All Americans are rejoicing this week upon the news that Osama bin Laden has been killed in a daring mission by a United States Special Forces team. It has been nearly ten years since the September 11th terrorist attacks claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people on American soil, and justice has been served to its main architect. With Osama bin Laden in the throes of hell, the focus now turns to the next chapter of the War on Terror and our involvement in the Middle East.
Unfortunately, some may call for the withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan and the scaling back of our footprint in the Middle East. America must remain vigilant and not lapse into a pre-September 11th mindset. We are at war with radical Islam, and though the killing of Osama bin Laden is a major victory in our ongoing War on Terror, it will not be the final battle. America and our allies must identify and fight radical Islam wherever it crops up. If we ever lose our focus and resolve, we risk repeating the same mistakes that led to September 11th.
Radical Islamists’ main objective is to impose worldwide Sharia law, and they will not relent until that goal is met. Essentially, Sharia law is an ancient set of Islamic rules that commingles government and religion to the effect that government becomes the religion. Sharia is an extreme philosophy that is the antithesis of our cherished freedom of religion set forth in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Although it remains a foreign concept for many Americans, Sharia law is spreading at a startling rate across parts of Europe. It is a radical and draconian system under which women can be stoned to death for adultery, the penalty of converting to a religion other than Islam is death, and honor killings are a duty. Afghanistan, before the U.S.-led invasion, was the center of Sharia law in the Muslim world. This extremist thinking is pure evil and is what paved the way for the attacks on September 11, 2001.
Citizens United Productions produced a film last year that premiered on the ninth anniversary of the September 11th attacks, entitled “America at Risk.” Hosted by Newt and Callista Gingrich, the documentary examines the truth about radical Islam, the realities of which much of Washington still refuses to acknowledge. From the Beirut bombing of the Marine barracks in 1983, to the Fort Hood shooting in 2009, “America at Risk” takes a deep look at the hows and whys of radical Islamist terror. To defeat radical Islam, Americans must understand what really drives these fanatics to kill in the name of religion and act on that truth. “America at Risk” details the ongoing threat to our security and livelihood and what must be done to win the War on Terror.
The killing of Osama bin Laden by American forces ends one chapter of the War on Terror but it does not close the book. We are at war with a religious movement that seems to be growing, not dissipating as some pundits have claimed in the wake of the killing of Osama bin Laden. As “America at Risk” explains, America must remain vigilant, and we cannot pull back the reins on our military as we enter into the next phase of the War on Terror. If we do not maintain our resolve, the sacrifices made over the last ten years will have been in vain.
David N. Bossie is the president of Citizens United and Citizens United Productions, and the executive producer of “America at Risk.”