Counting
Muslims
Demographic surprises.
By
NR Editors
From the November 19, 2001, issue of National
Review
ow
many Muslims are there in the United States? Hard to say: By law, the
U.S. Census may not ask questions about religion. NR's John Derbyshire,
relying upon what he took to be an impeccable source (to wit, The Economist),
recently included the figure of 6 million in an article on racial profiling
("At First Glance," October 15). This figure, it turns out,
though widely advertised, is a wild guess put out by Muslim organizations
for their own advantage. Now two careful, independent studies by demographers
of repute have come up with answers strikingly close to each other: between
1.8 and 1.9 million — which is to say, less than a third of the much-broadcast
6 million. The American Muslim Council was naturally furious with these
demographers, and charged one of them with trying to "deny the existence
of 4 1/2 million American Muslims." They further accused him of "tearing
at the very heart of America." They then went on to claim that their
own estimate of "more than 7 million" Muslims came from the
2000 U.S. Census figures. But hold on there a minute: By law, the U.S.
Census may not . . .
Rudy’s
Successor
A nonendorsement.
By
NR Editors
From the November 19, 2001, issue of National
Review
s
New York City prepares to elect Rudy Giuliani's successor, the horror
of September 11 has drained much of the air of vanity from tyro Michael
Bloomberg's campaign on the Republican line. A billionaire could find
easier things to do than labor to take on what will be one of the hardest
jobs on earth, and Bloomberg's persistence retroactively redeems his motives.
It does not, however, boost his qualifications. He remains a liberal Democrat
who switched parties to run for office. Many signs, from a patchwork reconstruction
plan to an opportunistic alliance with the black radical sectary Lenora
Fulani, show that he is not ready for prime time. His Democratic opponent,
Mark Green, is as liberal as they come, a protégé of Ramsey
Clark and Ralph Nader. But he has spent 30 years in politics and government;
he has shown some signs of learning (he is endorsed by Bill Bratton, Giuliani's
police commissioner); and the attack may have sobered him. Conservative
New Yorkers can't comfortably vote for either man, but they wish the winner,
and his stricken constituency, well.
The
Enemy’s Face
Slaughtering innocents.
By
NR Editors
From the November 19, 2001, issue of National
Review
ere
is the face of the enemy. Six armed and bearded men stormed St. Dominic's
Roman Catholic church in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, while it was being used
by a Protestant congregation. They killed the Muslim cop who was guarding
the door. They killed the minister. They killed women and children. One
of the assailants emptied his automatic rifle into a heap of the wounded,
to make the work of murder more perfect. The logic of the assault was
evidently that America is a majority-Christian nation, therefore Pakistani
Christians, who are less than 3 percent of that population, are fair game
for the pious jihadist. That's as logical as killing thousands of Americans
for the crime of going to work on a Tuesday. Let the Hero, born of woman,
crush the serpent with His heel.
The
Ramadan Strategy
The cry about the sanctity of Ramadan is the dishonest mouth-warfare of
the inflamed.
By
NR Editors
From the November 19, 2001, issue of National
Review
ill
the Arab street hate us for fighting in Afghanistan during Ramadan? Sure
— but they will hate us for not fighting too. The cry about the sanctity
of Ramadan is the dishonest mouth-warfare of the inflamed. Mohammed fought
during Ramadan in 624. In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during
Ramadan, which also coincided with Yom Kippur — a twofer. In 1982,
Iran launched "Operation Ramadan," an attack on Iraq. If one
is willing to take lives in battle, then the cause must be of sufficient
gravity to excuse relatively trivial profanations; or one has no good
cause, in which case fighting on holidays only underlines the transgression.
If the enemy turns mosques into arsenals, then they become legitimate
targets, for the same reason. In World War II, the Allies fought a pitched
battle for the Abbey of Monte Cassino, which was reduced to rubble. The
Nazis lost then, even as their heirs will lose now, whatever the calendar
says.