The Blue Whale in the Room

March 3rd, 2006: Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar, an Iranian student, drove a vehicle through the busiest part of his former school campus, University of North Carolina. He hurt six people badly enough to send them to the hospital, and provided minor injuries to three others. He had rented a larger vehicle, to do more damage, and was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder. His statement when he was questioned was that he wanted to avenge the deaths of Muslims around the world. In court, he explained that he was thankful to spread the will of Allah.

August 29, 2006: Omeed Aziz Popal, an Afghani immigrant, drove his car over some of the sidewalks and through inhabited crosswalks in San Francisco. He killed one person, and injured fourteen others. After being removed from the vehicle, he admitted he was a terrorist.

July 4, 2002: Hesham Mohamed Hadayat, an Egyptian immigrant, walked into LAX and started shooting, targeting people working for El Al, Israel's airline. He was killed by security, ending his rampage. Being dead, he had no statement.

February 11, 2007: Sulejman Talovic, a Bosnian immigrant, walked into a mall in Salt Lake City and started shooting people. He killed five and injured four more before being shot dead. He also had no statement. Thankfully, his aunt explained for him: "We are Muslims, but we are not terrorists."

Of course, it isn't merely immigrants:

2002: John Allan Mohammed, the Beltway sniper, killed 10 and severely wounded three. His identity baffled the FBI for a long time, because they were hunting for a person who typically fit the identity of a serial killer; Mohammed did not fit that profile. He is considered a case study in massive deviation from serial killer patterns. The fact that he was a Muslim convert, and that his actions follow the pattern of Muslim terrorists, is deemed extraneous.

July 28, 2006: Naveed Azal Haq forced his way into a Jewish center and began shooting, killing one woman and injuring five others. He claimed it was because he was Muslim, and angry at Israel.

Now, of course, the question becomes, What do all of these people have in common?

ANSWER: The local police and federal government cannot find a motive for these crimes.

Huh?

Okay, here's a thought: Accept that terrorism doesn't have to be part of a grand, orchestrated plan. Most places which have encountered suicide bombers have managed to grasp that concept, but apparently the US hasn't.
Another thought: We know that all Muslims aren't terrorists. Hell, we know that the majority of them in the US and other Western countries aren't even terrorist supporters. And we know that not all Muslims even sympathize with terrorists; many of them, particularly those that ascribe to reformed versions of the religion, hate the bastards.
But PLEASE, stop insulting us.

And that's exactly what's happening. Because the obvious answer is that it is at least reasonable and possible that terrorism inspired all of these attacks. It would be wrong to say, without evidence, that it is the reason, but it is equally wrong to say, without evidence, that it isn't.
It is, if nothing else, a possibility; and some would argue (I would be one of them) a probability. Denying that is foolish and unreasonable.

So, why would anyone deny it?

See the next post.