A Day of Contradictions

I don't normally write twice in one day, if I do, I don't publish on the same day.  Today though, I'm breaking that rule. I figured that while I was still mad, while the memories were fresh in my mind, I ought to write a different perspective, a little compare and contrast in abstract if you will. 

Less than 24 hours ago, the United States lost four of her sons when her Sovereign soil in Egypt and Libya was assaulted by mobs of "protestors".  Angry as hell about it, I wondered cynically what would be the Saudi reaction to the events.  Joy?  Snickering?  Joking?  Debate?  I decided to venture out and see for myself.  

First I walked up to the grocery store, got some Pepsi, detergent, sugar and fresh fruit.  Nothing different than any other day was noticed.  

Next I headed over to the Pharmacy and picked up some allergy/decongestant medicine (the sand and dust play hell with my sinuses).  Normal stuff, nothing weird.  

Then it was over to Starbucks for a cup of "American Coffee, with cold milk in a mug, Grande, shukran and afwan". Here I entered into an interesting conversation with the young Saudi man behind the counter, it seems he's going to college in Minnesota.  As we were talking, an older Saudi man came up and joined in the converation.  It seems we once lived within miles of each other as he spent seven years in the US at Menlo College and used to live in both San Francisco and Redwood City.  We had a nice talk, said nice to meet you and goodbye and then went our separate ways.  Outside I found a table and accidentally started up a conversation with the 30 something group of Saudi's next to me.  We chatted for a minute, and I went on reading my newspaper.  I spent about 30 min reading, drinking coffee and smoking.  The chatter around me was upbeat and cheerful, young men laughing and taking pictures of each other, ladies walking by giggling, men my age debating all the things that men debate.  

I saw all of these things tonight, what I didn't see was anybody celebrating the death of Americans.  The attacks last night supposedly happened as the result of an affront to Islam right?  I'm sitting in the center of the Islamic world right?  These Saudi men of three Generations that I've spoken to are Muslim right?  Where's the violence then?  Where's the anger?  Why wasn't I "strung up"?  Why wasn't I harassed?  I mean c'mon guys, Saudi's a pretty conservative country, Egypt has Churches and booze and belly dancers...the three are all outlawed here.  What then caused the Muslim Arab population in Egypt to storm the US Embassy in Cairo?  What caused the Arab/African Muslim population in Libya to Murder 4 Americans in Benghazi after firing on and then storming the consulate?  Don't tell me it was an insulting spoof film.  I don't buy it.  No protests in The Sudan, Mogadishu, Djibouti, Pakistan. None in India, none in Indonesia, none in Iraq, none in Iran, none in Yemen, none in Oman, none in Qatar, Kuwait, or the U.A.E.  None in any other countries than Egypt and Libya.  Why?  

The Egyptian thing hurts me.  3 of my closest friends here in Saudi are from Egypt.  They are intelligent, educated, articulate and kind men.  I spoke with two of them today and they were appalled that this happened in their country.  Disgusted might be a better word actually.  

This happened for one reason and one reason only.  Poor and uneducated masses in the hands of evil men.  I'm no political analyst, at best I'm a political spectator.  So I can really only offer speculation.  However I do know that what these two groups did was damage Islam.  They damaged relations between the US and those Countries and they smeared the already dim and dirty view some Westerners had about Islam.  They maybe just affected the US Presidential race.  They did what they do.  They damaged, destroyed, violated and made the world uglier.  

I would ask that if you know any of these people, or any like them, that you turn them in.  They are not heroes, not martyrs, not freedom fighters. They are destroyers of everything good and with every breath they bring this world closer to the brink of death and destruction.  This is NOT the way of Islam, is it?