Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal. – Albert Pike
Tomorrow marks the 4th Anniversary of the death of a young man who lived not far from where I live.
Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan was a 14 year old American boy in a sleepy little beach town in New Jersey on September 11, 2001. The events of that day reaffirmed his patriotism, steeled his American will and sealed his fate.
Like many I separate the peaceful Muslims from the Islamo-fascist kind.
However let me be clear - I am also one of the many who hold an objection over “moderate Muslims” for their lethargy in protesting and fighting Islamo-fascism. They have the responsibility to fight for us since Islamo-fascists are too large to be called a fringe group – they’ve taken over entire nations. The whole Muslim diaspora has an obligation to the rest of us to stamp out Islamo-fascism.
That is why I hold dear the memory of Cpl. Khan. He did what we expect of moderate Muslims.
It has been reported that Khan had something to prove by joining the military. He was worried that Muslims would be seen as a monolithic anti-American group and he wanted to use his service to disprove that idea. He joined the Army right out of high school.
He was killed in action two years later on August 6, 2007, barely out of his teens.
Now I refuse to let the enemy cut off Khan’s mission as they did his life on August 6, 2007. In my own far less courageous way, I try to keep Khan and his mission alive. I hope you will join me. Please read how:
I have over 3000 Facebook friends which of course means I actually don’t know 2950 of them. They read something I write, request my friendship and I hit Ok. I don’t screen them.
So occasionally I will see on my Facebook wall a post about how all Muslims are bad, as I did today with this post:
Some say there are good muslims . For the record this is my opinion. Just because they are not all killing us, don't mean they want us alive. Some people like their freedom and their life, and will not kill. But anyone who worships a religion that teaches killing the infidels, and calls me an infidel, is not a nice person.
Some of the comments beneath the entry bespeak a loathsome bigotry:
- A "Good" Muslim is an oxymoron!
- Damn Rag Heads
- There are NO good muslims, NO peaceful muslims and NO moderate muslims, there are only lazy jihadists.
- The only good Muslim is a dead Muslim.
- They are all murderous Bastards!
- THE MUSLIMS ARE LIKE OBAMA THE SCUM OF THE EARTH
- Oh, rest asured all muslims want to kill all of us. Who ever thinks there are good muslims, will be the ones they kill first because they wil not expect it. It's part of their plan to make you think they are good muslims.
- I dont like muslims but i dont hate them.
That last one actually made me chuckle. Feel the détente.
Since I’m writing this for Ricochet.com, rest assured I’ve picked a rather tame example. I’ve read far worse.
Whenever I see extremism on my Facebook page, I usually block the person and give no other thought.
But Cpl. Khan compels me. He gave his entire life defending me. What great coward would I be in not investing a few keystrokes in defending him?
My usual response is to post in the thread that picture of Cpl. Khan’s mother hugging his tombstone. I then ask if their comments apply to him. To me that photo holds the power to melt the hardest of hearts.
Unfortunately it doesn’t. I still get engaged by people who say they don’t care what Khan did and that I “just don’t get it.” I think Cpl. Khan got it. So in the end I still block the “friend” who posted.
I do hope though that some people see the picture when I post it and change just as Khan changed me. I hope they will separate the Cpl. Kahns from the bad guys. I hope you will join me and post that picture whenever you read someone conflating the two. We owe it to Cpl. Khan to keep his mission alive.
- Comment (12)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (1)
Comments :
Sep '10
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
It is human nature to make simple generalizations and categories. This is a survival skill. Sadly, it results in people not regarding each other as individuals. Individualism is one of the core values of conservatism. You might want to remind your rude 'friends' that lumping people into categories is a feature of the collectivist Left.
And, yes, the picture is moving. It speaks volumes to those who care to think about it.
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
You are very right to say we would be cowards not to defend him.
May God comfort his mother.
Oct '10
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
Thanks for your post, Tommy. It's always good to confront reality when it doesn't coincide with one's preconceptions.
May '10
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
My thanks to Corporal Khan.
My loathing to Pvt. Abdo and the Pentagon officials who gave him conscientious objector status so he wouldn't have to fight fellow Muslims.
Mar '11
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
Aaron Miller: My thanks to Corporal Khan.
My loathing to Pvt. Abdo and the Pentagon officials who gave him conscientious objector status so he wouldn't have to fight fellow Muslims. · Aug 5 at 11:10am
Of course, he had no such compunction about killing fellow Americans.
I second Claire's sentiments.
May '10
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
Words fail, at a photo and story like this. Tears, on the other hand, don't. God rest Corporal Khan's soul and may He comfort the boy's mother and family. Yes, I realize he was a man, if only barely by age then certainly by his actions, but to his mother, I'm sure, he was her baby, cut off all too soon.
Dec '10
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
Fine post Tommy.
Unrelated, but it reminded me of Charles Kuralt's reaction to Cronkite's announcement that the Vietnam War was a lost cause, (paraphrasing), "I wonder if Lt. Soon would agree?"
Jul '10
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
Thanks for posting this.
Jul '10
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
Thank you, Tommy.
Jun '10
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
God bless Corporal Khan's family.
Apr '11
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
Thank you for being strong for Corporal Khan and his family and sharing his story with us. There are good people in every society/culture, there are lazy people and there are bad people. The comments you shared attest to the latter in our society. The comments I see here attest to the former.
Re: Remember American Soldier Cpl. Khan Tomorrow, And Everyday In Your Internet Debates
Thank you all for the kind words about Cpl. Khan. I bet he would have loved Ricochet!