The Anchoress

Took a little heat, yesterday, for seeming too “moderate” about Muslims. I don’t mind taking a little heat, but while you’re dishing it, please read this piece and try to remember that not all Muslims are Islamofascists.
It all began with a tip: In the aftermath of the July 7, 2005, suicide bombings on London’s transit system, British authorities received a call from a worried member of the Muslim community, reporting general suspicions about an acquaintance.

From that vague but vital piece of information, according to a senior European intelligence official, British authorities opened the investigation into what they said turned out to be a well-coordinated and long-planned plot to bomb multiple transatlantic flights heading toward the United States — an assault designed to rival the scope and lethality of the Sept. 11, 2001, hijackings.

Worth keeping in mind. If we want moderate Muslims to come forward, we can’t be jumping up and down saying they’re all evil, they should all be interred, etc…that will just discourage people who can be of real help.

Meanwhile, Siggy has a very interesting piece up about Education in the Arab world and what its deficiancies leads to.

The Arab world is at the bottom of the educational barrel. Why? The cost of up to date textbooks is minuscule and competent teachers (defined as a teacher qualified in the subject matter they teach) are not huge investments. Think of the Peace Corps.

In much of the Islamic world, choosing to fail is encouraged and facilitated by the corrupt and dysfunctional regimes that have come to define that world. Simply stated, a failed and less educated and informed society is a society more easily controlled and exploited. A society that believes failure is inevitable is a society that believes change for the better is impossible. For that Carnival of Dysfunctional Tyrants, that kind of servile and self flagellating society is a gift.

You’ll want to read the whole thing.

Then go read AJ Strata as he explains how the NY Times’ exposure of our methods can and will have lasting impact:
Well, I guess these terrorists forgot to read the NY Times or they would have known their money transfers were not safe. Who knows what would have happened if they had adjusted their actions in light of the NY Times declaring an end to the war on terror and exposing the SWIFT financial surveillance. While Pakistan may have just saved hundreds of lives, the NY Times just came close to helping kill hundreds of people. Note that the US was the one pushing for the us of SWIFT. It may not have been possible for the UK to accomplish this feat.

UPDATE: Reader LouiseB writes:

It wasn’t too long ago that Pope Benedict asked us to pray for the terrorists.  I have actually been praying for them since the Iraqi War started.  Not that they would win, but that God’s grace would soften some of their hearts and open their eyes to another way of believing.  The Pope’s proclamation only reaffirmed to me that this war can only be won by changing hearts (and unfortunately, some hearts won’t be changed without bullets and missiles.)  Whenever I read that a Muslim has come forward, such as the person in this plot or the one who revealed Zarqawhi”s location, I believe I am seeing the results of prayer.

Interesting.  Prayer has power, and praying for the terrorists, and for the Arab peoples in general cannot hurt!

Related: Terror and the Hyperventilation on the Left and Right