Muslims killing Muslims

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Jordanians Protest Against Al Qaeda
Friday, November 11, 2005

"Oh my God, oh my God. Is it possible that Arabs are killing Arabs, Muslims killing Muslims? For what did they do that?" screamed 35-year-old Najah Akhras, who lost two nieces in the attack. Similar thoughts were heard over and over throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

I've been trying to feel offended that people in Jordan and the Middle East seem to be most distraught that Al Qaeda would attack other (non-Iraqi) Muslims, implying that attacking non-Muslims isn't so appalling. I can't really be offended at that though when I think of how the American media covers these kinds of things. Who hasn't seen a headline like, "50,000 dead, including 2 Americans" and then the rest of the story goes on to focus on just those two out of the 50,000? In this the Jordanians aren't so different from us. The murder of their own has greater meaning for them than the murders of others.

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