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Memorandum Date: October 31, 2013 Subject: Prentice Hall: Florida World History textbook review committee From: Lee Boyland, review committee member To: Mr. Andy Zigler, Brevard School Board Member Copies: Brevard School Board Members, Cyndi VanMeter, Rich Workman, Doug Murray Background Parents and members of the public were concerned regarding the number of pages devoted to Islam in the subject history textbook. They questioned if Islam was receiving an excessively favorable and biased treatment. In chapter 10, Muslim Civilizations 622-­‐1629, pages 116-­‐151 appeared to be the focus of concern. Other chapters also dealt with Islamic history in the same biased manner. Presentations were made at a School Board meeting by Representative Ritch Workman and several citizens, who voiced concern about inaccuracies on Islamic history in the text. As a result of the meeting and newspaper articles, the School Board formed a committee of knowledgeable Brevard County citizens with the mission to review the textbook and make recommendations for a teachers’ supplement to be used when teaching from the textbook. Each School Board member appointed two members to the review committee, and Mr. Zigler chose me as one of his two appointees. All School Board members selected were knowledgeable and with one possible exception interested people, resulting in a well balanced committee that brought a diverse knowledge base to the table. Committee members worked well together and Ms. VanMeter and her staff were excellent hosts. A copy of the history textbook was provided to each committee member. At our first meeting, committee members learned that the Florida Department of Education (FDE) prepared detailed “Florida Content Standards for its Florida World History textbook. Textbook publishers submitted their textbooks to the FDE, and FDE selected five World History textbooks for use in Florida. Each Florida School Board was allowed to chose one of the five textbooks for its schools. There were no other choices. The committee was charged with reviewing Chapters 10, 31, 32, and 34, and: (1) comparing required course standards with the text and note any discrepancies between the two; (2) noting any concerns related to the content in the four chapters, and (3) providing suggestions of standard-­‐based topics to include in a supplemental resource given to the teachers using the textbook. 1 One committee member, a former teacher, made it clear at the first meeting that he thought the committee was a waste of time and money, failing to realize that the purpose of the committee was to address the public’s concern—the main concern being the number of pages and their accuracy regarding Islam and the Quran. The lone Muslim committee member told us his Ahmadiyya sect had been declared “non Muslim” and its members in Pakistan and other Muslim countries were being persecuted like Christians, Coptics, and Jews. I approached my assignment from the position of evaluating the accuracy of the information contained in the textbook—not the number of pages devoted to a subject. False or misleading history can be incorporated into a textbook by: (1) Deliberately misstating facts; (2) Omitting facts, either on purpose or because of lack of knowledge; (3) Over simplifying or condensing facts and events to such an extent that a false conclusion can be reached; and (4) By applying politically correct slants to history, thereby introducing a political bias and misunderstanding of the factual context. While I and other committee members found missing, overly compressed, and misstated information, I will not speculate on the reasons. The committee learned that teachers and students are provided access to supplemental data contained on the publisher’s website. However, the committee did not have access to this database and thus was unable to evaluate its content. That being the case, missing information noted by the committee may exist on the publisher’s website. Several committee members provided written comments for each chapter to Ms. Cyndi VanMeter, Associate Superintendent, Division of Curriculum and Instruction. Brevard County history teachers will use input from the Committee to prepare the teaching supplement. The committee has asked to be allowed to review the supplement before it is submitted to the School Board for approval. Public comment on the supplement is recommended. Major Text Book Errors and Omissions • Muhammad’s roll in founding Islam is not correctly presented. • Islam is completely based on Muhammad’s recitations that became the Qur’an and his actions, words, speeches and deeds recorded as the Hadiths. • Islam is an all-­‐encompassing religious ideology, a form of government with its own laws (Shariah law), social mores, and a religion. Muslims surrender to the will of Allah in all things. • Islam is all about Muhammad, the sole author of the Quran who created one of the world’s great religions, Islam, in twenty-­‐two years. 2 •
