Indeed, if we take the dictionary meaning of “terrorism” (as opposed to the US self-styled one) which means the systematic use of violence and intimidation to achieve political ends and the dictionary definition of “terrorize” which means to coerce or control by violence, fear, threats etc., then the US and George Bush, together with his alliance with Blair (for atrocities in Iraq and Afghanistan), Putin (for atrocities in Chechnya), Sharon (for atrocities in Palestine) and Vajpayee (for atrocities in Kashmir) fall fairly and squarely within this definition.

The target of the media and secularists during the recent episode, as one of the causes and roots of terrorism has been political Islam and its notion of Jihad carried by mujahideen. A brief study of history over the last 1400 years will however show that when Islam was implemented as a law and order (from 622 - 1924CE) Muslims, Christians and Jews lived peacefully side by side with their rights of belief, lives, honor, wealth and minds protected by the Islamic State.

Rather than leaving millions to fester in shanty towns and cardboard boxes, the Islamic State ensured that all citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims, were afforded the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. Countries such as Sudan and Ethiopia used to export food as opposed to being crippled and exploited by the capitalist conglomerates, as we see today.

Concepts which are relatively new to the ‘democratic world’, such as innocence until guilt, the sanctity of human life, women’s and men’s rights, civil treatment of prisoners, the protection of the environment and animals etc. are considered to be divine rights and were therefore never compromised over the 1302 years of the Shari’ah having been implemented, unlike the violations highlighted above under capitalism driven by the selfish interests of the capitalist elite.

No wonder Muslims everywhere are striving to re-establish the Islamic State so that they can be rid of their puppet regimes that pander to the whims and desires of the West, so that we can once more live under divine law where sovereignty belongs to God as opposed to man. No wonder Muslims are expelling foreign forces from their soil so that there will be no obstacles to the re-implementation of Islamic Law.

As guards shuffle Camp X Ray “detainees” in chains to showers and interrogation, most look no older than the Marines with M-16s who stand watch in the towers above. By far, they are mostly Muslim. But commanders confirm there are also a few Christians. Some have received higher education in the United States; others are so illiterate that U.S. soldiers take dictation from them when they want to write home.

Perhaps the best-known captive is Australian David Hicks, 26, a high school dropout from Adelaide who ran away from home to join the Kosovo Liberation Army and ended up a continent away, where he was turned over to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Hicks made an early impression on Camp X-Ray guards by vowing to kill at least one American before departing from Guantánamo Bay. Australian press reports say he wrote his parents recently, via the Red Cross, saying how sorry he was for the trouble he caused. But whether he will face a military tribunal or be sent home to Australia is still to be determined.