From an article1:
One is tempted to dismiss Boykin's blather as an utterly lopsided view of a religious extremist or fundamentalist. But come to think of it, America's "war on terrorism" is also being fought against that very similar frame of mind from the Muslim side. More to the point, the man behind that chatter is also a US government official, who deals with Muslim leaders and seeks their cooperation in this "war against terrorism".
What is bizarre is that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, on October 16, dismissed Boykin's religious drivel as his exercise of freedom of expression in a democracy. But wait a minute. Boykin also represents the US government abroad. In that capacity, is he also expressing the real views of the Bush administration? I am sure Rumsfeld would hasten to say no, but that question is already being asked in the Muslim world: "Whose god is real, and whose god is bigger?" Bin Laden has been answering those questions all along. His answers are very similar to the utterances made by Boykin. Or, is it the other way around? (
link)
Some good commentary on this issue.
Complete text of the article,
Whose god is "real" and "bigger"?, by Ehsan Ahrari
The man in charge of hunting down Osama bin Laden has bin Laden's exact frame of reference regarding the "enemies" of his religion, and about the mega-conflict that has intensified since September 11. That man's name is William "Jerry" Boykin.
Boykin holds the rank of lieutenant-general, and also serves as deputy under-secretary of defense for intelligence. According to published reports, he is a much-decorated veteran, and was twice wounded during covert operations.
Boykin's comments caught the attention of the international media when he expressed his evangelical Christian views regarding Islam, Muslims and the global "war on terrorism" once too often. According to one source, Boykin "believes that Islam is an idolatrous, sacrilegious religion against which we [the United States] are waging a holy war". If Boykin's views were stated to an audience with a slight modification (ie, by altering the name of the religion and without identifying the source), the listener could confidently relate those comments to those of bin Laden.
As an evangelical Christian, Boykin believes - according to a statement that he made to a religious audience - that radical Islamists hate the US "because we're a Christian nation, because our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christian ... and the enemy is a guy named Satan". Bin Laden made very similar statements describing why the US "hates" Islam, and why Muslims should cooperate with him in his fight against the "super-Infidel". Bin Laden regularly couches the current conflict as being between Islam and the "Judeo-Christian" West.
Boykin has dropped other pearls of wisdom as well. Discussing the US military entanglement with one of Somalia's warlords, Osman Atto, in the early 1990s, he described it to a religious audience as a contest between two gods, and added, "I knew my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol." Last year, Boykin also stated, "We in the army of God, in the house of God, kingdom of God, have been raised for such a time as this." There is also an entity called the Army of God in Lebanon that is popularly known by its Arabic name, Hezbollah (translation: Army of God). The US officially labels it a terrorist group. However, I am sure Boykin is not referring to that army.
It is also interesting to note what Boykin thinks of his commander-in-chief, President George W Bush. Last June, Boykin observed, Bush "is in the White House because God has put him there". One wonders what grudge God held against Bush's opponent, Al Gore, in the last presidential election.
Thinking about Boykin's supercilious worldview, I am reminded of another episode when Bush, soon after the September 11 terrorist attacks, stated that he was on a "crusade" against bin Laden. But he soon apologized for that phraseology when his aides made clear to him the implications of that phrase for the Muslim world. Ever since then, his administration has maintained the correct posture of insisting that America's fight is not with Islam or with Muslims.
One is tempted to dismiss Boykin's blather as an utterly lopsided view of a religious extremist or fundamentalist. But come to think of it, America's "war on terrorism" is also being fought against that very similar frame of mind from the Muslim side. More to the point, the man behind that chatter is also a US government official, who deals with Muslim leaders and seeks their cooperation in this "war against terrorism".
What is bizarre is that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, on October 16, dismissed Boykin's religious drivel as his exercise of freedom of expression in a democracy. But wait a minute. Boykin also represents the US government abroad. In that capacity, is he also expressing the real views of the Bush administration? I am sure Rumsfeld would hasten to say no, but that question is already being asked in the Muslim world: "Whose god is real, and whose god is bigger?" Bin Laden has been answering those questions all along. His answers are very similar to the utterances made by Boykin. Or, is it the other way around?
Given the worldwide press coverage to his unmistakable denigration of Islam, Boykin was squirming. On October 18, he asserted that his comments were "misconstrued". Then he said, "For those who have been offended, I offer a sincere apology." Regarding his statement that God had installed Bush in the White House, Boykin's latest amendment was that God "had done the same for Bill Clinton and other presidents".
Despite his flimsy explanations and apologies, there is little doubt that damage to US interests has been done. Adel al-Jubair, an advisor to the Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, called Boykin's comments "outrageous" and "certainly unbecoming of a senior government official."
Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, in an interview on October 19, reiterated her boss' position that the US is not at war with Islam. However, she did not answer the question whether Bush would condemn Boykin's statements made in and out of uniform, in churches and elsewhere. At the same time, there is no anticipated move to remove him from his current sensitive post.
A number of newspapers in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Kuwait and Iraq reported Boykin's earlier remarks without comment. One can ignore Boykin's lack of knowledge about Islam as a private person. But there is no excuse for using his public position and visibility to spread hatred and disinformation about a great religion, such as describing Islam as an "idolatrous" religion, which goes against its very grain as a monotheistic faith. Equally important, this certainly is not the time to raise questions about whose god is "real" or whose god is "bigger".
reference=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/EJ21Aa02.html
The Clipboard: Whose god is 'real' and 'bigger'?