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Muhammad’s prophethood had two very important and distinct phased: The Mecca period and the Median period. The peaceful verses of the Quran were recited in Mecca, and the warlike verses in Median. One hundred and eight years after Muhammad’s death in 632 AD, scholars compiled the hundreds of thousands of Hadiths. These scholars used verified Hadiths to write Muhammad’s biographies which are know as the Sira. Refer to Attachment A. Error 1: Textbook fails to clarify Muhammad’s Roll in founding Islam had two phases. Mecca and Medina • Muhammad’s Mecca period is dismissed with a couple of sentences, yet it covered the years 610 to 622 AD. • Islam’s prophet had two distinctly different periods: Mecca and Medina. To understand Islam requires understanding the significance of these two periods. • Muhammad’s attempt to peacefully convert his tribe to worshiping one god as opposed to 360 stone idols, was a deterrent to the local economy that depended on pilgrims coming to worship Hijra -­ Muhammad’s flee from persecution in Mecca • After Muhammad’s tribesmen, the Quraysh rejected his new religion, they expelled him and his followers (numbering around 150) from Mecca. • Muhammad fled north to Yathrib, a town now known as Medina (the city of the Prophet)—a journey Muslims call the Hijra. Error 2: Text understates Muhammad’s change from peaceful prophet to pirate The textbook states that Muslims attacked several caravans after moving to Medina, when in reality the Hadith’s (reports of Muhammad’s sayings and deeds) record that he became a pirate, a warlord, and finally the conquer of Arabia. See: Attachment A for details. • Muhammad and his followers grew wealthy by robbing his tribe’s caravans. • Once Muhammad demonstrated he was able to bring back booty (also referred to as spoils), goods, animals, and captives to ransom or to be sold as slaves. • His success as a pirate resulted in his followers increasing to 10,000. • By the time of his death Muhammad was the conqueror of Arabia and had a following of over 100,000. The following suras (verses) from the Quran record Allah’s instructions from the angel Gabriel to Muhammad regarding booty. • “And know that whatever you take of spoil of anything, so a fifth part to Allah and to the messenger …” 8:41 • “So eat of the spoils you have taken lawfully and good, and fear Allah.” 8:69 3 •
“And married women [are also forbidden], except all that your right hand possesses. This is the decree of Allah for you. …” 4:24 [women possessed by the right hand are slaves] Error 3: Muhammad did not write nor arrange the chapters of the Quran The textbook states (page 123) that “God instructed Muhammad to arrange the chapters (of the Quran) into the order in which the appear.” The third caliph, twenty years after Muhammad’s death, assembled the “fragments,” written accounts of Muhammad’s recitations and oral accounts retold by “remembers,” men and women who had memorized Muhammad’s recitations, many of whom who had died or forgotten the verbiage. • The suras of the Quran are ordered by the number of verses—longest first to shortest last. • Muhammad’s first recitation is the 96th sura. • The textbook does cite several suras. However no warlike or hostile suras were included. These are the suras used to “radicalize.” Examples: provided in Attachment B. The Quran has no chronological order: • It is a jumble of Muhammad’s recitations (suras)— some of which contradict others—compiled by scribes 20 years after his death. • Muslim scholars solved the contradiction problem by creating the mechanism of “abrogation.” Muhammad recited verses to corrected errors with the general message that we (Allah) replaces that which is good with that which is better. An example: “Nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof.” 2:106 • It is accepted that the last verse recited by Muhammad is the correct one. • Since Muhammad recited long, rambling stories in his warlike phase, the warlike verses abrogate the peaceful ones. • It is accepted that the 5th and 9th suras are the last two recited by Muhammad. • It is also widely accepted that the 5th verse of the 9th sura, know as The Verse of the Sword, abrogates all of the peaceful verses in the Quran. “Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.” 9:5 Error 4: Jihad — primary definition omitted The textbook states in its glossary, “Jihad in Islam, an effort in God’s service (p. 120)” • Page 120 of the textbook presents a secondary definition of jihad, thus providing incorrect information, “Another duty is jihad, or struggle in God’s service. Jihad is usually a personal … other times, jihad may be interpreted as a holy war to defend Islam …” • This is the most egregious misstatement found in the textbook. The concept of “personal jihad” was introduced some 300 years after Muhammad’s death. • Muhammad’s recitations made it clear that jihad was a Muslim’s duty to Allah. A duty to fight to spread Islam world wide. See Attachment B for details. The sura 4 below is an example of Allah’s orders as relayed by Muhammad: “Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah … Fight them until there is no more Fitnah,’ disbelief in Allah, ‘and all submit to the religion of Allah alone.” 