provide some links of this. This is totally ignored by the US media and if true needs to be brought up.

Avenger,

Muslims have bombed mosques in the past. You keep on talking about this muslim brotherhood that never existed. Shia-Sunni strife is not only in Iraq, but it is also present in Paksistan.

I will not forget how my Pakistani muslim brothers treated us for 23 years when we were part of their country. We surely will not forget that 3 million of us died because our brothers in the west thought we were muslim enough. They went through the streets of our cities killed people whether their homeless sleeping on the sidewalk, or a muslim going to the mosque. And, they bombed the mosques indeed, killed people inside mosques as well.

But, off course we show our concerns when Americans go into the mosque and kill muslims, or bomb the cities. Did the muslim countries do the same in our case? No.

We, musilims need to stop blaming the west for everything. Divide and conquer? What is stopping us from uniting? Not the Americans or the west. It is our own greed, corruption and utter contempt for humanity is what driving wedges among us.

And, may I ask, what is wrong with taking side with US if they are doing the right thing? Note, I did not support their Iraq invasion, - I always thought it would do more harm than good. And, I believe their foreign policy is misguided for the most part. That does not mean they are not capable of doing good.

I said,
>>However, there are some people in the world who simply want to dominate others and force them to follow a particular way of life.

...and then we find one such person posting with the name of "Avenger". I told you so...

FallenChristian: You said "Did you hear that a group of Iraqi's pulled out of talks to form a new government and, COINCEDENTALLY, they are all Sunni". Thats is an extremely dangerous paraphrasing of the situation, but you do this alot and I have many times, with respect, asked you about this. It is not that simple. Not even close to being that simple my friend.

Arshad: You said "We surely will not forget that 3 million of us died because our brothers in the west thought we were muslim enough". What are you referring to my brother?

OmarG: You are a sell out and a joke. I will read du'a for you. While some of us ask for Unity, you insult and mischief make with the Kaffir. You have already expressed your opinion that the Friday Khutba is akin to idolatry and pagansim.

We will all answer for our deeds on the Day of Recompense... even you... and then what will you say, how will you explain away your actions?

>Thats is an extremely dangerous paraphrasing of the situation, but you do this alot and I have many times, with respect, asked you about this. It is not that simple. Not even close to being that simple my friend.

I'm sorry that I misread those articles from CNN.com. Perhaps you don't trust them as a news source. How about Aljazeera.net?

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3554012E-9CDF-4227-95F3-249E6260C1B3.htm

Bottom of the page:

"Baghdad: Iraq's largest Sunni Muslim bloc said it would consider ending its boycott of talks on the formation of a new government after Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the prime minister, promised to protect all places of worship."

It sure implies that atleast one group of Iraqis views themselves as Sunni and everyone else as NOT Sunni. It also seems similar to how you view some people as Muslims and everyone else as NOT Muslim. Please explain how my believing in this or my stating this is dangerous.

Avenger,

I am referring to the atrocities commited by Pakistanis on the people Bengali origin in 1971. 3 million bengalis died in a period of 9 months. My question to you again, is that why no muslim country come forward to help us? Was the muslim world disgusted by the crimes of the Pakistani muslim army like they get disgusted with US aggression?

Avenger, can you please back away from the red font.

Surely you can make your point without putting it in pretty colours, or is it to highlight that your opinion is more important than ours?

Arshad,

There is no way to condone the killing of Muslims by other Muslims - not for political power and not for land.

I would raise some points though:

(1) The US wanted and needed the trouble. This is an excerpt from the de-classified records between Kissinger and Nixon at the time, found at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/nixon/xi/45604.htm

"Mr. Kissinger asked if there is any way West Pakistan can hold on to East Pakistan. Ambassador Farland said no, not in the long run. Mr. Kissinger then said that all we need is six months" (May 1971)

Kissinger planned for West Pakistan to hold onto East until Dec 1971 - as happened exactly to the USA's plans. They provided the pretext, the bullets and the mischief making. So.. whats new?

(2) The US provided the arms and prompted (economically forced) West Pakistan to force the war against India / East Pakistan. If you look at the transcipts the idea was that India was sacrificed by the US to the USSR in return for gaining long term entry to China via Pakistan - leading to the capitalism of China... the rest as they say is... history.

(3) India on the other hand militarised the Bengali's. Cause an argument and then arm both sides.... sit back and watch the fireworks. Its a tried and tested system... it works. Problem is Muslims are not meant to fall for it, in fact Allah strictly forbids it.

Muslim on Muslim killing is a strict sin... and utterly unforgiveable. some of the death tolls are estimated at 1 - 3 million, some favouring 300,000. Nonetheless, in Islam killing one is the same as killing the whole world.

But for how long will Muslims be manipulated by Shaytan's mischief makers... when will we break free?

Ansar:

I think it's up to us to stand up and empower other muslims to stop being manipulated for the purpose of political violence.

What can we do today to set that in motion?
What is peaceful,
What is effective,
What is in harmony with the guidelines of the Quran?