December 2002 Vol.5, No. 10 Contents Praying More Than Ever, "Thy Kingdom Come" by Roy Holladay Restoration: Will One Good Man Stand Up? by Darris McNeely Bin Laden's Letter Offers Insight Into Islamic Fundamentalism by Melvin Rhodes Troubling Times for Three British Institutions by John Ross Schroeder The Great Disappointment by Gary Petty In Brief... World News Review by John Ross Schroeder and Jim Tuck This Is the Way...Couldn't Get It Out of My Head by Robin Webber Dec '02 Main Bin Laden's Letter Offers Insight Into Islamic Fundamentalism Osama bin Laden's "Letter to America" emphasizes the role religion plays in the growing conflict between Islam and Western secularism. by Melvin Rhodes A discussion on National Public Radio's (NPR) Diane Rehm Show (Nov. 26, 2002) included a remarkable comment that the conflicts in the Middle East had nothing to do with religion. The speaker went on to say that not even Osama bin Laden has brought religion into it. Perhaps he should have read the full text of Osama bin Laden's "Letter to America" before contributing to the program. The full text in English, translated from the original Arabic, could have been downloaded from The London Observer newspaper's Web site two days earlier, Sunday, Nov. 24. Why this has not been read out in full on U.S. television or radio stations is a mystery, as it is likely to impact Americans more than any other news item of the year. Ironically, the previous day's Diane Rehm Show focused on media shortcomings and the declining standards in covering "hard news," with most news programs offering confrontational news-based programs (described as "entertainment" by one participant on the show) rather than a more serious analysis of the major issues. Bin Laden's letter makes for chilling reading. If the threats contained in it are carried out, then America is set for more 9/11s. It says in part, "If the Americans do not respond, then their fate will be that of the Soviets who fled from Afghanistan to deal with their military defeat, political breakup, ideological downfall and economic bankruptcy." Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0212/binladen.htm Related Information on UCG Sites: Table of Contents that includes "Bin Laden's Letter Offers Insight Into Islamic Fundamentalism" Other Articles by Melvin Rhodes Osama bin Laden: _Abomination of Desolation _World News Review September/October 1998 _Key to the Middle East-Seek First to Understand _World News Review March 1999 _World News Review May 1999 _World News Review September/October 1999 _World News Review Feb 2002 _Seeing the World Scene Realistically _Behind the Headlines ... America vs. Iraq or America vs. the World? Islamic fundamentalism: _Still Not Fully Realized -- The West Is Fighting for Its Survival _An Incendiary Arc of Instability _Egypt's Coming Transition _Anger Mounts Following 1991 Gulf War _Islamic Fundamentalism Resurges _A Different World _A Rising Tide of Islamic Fundamentalism _What the West Doesn't Realize: It's in a Fight for Survival _Will America Run Away From Iraq? U.S. morality: _When Nations Die _Wanted - Parents Who Show Their Children How to Live _United States Morality - What Lies Ahead? _When the Angel Leaves the Storm _World News Review Nov 2001 _Mass Culture's Horrendous Consequences _Controversies Concerning Homosexuality Hound the Anglican Community _'Mr. Smith' Takes on Washington _Has America Lost Its 'Moral Mind'? _America's Culture War: Threat to Homeland Security? _America's Handwriting of Warning _A World for Cameron _Are Things Really Better Than We Think? _What's Ahead for America? _Hooking Up and Losing Out _Is America Living Up to God's Standards? _Compromising With Morality _"In God We Trust" _A 45-Year-Old Dream With Shades of Eternity _Society's Slide Into Immorality _America's Moral Downturn: What Lies Ahead? _Values Turned Upside Down in a Generation's Time _America: Uninformed and Unaware _Our Cultural Battlegrounds _Ronald Reagan: In His Own Words _Could We Lose the War on Terror? _World News and Trends - Jul/Aug 2004 _Is the United States Still a Moral Nation? _America at a Dangerous Crossroads _The Role of a Watchman, Part 2: Who Are Today's Watchmen? _Redefining Morality: Why a Torrent of Trouble Threatens to Engulf Us _World News & Trends - November/December 2008 _In the News Oct/Dec 2006 _Internet Pornography: A Cultural Plague _Foul Language _When Nations Fall _How Can a Leader Assure Peace, Prosperity and Protection? _Redefining Hate Speech _Global Political Trends Threaten America's World Leadership Search Our Site Key Subjects Index General Topics Index Biblical References Index Good News Magazine Index Booklets and All Literature Index Home Page of this site