8:39 Error 5: Major World Religions/Belief Systems -­ gives a false impression of Islam Table page 981, Major World Religions/Belief Systems The third column, “Key Beliefs,” in the table on page 981 lists Islam’s key belief as: • “One God, Allah; Five Pillars, or duties: (1) profession of faith; (2) prayer; (3) charity; (4) fasting; (5) pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.” • This definition gives a false impression of Islam. • Muslims believe Islam is superior to all other religions and manmade constitutions. • Muslims are taught that there are two worlds: The House of Islam, dar al-­Islam; and the House of War, dar al-­Harb. • The fourth column, “Writings,” only lists the Quran. Hadiths and the Sira should also be listed, because Muslims considered the holy words in these writings come directly from Allah. Other Textbook errors, omissions and understatements: “Treatment of Conquered Peoples” page 127 The following statement omits the true nature of the jizya, “special tax.” “The Arabs imposed certain restrictions and a special tax on non-­‐Muslims, but allowed Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians to practice their own faiths and follow their own religious customs within restrictions.” • Conquered people know as dhimmis were subjugated people, whose restrictions included paying a special tax, jizya, to their occupiers, their masters or face severe punishment. • Dhimmis unable to pay the jizya tax offered their children as slaves for payment. • Conquered people converted to avoid the high jizya tax and the rules. • The textbook ignores the details of these ‘restrictions.’ Some examples include:  A new church or temple cannot be built;  A church or temple cannot be repaired;  Loud praying is not allowed. It will disturb Muslims;  Dhimmis must give their seat to a Muslim; wear a distinctive marker on clothes; must not wear Muslim attire; must provide lodging for a Muslim traveler and food for his journey; and must not testify against a Muslim;  Ringing of a church bell offensive to Muslims, etc. Another erroneous statement is found on page 127. The following statement is erroneous: “Muslim leaders wisely prohibited looting and destruction of conquered lands.” • Historical data proves this statement erroneous. • Churches and temples were looted, destroyed and mosques built on their sites. • The following quotation from the Sword of the Prophet, Serge Trifkovic. page 95-­‐96 states the facts. “Slaughters did occur in the initial wave of conquest: During the invasion of Syria in 634 AD, thousands of Christians were massacred; In Mesopotamia between 635 and 5 642, monasteries were ransacked and the monks and villagers slain; in Egypt the towns of Behnesa, Fayum, Nikiu, and Aboit were put to the sword. The inhabitants of Cilicia were taken into captivity [slavery]. In Armenia, the entire population of Euchaita was wiped out. The Muslim invaders sacked and pillaged Cyprus and then established their rule by a ‘great massacre.’ In North Africa, Tripoli was pillaged in 643 by Amr, who forced the Jews and Christians to hand over their women and children as slaves to the Amr army. They were told that they could deduct the value of their enslaved family for the poll-­‐tax, the jizya. Carthage was razed to the ground and most of its inhabitants killed.” Chapter 32, Section 3 – The root cause of the Arab-­Israeli conflict is mentioned but then passed over without explanation. The section begins with WITNESS HISTORY, Two Peoples Claim the Same Land. The text and incorporated Biblical and Quranic quotations pinpoints the main reason for the Israelis-­‐Palestinian problem, and then fails to make or explain the connection. Christians and Jews believe God ordered Abraham to take his only son, Isaac, to the region of Moriah and sacrifice him. Then the Angel of the Lord stayed Abraham’s hand and provided a ram for sacrifice. God then promised Abraham that his only son’s (Issac’s) descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies. See Genesis 17:17-­‐21 Muslims believe that Ishmael, Abraham’s first son by an Egyptian slave girl, was the son placed on the alter and thus it is the Muslims that inherit this land. Thus Arabs and Jews each believe their God promised the land to them. Understated historical events in the text that are related to Islam and global conflict It is my opinion that three significant events in the text received scant attention: the impact of WWI and WWII in the Middle East; the Manhattan Project; and the Soviet-­‐Afghan war. • The influence of WWII has been overlooked or glossed over in both the Middle East and Yugoslavia. • The mufti of Jerusalem resided in Berlin for most of WWII, asking Hitler to bring the “Final Solution” to Palestine. • The mufti formed a Muslim division of Hitler’s SS in Bosnia, creating hatred between Muslims and people