WORK FOR PEACE, PREPARE FOR JIHAD

(originally written on the eleventh anniversary of 9/11)

by Michael Douglas Carlin

As we approach the eleventh anniversary of 9/11, the mosque close to Ground Zero is open. Muslims have just ended their fast of Ramadan. America has the hope that a kinder, gentler version of Islam will root out the radical jihadist form of Islam. Hope alone won't bring that vision to fruition. If Islampopulation.com is correct, then the Muslim population has topped 1.82 billion members. The estimates of radical Islamists vary, but even if they are only half of one percent of all Muslims, the number of "would be" suicide bombers is staggering. The total number of U.S. troops, including active and reserves, is around three million. That means that radical Muslims outnumber American troops three to one.

The threat of radical Islam isn't to be taken lightly. The United States must continue to maintain a strong military prepared to do what is necessary to repel any and all attacks on our soil or overseas. The political will to invade Afghanistan shortly after 9/11 was almost unanimous within America. The outpouring of sympathy was also nearly universal. Many fear the cross hairs of radical Islam, as the doctrine doesn't discriminate among Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, or any other religion when it comes to the doctrine of Jihad. All are to be killed or submit to Islam. Thankfully, not all Muslims have this view of their religion.

With the declaration of war by radical Islam on the United States comes a need to diffuse a dangerous situation. A kinder and gentler form of Islam could be just the answer.

I am acquainted with the Southern Philippines, which is front and center in the War on Terror. Nearly half a million Muslims occupy this poverty-stricken region. Recruitment is fertile, because the people there have nothing. Having nothing means having nothing to lose. Islamists consider this a valuable region, because they seek to recruit jihadists who don't fit the profile that our law enforcement has on its radar screens. The Civil Affairs Campaign waged by the U.S. Government and the Philippine Marines is having a significant impact in winning the hearts and minds of Muslims.

The true radicals still place a price on the lives of relief workers bringing aid to the region, who must travel with heavily armed escorts. It is very hard to see America as the enemy when medical treatment is brought in that saves the lives of children. As poverty gives way to self-sufficiency, the people there have something to lose, which helps them choose peace. We should never expect them to adopt our culture. In respecting their need to have their own culture, we can establish a relationship of mutual respect.

In poverty-stricken regions, this approach can be helpful when we are allowed to intercede. Most Muslim countries reject our help under any circumstances. Many of the most radical jihadists have never met an American and simply hate us, because they were taught to hate us. That leaves very few tools in the War on Terror. One proven technique is to empower women. Women have the ability to soften men's hearts to choose peace. A gender gap might help us empower women in the region.

China has been imposing a "one child rule" to curb the population growth. Population engineering has been responsible for the current female infanticide, as baby girls who are perceived as surplus are slaughtered. India also has a problem with female infanticide. This has caused a large gender imbalance in both countries. An underground railroad to transport abused women from Muslim lands to areas where women are in short supply and might enjoy a more empowered life could stem the tide of abuse. Just the threat of women leaving might be enough to inspire a major and positive shift in the rights of women in the Middle East.

A World Court that establishes basic human rights, including religious freedom, could also be a tool to create stability and bring radical jihadists to justice. Trading partners would need to recognize the Court as the final authority and allow it to charge any Global Citizen with war crimes when human rights are violated.

This would mean that America, too, would have to be subject to international laws. There are no guarantees that any of this would work against such a sworn enemy, but the futures of our children dictate that we must try. Those who have perished in the War on Terror gave their blood to further the cause of liberty. Peace is the goal but not at any price. We will always stand ready to do what is necessary to thwart the efforts of all of our enemies both foreign and domestic. We will also work tirelessly to further the cause of peace. We owe it to those who have nothing and have never met us to attempt to let them see our hearts and make the choice for peace.

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© 2014 Michael Douglas Carlin. All Rights Reserved.

The Secret of the Holy Grail

Dear Knights and Prospective Knights,

You are part of the making of history. The Knights of Malta have a legacy of rendering aid on the field of battle, and that tradition continues today with every Knight that declares a life of service to help the plight of the less fortunate. The oath as it is written in this book, Rise a Knight, when exercised by Knights, leaves humanity and the planet better off.

But there is a more profound principle at work here—a secret that will change the world and bring about an unprecedented era of world peace.
Dan Brown touched on this in his book and subsequent movie, The Da Vinci Code, but slightly missed the mark. He correctly postulated that the Holy Grail is the vagina or female form. He also glossed over the true motivation behind the Inquisition—the oppression of women. Smart men knew that the only way to control humanity and leave power in the hands of the few was to oppress women. Peace and prosperity comes from women being empowered and equal.

Our new order is one voice to empower women, as all who take the oath agree not to discriminate against any human for any reason. Imagine a playing field level for all of humanity. Moving in this direction brings us closer to Thomas Jefferson’s postulation where he declared, "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men (humans) are created equal."

It wasn’t true when he wrote it. It isn’t true now…but it ought to be. We are part of the historic event ushering in an era during which it will become true. All humans will be created equal, and opportunity will leave no one behind.
We are also part of an era of responsibility, in which every human takes an oath to "first do no harm," and all of us police each other from harming our environment.

Plants, animals, and humans will all benefit from the coming era of peace and prosperity.

Each and every time you Knight someone (men and women) and get them to take the oath, we incrementally move toward more peace and prosperity. We move toward a better world than has ever existed.

This movement is the Holy Grail. It is the "Stone Cut Without Hands" that rolls forth until it consumes the entire world. It is what men and women have dreamed of for thousands of years, and it is within our reach.

I invite you all to share this message with everyone you know and to ask them to take the oath, kneeling as a mortal and rising to a life of service wearing the mantle of Knighthood.

Where men have oppressed and exploited women in the past, I invite you to embrace a new, unprecedented era of empowerment and equality for all of humanity that will lead to greater harmony between flora and fauna and the greatest peace and prosperity the world has ever known.