My Trip to Al-Qaeda

First let me say I am a conservative at heart but I'm also open minded to hearing the point of view of others. Whether you are on the right, left or somewhere in between this is an excellent documentary. This film was completed very objectively with no perceived, at least by me, bias for one view point or another.

Lawrence Wright, in my opinion, identifies well America's complacency and false sense of inferiority. Mr. Wright also describes very clearly the extent to which Al-Qaeda will go to fulfill their prophecy. This film is not intended to be a scare tactic but to simply and objectively state the facts.

Every American should take an hour and half of their selfish day and watch this film. Not to brew hatred or to scare people to action but to educate them about the determination of Al-Qaeda.

The documentary "My Trip to Al-Qaeda" was 'alright' despite being severely propagated; moreover, I think objective journalists in general would take issue with Wright's criticism of Saudi culture. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, likening the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to a "hypnotized chicken" is just as arrogant of a comment as the Hamas "death to The West" crowd, or The fascist Iranian president's views on Israel.

Mutual respect is that which bridges gaps between cultures, religions, etc. We as Americans have our own cultural irregularities that the rest of the world doesn't exactly agree with. As level-headed and rational I find Mr. Wright to be, I must disagree with his approach and overall condescending attitude towards Saudi culture in this documentary.

Government tolerance is really a subjective thing. Our forefathers wouldn't tolerate taxation without representation, and found it befitting to start a war over it. Today, the federal and state governments bully us out of roughly 28% of our paychecks in income taxes; highway tolls, and other illegal means, without any opposition. If you're rich enough, hire a good lawyer; if not, you're legally forced, much like situations elsewhere in the world, including Saudi.

Saudi women cover to prevent getting raped/uphold their religion. We in the US get fined "for our own safety" for just about everything. No seat belt: fined! Forgot your wallet at home -- triple fined (despite today's technology which allows law enforcement to pull up where you took your last dump)! Your tail-light/license plate light is out? That's okay if there's no way that you can tell without someone telling you -- you're getting fined anyway. What happens if you don't pay the fine for a traffic violation? You get thrown in Prison, like a violent criminal. What happens when you don't pay taxes? Prison. What happens if you don't have health-care and need dental work, organ transplant, etc. One of a few things: you either pay the piper, live with the pain, die in agony eventually, or go to prison for medical attention. What happens when you lose your job and home? You go to the shelter? I guess it works for some; however, there are many others who prefer steady meals in Prison over Homeless Shelters.

Is the US then to be classified as God's Hell on Earth? No. Why not? Using Mr. Wright's own words: "Humiliation is a choice." If you don't like your situation, leave, humiliate yourself by staying, or say thank God for everything as-is and live life with hope and a positive outlook. As the saying goes: "God grant me the power to accept that which I cannot change."

Anyone who thinks that this documentary paints a pejorative picture of Islam or is just propaganda more than likely is already looking at it with preconceived notions. It is a documentary that EVERY THINKING PERSON should see, and I suggest that you see it more than once. It is NOT a condemnation of Islam. It is NOT a western propagandist platform. It is NOT a U.S. bashing "leftist rant". It IS one man's take on the organization we have come to know as Al-Qaeda and it's role in fomenting terrorism worldwide. It is a MUST SEE for any thinking person who is capable of analytical thinking.. no matter which side of the religious fence you fall on. I happen to be an American born Christian and I found the film to be thought provoking on many levels.

Lawrence Wright's film is fascinating and thought provoking. I read Wright's book The Looming Tower in 2006 and it was the first time I felt I had a clear understanding what the war with Al Qaeda was all about. In this film, Wright explores similar territory and provides an explanation of the philosophy of groups like Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Both share a view of the world that is repugnant and alien to our liberal western sensibilities. We value human life, scientific progress and equality for women and they don't. Wright explains that the Islamic world resents the material and military success of the West. The rise of terrorism has been a way for some extremists to obtain payback for the years of humiliation.

While the West has mostly rejected religious fanaticism, Wright shows that parts of the Islamic world are now embracing it. Many regard their failure to compete with the West as a punishment from God. Because Muslims have rejected the true path they need to embrace fundamentalism to achieve God's forgiveness. They therefore reject modernity and oppose Arab leaders like Anwer Sadat who favor secularism. Al Qaeda wants to eliminate what it sees as our corrosive influence in the Middle East. However it is not clear why God isn't punishing us, the infidels for our blasphemous ways. We don't enforce the punishments listed in the Old Testament like killing anyone who works on the Sabbath, so it's hard for us to understand why the stoning of women is making a comeback in countries like Iran or why this is something that God requires.

Wright argues that U.S. policies towards the Muslim world after 9/11 have played into bin Laden's hands. Policy makers failed to understand that bin Laden was happy to weaken the U.S. by drawing it into long draining wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The nightmare scenario is for the Islamists capture the Middle East or they start an ongoing insurgency in the West. Watching this program you feel reasonably confident this won't happen, mainly because you quickly realize how crazy their beliefs are. Their views have no appeal for us and it's hard to believe that rational Muslims really want what Al Qaeda is selling. Even their interpretation of Islam seems un-Islamic.

The West and the Islamists have incompatible views on the world so it seems that there will always be conflict. Wright seems to understand this strange world. This is a fascinating film.

I can't call this film "riveting" or "eye-opening". It is low-tone and most of its information is hardly surprising to me. But I am more interested in politics than most other people. However, don't listen to the extremists form both sides when they accuse this documentary of "lies". Yes, if you are a Koran-burner or a Bin Laden fan, the facts in this film will make you mad and you will want to burn some more Korans or more American/Israeli flags or Danish cartoonists or KFC outlets, but normal people will recognize that this film is truthful.

I checked main facts from this documentary against other sources, and all of them were confirmed. This film correctly explains the jihadist mindset of the Islamic extremists and the feeling of "humiliation" that many in the Islamic world feel towards the more economically, socially, and technologically successful western countries; and equally correctly explains why Americans should never allow our leaders to abandon our democratic values under the pretext of "fighting terror". This film explains why its not only immoral but also bad policy to keep invading foreign countries, to torture prisoners, to suspend civil liberties etc, as this only feeds the resentment in the Islamic world. After this film one gets a desire to join the Libertarian Party.