supporting either the West or the Soviet Union. • Yasser Arafat was the mufti’s protégé. Nazi influence is still evident in the Middle East. • The Soviet-­‐Afghan War started on Christmas Eve in 1979 after President Carter failed to forcibly respond to Iran’s seizing the U.S. embassy. The war bled the Soviet Union of men and capital, and the U.S. backed the Mujahedeen creating al-­‐Qaeda and fueling the Islamic resurgence. • The Manhattan Project, perhaps America’s greatest scientific and engineering feat is hardly mentioned in the subject textbook, and the same thing applies to most history books. Only the space program and the computer revolution can compare to it. 6 I included historical accounts of the Manhattan Project and the Soviet-­‐Afghan War in my first novel, The Rings of Allah, and have provided both as Attachment C. Omitted historical event A subject not addressed by the committee was the Barbary Pirates. Young America’s first encounter with Islam—Musslemen— was in 1784 when Moroccan pirates hijacked the U.S. merchant ship Betsy in the Mediterranean and enslaved her crew. A year later, Algerine pirates seized two more vessels, the Maria from Boston and the Dauphin from Philadelphia. The U.S. ministers to England and France, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson oversaw a peace treaty with Morocco, but the Algerian leadership refused any accommodation. President George Washington ordered construction of six warships in 1796 creating the U.S. Navy who’s first mission was to protect U.S. shipping from Barbary pirates. Additional piracy in 1801 prompted President Jefferson to send America’s Navy to bombard Tripoli and gain release of American hostages. Taking advantage of the war with British in 1812, Algerian pirates began taking American ships and enslaving crews. After the war ended, President Madison ordered a squadron of U.S. frigates to end the piracy. The defeat of the Islamic fleet established America as a naval power. Barbary leaders justified their piracy as legitimate jihad. Jefferson related a conversation he had in Paris with Ambassador Abdrahaman of Tripoli who told him that all Christians are sinners in the context of the Qur'an and that it was a Muslim's "right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to enslave as many as they could take as prisoners." Islam gave great incentive to fighting infidels, Abdrahaman explained, because the Qur'an promised that making war against infidels ensured a Muslim paradise after death. Richard O'Brien, the imprisoned captain of the Philadelphia merchantman Dauphin and later the U.S. consul to Algiers, related similar conversations with ‘Ali Hasan, the ruler of Algiers. Ottoman leaders used the same rationale to justify the enslavement and trading of captives from the Balkans, Caucasus, and Ukraine. [http://www.meforum.org/article/1830] Summary It is my opinion that failure to present the basic tenets of Islam’s ideology and the history associated with its development prevents students from grasping the root causes of Islamic terrorism and the conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. Being a member of the textbook review committee was a positive experience for me, and a sentiment shared by the other members. Our discussions were educational well worth the time devoted to reviewing the textbook and attending meetings. Brevard County’s School Board staff were cooperative and pleasant to work with. At our last meeting, everyone agreed our efforts had been educational for all. I for one now have a much better understanding of Florida’s educational process and the complex problems facing our teachers. 7 Attachment A Timeline of Muhammad Important dates and locations in the life of Muhammad Mecca 569 Death of his father, `Abd Allah 570 Possible date of birth, April 20: Mecca 570 Legendary unsuccessful Ethiopian attack on Mecca 576 Death of Mother 578 Death of Grandfather 583 Takes trading journeys to Syria 595 Meets and marries Khadijah 610 First visit from Gabriel, reports of Qur'anic revelation: Mecca 610 Appears as Prophet of Islam: Mecca 613 Begins spreading message of Islam publicly: Mecca 614 Begins to gather following: Mecca 615 Emigration of Muslims to Ethiopia 616 Banu Hashim clan boycott begins for protecting Muhammad and his Muslims in Abyssinia. 619 Banu Hashim clan boycott ends 619 The year of sorrows: Khadijah and Abu Talib die 619 Satanic verses incident 620 March 8th Night Journey 621 Shia -­‐ Feb 26th Night Journey 622 Consummates marriage with 9 year old Aisha Medina 622 Hijra, Muhammad and Muslims flee to Medina 624 Nakhla raid, the beginning of violence in the name of Islam 624 Battle of Badr Muslims defeat Meccans 624 Expulsion of Banu Qaynuqa 625 Battle of Uhud Meccans battle Muslims 625 Expulsion of Jewish Banu Nadir tribe 626 Attack on Dumat al-­‐Jandal: Syria 627 Battle of the Trench, Banu Qurayza betrays Muhammad 627 Destruction of Banu Qurayza, beheads men, women and children slaves 627 Bani Kalb subjugation: Dumat al-­‐Jandal 628 Marches on Mecca. Treaty of Hudaybiyya with pagan Meccans 628 Gains access to Mecca shrine Kaa’ba 628 Conquest of the Khaybar oasis, exiles Jews; poisoned 629 First hajj pilgrimage 629 Attack on Byzantine empire fails: Battle of Mu'tah 630 Attacks and bloodlessly captures Mecca. His tribe converts to Islam. 