Representative Eli Crane (R-AZ) emphasized the role of jihadist ideology in the September 11th attacks in a recent House Homeland Security Committee hearing.
Opening Remarks
Rep. Crane began by saying that the committee was "very good at remembering September 11th," yet "what this committee in this country is not good at remembering is why those men did it."
"They did not fly those planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon because they were poor," Rep. Crane continued, "They did not do it because America needed another fusion center briefing or a better TSA line. They did it because they believed they were obeying God."
He cited specific verses in the Koran and the Sahih al-Bukari, emphasizing that "these are not internet memes; they are canon."
Clarifications
"Millions of Muslims reject that reading and want no part of a political project to put Sharia over civil law," the Arizona congressman clarified, adding, "That distinction matters, and I will continue to say it. The attackers of 9/11, Boko Haram, ISIS, and the networks that still inspire lone actors in this country do not reject that reading. They treat it as a command. Pretending otherwise is not compassion; it is malpractice."
The Conclusion
Crane concluded by saying that he had "spent years on this committee, fighting for it, and will continue to do so. But until this body is willing to have an open conversation about the root cause, the Islamic teachings that still instruct violence against the unbeliever, we will keep disrupting plots after the ideology has already done its work. We will write another after-action report. We will hold another moment of silence. We will congratulate ourselves for remembering the buildings, and we will not keep the American people safe."
Previous Warnings
In July, the Arizona congressman warned against the rise of Sharia law in the West, saying, "At the end of the day, most of us do not care who you pray to. We do not care where you come from, what color you are, but we do care that if you come to this country, you assimilate to our values, our Western values, and you don't try to undermine the Constitution and our rule of law here."
