Fitna

I've watched the Fitna controversy with great interest because one of my children is studying in Holland. Perhaps a personal story will illustrate my concern.

In 2003, I traveled in a compartment with a Muslim Harem guard. I'm not sure whether he knew I was an American. He was reading an Arabic newspaper and I commented that the alphabet looked like "art," and how could he learn to read it. He became interested in talking to me. Eventually, he disclosed his profession. He told me that part of his job was to "kill beautiful women." He recounted a story of an American girl who was forcibly inscripted into the Haarem by way of abduction. She hated it there. He described her suicide in graphic detail: "She stood before me, and raised her veil. She knew that meant I had to cut her throat and dispose of her. She was committing suicide. Tears were streaming down one of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. But, I had to do my job."

I asked him how he could do such things.

He replied, "Women are no higher than cattle in the order of the world. We must not feel anything more than we would feel killing a cow, when we dispose of a woman. Don't you see?"

I didn't tell him that I did not see. I tried to keep my face expressionless, and changed the subject of conversation as quickly as possible.