630 Battle of Hunayn 630 Siege of Ta’if, Muhammad now ruler of Arabia 631 Remaining Arabian tribes convert to Islam 631 Attacks Christians, expedition to Tabouk 632 Farewell hajj pilgrimage 632 Death (June 8): Medina The Rightly Guided caliphs 632 Abu Bakr chosen as first caliph (632-­‐634), Aisha’s father 634 Umar I (634-­‐644) 638 Umar conquers Jerusalem, builds mosque on Temple Mount (Al Aqsa mosque) 644 Uthman (644-­‐656) 652 Quran compiled by Caliph Uthman 656 Ali (656-­‐661) 8 Attachment B Jihad Jihad is the duty of all able bodied Muslims. “Jihad: To fight and kill in the path of Allah, the enemies of Allah, for the cause of Allah. It can also be used to mean to strive in the path of Allah.” Islamic Dictionary http://muttaqun.com/dictionary3.html (Site has been scrubbed and definition modified) Verses in the Qur’an 2.190: “And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits.” 2.191: “And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers.” 2.192: “But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” 2.193: “And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors.” 5.33: “The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement.” 8.15: “O you who believe! when you meet those who disbelieve marching for war, then turn not your backs to them.” 8.39 : “Fight them until all opposition ends and all submit to Allah … Fight them until there is no more Fitnah, disbelief in Allah, and all submit to the religion of Allah alone.” 8.65: “O Prophet! urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred of you they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve, because they are a people who do not understand.” 8.69: “Eat then of the lawful and good (things) which you have acquired in war, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.’ 9.5: “Fight and kill the disbelievers wherever you find them, take them captive, harass them, lie in wait and ambush them using every stratagem of war.” [verse of the sword] 9.14: “Fight them and Allah will punish them by your hands, lay them low, and cover them with shame. He will help over them.” 9 9.29: “Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender, paying the protective tax in submission.” 9.107: “And those who built a masjid to cause harm and for unbelief and to cause disunion among the believers and an ambush to him who made war against Allah and His Apostle before; and they will certainly swear: We did not desire aught but good; and Allah bears witness that they are most surely liars.” 47.4: “So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favor or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates. That (shall be so); and if Allah had pleased He would certainly have exacted what is due from them, but that He may try some of you by means of others; and (as for) those who are slain in the way of Allah, He will by no means allow their deeds to perish.” 52.42: “Or do they desire a war? But those who disbelieve shall be the vanquished ones in war.” From the Sira Ishaq:587 “Our onslaught will not be a weak faltering affair We shall fight as long as we live. We will fight until you turn to Islam, humbly seeking refuge. We will fight not caring whom we meet. We will fight whether we destroy ancient holdings or newly gotten gains. We have mutilated every opponent. We have driven them violently before us at the command of Allah and Islam. We fight until our religion is established and we plunder them, for they suffer disgrace.” Bukhari: V4B53N386 “Our Prophet, the Messenger of our Lord, ordered us to fight you till you informed us that our Lord says: ‘Whoever amongst us is killed as a martyr shall go to Paradise to lead such a luxurious life as he has never seen, and whoever survives shall become your master.’ ”(a Hadith) Muslim: C9B1N31 “I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify to the fact that there is no god but Allah, and believe in me [that] I am the Messenger and in all that I have brought.” [and from another Hadith about he same statement] Bukhari: V9B84N59 “Whoever says this will save his property and life from me.” (a Hadith) 20th Century Muslim leader Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, 1979: “Islam makes it incumbent on all male adults, provided they are not disabled and incapacitated, to prepare themselves for the conquest [jihad] of other countries so that the writ of Islam is obeyed in every country in the world … The sword is the key to paradise, which can be opened for Holy Warriors!” 