In his second inaugural speech, President Bush articulated a bold vision linking America's defense to the promotion of freedom and democracy. The real threats to American and Western security in the twenty-first century are ideologies that reject tolerance and human rights.

We have seen our vulnerability - and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny - prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder - violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.

Saudi columnist Muhammad Mahfouz, echoing the overriding theme of President Bush's inaugural speech in an article published in the Saudi Gazette [!], rejects the traditional notion of poverty as the root cause of terrorism, and lays the blame specifically on the perverted ideology of hate promoted by radical Islamists. The solution to defeating radical Islam is changing the culture that tolerates radical Islam.

"The relationship between the phenomenon of terrorism in our society and culture is like the relationship between the cause and consequence. A thorough study of this phenomenon shows that the … real reason behind the mobilization of a handful of young men by this deviant group is purely cultural. This means that these youths were brought up in a special cultural atmosphere which finds its roots in a stereotyped understanding of religion. This understanding serves as a basic incubator to this group. This may explain the reason why some youths belonging to rich families and others who are well positioned in the state's civil service hierarchy are implicated in terrorist crimes.

"This [means] that financial and economic factors can not be associated with this group. Therefore, it is a cultural and religious factor that motivated them [to kill] innocent people and destroy the country's infrastructure.

"Thus, the only way to put an end to the wave of violence and terrorism is to fight a cultural and ideological battle against terrorism as well as [against] its direct and indirect causes. Without fighting this fateful battle, we will never succeed in eliminating this menace, and thus our country will suffer from this phenomenon from time to time.

In his latest tape, Al Qaeda in Iraq commander Abu Musab al-Zarqawi highlights the differences between the forces of tolerance and the forces of oppression. He explicitly rejects democracy (as he has done in the past), and states democracy is against the will of god. According to Zarqawi, man does not have the right to determine his belief in god. Islam, particularly al Qaeda's oppressive Wahhabi brand of Islam, must be accepted at all costs. There is no room for free thought; submit or die an apostate.

"We have declared a bitter war against democracy and all those who seek to enact it…Democracy is also based on the right to choose your religion, [and that is] against the rule of God."

"Americans to promote this lie that is called democracy ... You have to be careful of the enemy's plots that involve applying democracy in your country and confront these plots, because they only want to do so to ... give the rejectionists the rule of Iraq.

"For all these issues, we declared war against, and whoever helps promote this and all those candidates, as well as the voters, are also part of this, and are considered enemies of God."

The tape also illustrates the desperation of al Qaeda with respect to Iraqi elections. Mr. Zarqawi admits he is losing in Iraq, as the forces of democracy (which he refers to as "infidelity and polytheism") are taking root. He begs the "faithful" to resist, challenging their "honor".

And after fighting the Baathists ... and the Sunnis, they will spread their insidious beliefs, and Baghdad and all the Sunni areas will become Shiite. Even now, the signs of infidelity and polytheism are on the rise…Oh, people of Iraq, where is your honor? Have you accepted oppression of the crusader harlots ... and the rejectionist pigs?

Iraq has set the stage for a major ideological defeat for al Qaeda and their violently intolerant ideology. A series of speeches by Zarqawi, bin Laden and various Islamist sheikhs illustrates the punishment the Islamofascists have taken in Iraq. We have seen the strain al Qaeda has come under during the months of November and December, the time of the Coalition assault on Fallujah and the Sunni Triangle and the Afghan election: a Saudi sheikh admonishes the ulema against "shirking jihad"; al Qaeda laments their inability to stop the Afghan election; Zarqawi scolds Islamic leaders for not inciting their flocks to violence and begs for foreign recruits; al Qaeda is forced to fight a multi front war; Osama implores the downfall of the Saudi regime, biting the hand that feeds it; and Osama labels Iraqis who will vote as apostates. Al Qaeda leaders are forced to beg for fighters and resources, and implore Iraqis not to vote. These are not the words and actions of an organization confident of victory.

Osama bin Laden and Zarqawi believe their ideology is superior to that of freedom, and think they can prevent democracy in Iraq via violence and intimidation. The polls show the majority of Iraqis, over 80%, plan to vote in Sunday's historic election, even under the threat of violence. That makes for plenty of apostates.

This Sunday Zarqawi and bin Laden will find out exactly how popular Iraqis view their political platform of "Islam or Death".

An Aside:

Visit Sunbreak City to see how an Army recruiter was treated at Seattle Central Community College.