10 Attachment C Two major events were omitted from Prentice Hall’s Florida World History textbook: The Manhattan Project and the Soviet – Afghan War. Both had great impact in the 20th Century. I include historical events in my novels, and I have included excerpts from my book, The Rings of Allah dealing with both events. They may be used in the supplement by as long as credit is included. Excerpts from The Rings of Allah, ©Lee Boyland, 2004, 2012 The Manhattan Project The Rings of Allah The history of nuclear fission and the atomic bomb began in the fall of 1938 with the splitting of the first uranium atom at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin, Germany. Soon scientists around the world were adding their discoveries to the rapidly growing body of information. Nuclear fission dangled the promise of a new energy source greater than any known to date. To some countries such as Germany—then Nazi Germany ruled by Adolph Hitler—it held the promise of becoming a mighty weapon. Word of the potential danger of an "Atomic Bomb" arrived in America with scientists fleeing Hitler's "New Order." Among them were three refugee Hungarian scientists: Leo Szilard, Eugene Wigner, and Edward Teller, who were able to convince Albert Einstein of the danger of a Nazi Atomic Bomb. Einstein, with the help of Szilard, Wigner, Teller, and Alexander Sachs, a Wall Street Economist, wrote his famous "dangers of uranium fission letter" to President Roosevelt. Sachs, who was a longtime friend and unofficial advisor to Roosevelt, delivered Einstein’s letter into the president's hand on October 11, 1939. Immediately recognizing that a Hitler Atomic Bomb would lead to world conquest, President Roosevelt wasted no time in ordering the establishment of a government committee to fund American universities engaged in uranium research. The task was given to the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD), which formed an Atomic Committee, code name S-­‐1. Twelve months later $300,000 had been disbursed to sixteen research groups. The thrust of all of the research was to find a means to separate sufficient quantities of fissionable materials suitable to build an atomic bomb. By 1942, five different technologies had been identified as practicable methods to produce fissionable material. Two of the methods involved the theoretical use of nuclear reactors to convert uranium-­‐238 into plutonium-­‐
239. However, no such reactor existed and a self-­‐sustaining fission reaction was only theory. The other three—gaseous diffusion, centrifugal diffusion, and electromagnetic isotope separation (EMIS)—were experimental separation technologies for the extraction of the uranium-­‐235 isotope from uranium metal, which contained 0.7 % uranium-­‐235. None of these technologies offered assurance that they could be turned into production 11 facilities for the large quantities of fissionable isotopes required to manufacture nuclear weapons. By May, 1942 the S-­‐1 Committee, unable to choose a technology or technologies, because all were equally risky, made a courageous and bold decision to prepare a report recommending that all five technologies be put into production at the same time. The recommendation was sent to Army Chief of Staff, General George C. Marshall; Secretary of War, Henry L. Stimson; and Vice President Henry A. Wallace. All three men approved the report and forwarded it to the president, who quickly returned it with "O.K., FDR" written in one corner. Thus began the greatest scientific, engineering, and manufacturing effort in the history of mankind. OSRD Director, Dr. Vannevar Bush, recommended that the project be transferred to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE), for transition from research and development (R&D) to full-­‐scale production. President Roosevelt concurred, and the project was transferred to the Army COE in June 1942. The COE formed a new special district to manage the secret project, named the "Manhattan District," under the direction of Colonel James C. Marshall. Control of the research groups remained with OSRD. Colonel Marshall had mistakenly assumed that the scientific and engineering work necessary to start construction of production facilities was completed. He quickly determined that was not the case—nothing was ready for production. Marshall, a highly qualified engineer, was reluctant to commit to starting construction of facilities before the technology was proven—sound engineering practice in normal times. But this was not a simple engineering project and these were not normal times. It quickly became apparent to the president's advisors that a strong, qualified, decisive leader was needed to spearhead this enormous war effort. Secretary of War Stimson selected a candidate, U.S. Army Colonel Leslie Groves, who was approved by the president. Graduated fourth in his 1918 class at West Point, Colonel Groves was currently Deputy Chief of Army Construction, responsible for controlling construction work amounting to $600 million per month. Colonel Groves was also the liaison officer for the COE Manhattan District, and as such had provided advice to Colonel Marshal in the areas of procurement, plant location, and selection of contractors. When, on September 17, 1942, Colonel Groves was informed by his boss, Major General Brehon Somervell, that he had been appointed chief of a new program called "The Manhattan Project," America's atomic bomb project came into being. Colonel Marshall remained head of the COE Manhattan District, which ultimately became part of The Manhattan Project. On September 23, 1942 newly promoted Brigadier General Leslie Groves officially took charge of the Manhattan Project. Under Groves' leadership, the Manhattan Project had total responsibility for all science, engineering, processes and construction of production facilities required to deliver the atomic bomb—its mission, to build "THE BOMB" and win the war. During the next two years, land was acquired and three new cities built to provide housing for the personnel needed to build and operate the massive facilities required for production of atomic bombs. Vast facilities 12 were created including: Oak Ridge, Tennessee, encompassing fifty-­‐four thousand acres, for uranium separation; Los Alamos, New Mexico, located in a high valley called a "mesa" surrounded by mountains, for a bomb design laboratory; and Hanford, Washington, six hundred square miles, for plutonium production. General Groves built production facilities for technologies that had yet to be developed (using components not yet invented); marshaled the resources of major universities; obtained the assistance and support of America's greatest corporations (many which placed the future of their companies at risk for the project); and gathered the greatest group of scientists, engineers and inventors America had ever assembled. American leadership, ingenuity, and determination prevailed. Technical problems were solved—many at the last minute. THE BOMB project finally came together in early 1945, when sufficient uranium-­‐235 and plutonium-­‐
239 was produced at Oak Ridge to construct three atomic bombs at the Los Alamos laboratory. General Groves’ leadership, tenacity and management ability provided America with the means to end World War II. Control of THE BOMB allowed America to lead the world into the nuclear age under democracy rather than tyranny. The Manhattan Project advanced science; accelerated development of new technologies and manufacturing processes; created new materials, products and industries; established the nuclear power industry; and propelled America into the role of world leader—the first superpower. The history of The Manhattan Project should be a part of every school's required curriculum; for its success are truly an inspiration and a testament to America's greatness. _______________ 13 Soviet – Afghan War The Rings of Allah The Unites States’ first major 20th Century encounter with radical Islam occurred in February 1979 when then president Jimmy Carter intervened during the overthrow of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, by followers of returning exiled Islamic leader Ayatollah Khomeini. By using his influence with Iran’s military to encourage them to remain in their barracks during violent demonstrations against the shah, Carter subjected America to international embarrassment, sanctioned the Iranian revolution, and opened the door to the fury of radical Islam. As a reward for Carter’s support Khomeini allowed Iranian students to seize the American Embassy on November 4, 1979. Ninety American diplomats were taken hostage inside the embassy. Fifty-­‐two of the hostages remained in brutal captivity for 444 days until the crisis came to an end with the inauguration of President Reagan on January 20, 1981. The Soviet Union noted Carter’s weakness and launched their invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas eve 1979—an event that becomes part of this novels’ story. In the 1980s during Mikhail Gorbachev's perestroika, the last official Muslim suppression occurred. Official Soviet policy considered Islamic traditions and beliefs the enemy of modernization, and a focal point for anti-­‐Russian movements in Central Asia. Concerned with winning the Cold War, America and Great Britain, intervened in the Soviet-­‐Afghan war in the 1980s. By supporting the Afghan Mujahedeen (holy warriors), both countries hoped that Islamic unrest would spread throughout Soviet Central Asia. No thought was given to the long-­‐
term consequences—which unfortunately have proven the old saying, "The Devil you know is better than the Devil you don't," correct. A lesson America is once again relearning from events in Egypt. Radical Islamic fundamentalists have no plans to reform corrupt and unjust governments; no plans to provide jobs, education, training, or medical care; and no plans for democratic participation in government. Rather they seek to recreate the khalifat (caliphate or Muslim Empire). They seek to impose Shariah law (Islamic law, based on the Qur’an and Sunnah, traditions of the Prophet) instead of creating free societies. Extremists reject science and most of what history has taught us. They wish to revert to a society based upon life in the seventh century. Afghanistan, ruled by the Taliban under Shariah, was a (so called) "model for the fundamentalist ideal Islamic State," which included: repression of women; a sadistic penal code; total control of the population; and a restrictive dress code. Radical fundamentalists are attempting to dominate the Muslim world and racing down the path toward war with the West. Short of war, only Islam itself can defeat radical Islamic fundamentalists. Unfortunately, Muslims have chosen to follow the example of the United Nations: explaining, justifying, rationalizing, and apologizing for an Islamic dictator's or radical fundamentalist’s inhumane actions. By failing to actively denounce and confront Islamic radicals, because they are Muslims, greater Islam is allowing its radicals to drag their religion and their people into an abyss. The MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) strategy that deterred nuclear war for 14 half a century has no meaning to Islamic fundamentalists; who, with nothing to lose, are willing to die and let anyone who opposes them—and some who support them—die for their cause. Two radical Sunni-­‐Islamic sects have exerted great influence on Central Asia's radical Islamic fundamentalists' movement—Deobandism and Wahhabism. The traditions of both sects adhere to the belief that seizure of power is the only way to impose Shariah and change social behavior. Once power is forcibly seized, an Islamic state will naturally follow. Deobandism is a Sunni-­‐Islamic sect that was founded in British controlled India in the nineteenth century. Deobandism teachers spread their radical teachings to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Deobandi madrassahs (schools) established in Pakistan, trained the founders of the Taliban and are also credited with reintroducing the militant version of jihad in the latter half of the twentieth century. Wahhabism followed Saudi Arabian militants to Afghanistan. Sometimes known as “Islamism,” Wahhabism, is a sect that considers itself the purest form of Islam. Intolerant of any other form of Islam and unwilling to accommodate other religions, Islamism teaches a narrow view of the world. Wahhabists fiercely oppose anything viewed as bida, an Arabic word, usually muttered as a curse against any change or modernization that deviates from the fundamental teachings of the Quran. The Wahhabi sect was named for Muhammad bin-­‐Abd al-­‐Wahhab, an 18th-­‐century tribal leader, whose descendants are known as Wahhabists. An alliance between the Wahhabi religious movement and the House of Saud founded the kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932. Members of the Wahhab family continue to hold prominent positions in Saudi Arabia to this day. Saudis themselves do not use the term Wahhabi, instead preferring to refer to themselves as “Unitarians”—believers in one indivisible deity. Saudi's religious establishment, the Ulema, imposes: strict segregation of the sexes, an absolute prohibition of the sale and consumption of alcohol; a ban on women driving, and many other social restrictions. Rules are enforced by the Mutawa, the religious police, who patrol streets and shopping centers looking for anyone committing an infraction of Shariah. Telephones, radio broadcasts, and public education for women are condemned as innovations of the Devil. There are no movie theaters in Saudi Arabia, because they promote unhealthy mingling of the sexes. Wahhabists believe their faith should be spread at all cost. No ground should be given to conquered people. All should convert or perish. An article published in the Orlando Sentinel on March 11, 2003, quotes Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan as saying, "Saudi Arabia, as the birthplace of Islam, will not allow [Christian] churches to be built on its land. ... Islam is the only accepted religion in Saudi Arabia, home to the faith's holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina." The end of the Soviet-­‐Afghan war was closely followed in 1991 by the collapse of the Soviet Union, which granted the five Central Asian republics independence: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Sealed behind the iron curtain, Central Asians knew little about the outside world. Their ideology dated back to the 1920s. Into this vacuum rushed mullahs teaching Deobandism and Wahhabism, and creating the 15 political turmoil that exists in Central Asia today. Before citizens of the free world can make rational decisions regarding how to deal with Islam and radical Islamism, they must understand the ideologies and needs of Islam and the Central Asian people. Their lands are tribal. Loyalties belong to the kinsmen, tribal brothers, and religion—not the current nation's flag. Attempting to deal with Muslims in Central Asia by using western philosophy and ideology is a classic mistake. Central Asians have not acquired western values, and therefore have neither the understanding nor the ability to respond to western offers. Understanding the culture of Middle and Central Asia and Islam is vital to avoiding a worldwide religious war. _______________ 16