Opinion
A MIX OF IDEAS
Dry R
—ones
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Editorial
Terrorists Are Terrorists!
E
ach time a violent incident such
as the one at Fort Hood, Texas,
occurs these days, a strange new
ritual unfolds.
If it involves a Muslim, those in authority
practically trample each other in the rush
to cameras and microphones to reassure us
that this had nothing to do with terrorism.
It is almost like the "Politically Correct
Olympics." Who can be first to give us the
good news? Later on, when it turns out that
somewhere along the line the news was not
so good and the shooter did have repeated
contacts with an advocate of radical Islam,
the retractions are somewhat quieter.
The case of Maj. Nidal Hasan is almost
the paradigm of this nonsense. It appears
that the Army would prefer to have us
believe that counseling programs for
American soldiers under stress are so
carelessly supervised that a man with
severe psychological problems can attain a
position of trust and authority.
Isn't that reassuring? According to other
military medical personnel, even hinting
that a Muslim officer could kill 13 sol-
diers because he has been influenced by
extremists is a career-buster.
But somehow, someway it always seems
to turn out that way. The clean-cut kid
next door with the bomb in his basement
turns out to be watching wild-eyed imams
preaching jihad on the Internet.
Or as the New Republic recently put it:
"OK. Nidal Hasan is not a terrorist. He's a
banana ... So what!"
That doesn't change the fact that there
are people out there, some loners and
some with direct ties to terrorist organiza-
tions, who are planning great deeds such
as this all the time. Quibbling over proper
nomenclature doesn't alter that fact.
Mainstream media does not like the
word "terrorist:' It really seems to believe
that if you start throwing that word
around, the great right-wing militias it
knows is hiding up there in the hills will
come swooping down and start attacking
any Muslim they can get their hands on.
The "more responsible" Islamic organi-
zations recognize who
their allies are and do
everything they can to
promote this image of
victimization. It will
happen; if not right
now, then surely if
this labeling of terror-
. WHILE
ism gets out of hand,
FOR 2S LONG
tomorrow.
YEARS OUR JEWISH
There is a cost that
"LEADERSHIP"
comes when the grains
of political correctness
become embedded in
our system of commu-
nication. Self-censor-
ship and, eventually,
self-doubt are its by-
products.
A strong and con-
DryBones.com
fident civic culture
calls things what they
people on their way to counsel soldiers
are. By any reasonable definition of the
engaged in a war against such extremism,
word, a man who listens to radical reli-
is a terrorist.
gious leaders, picks up a gun and kills 13
Believe otherwise at your peril.
Reality Check
The Aura Of The IDF
I
studied at Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit for nine years
and have been involved in an orga-
nization and summer camp called Young
Judaea for 12 years.
While I was a student at Michigan State
University, I decided to study my third
year abroad at Ben-Gurion University near
Beersheva where I took classes in Hebrew.
I made aliyah in July 2008 through Nefesh
B'Nefesh after I completed my first degree
in linguistics.
When I arrived to Israel, I met with
my 25 other garin members and moved
up to Kibbutz Iftach to live with them.
For the first three months, my garin and
I spent our time working at our kibbutz,
Breisheet, where we worked at an apple
factory packing apples and doing other
work there, too. We also took trips around
Israel before we were all drafted into the
army.
On Nov. 27, I was drafted into a corn-
manders' course (Course Makim) for
six months. For the first three months, I
completed combat basic training. There,
I had the basic classes that every soldier
needs to take, such as first aid, weapons,
etc. What made my basic training dif-
ferent then regular basic training was
that we spent close to two months just in
30
December 3 2009
the shooting ranges and sand
dunes.
I learned from my command-
ers, sergeants and officers the
skills of fighters and survival
skills in the army. This basic
training was the most chal-
lenging event physically and
mentally that I have ever experi-
enced. It gave me a real sense of
accomplishment after sleeping
outside in the freezing weather
at night and doing drills with
my gun and vest for 18 hours
a day.
In my basic training, I
learned the true meaning of friendship
and teamwork. All of us work together on
every task, from being on time to places to
cleaning our rooms and showers.
For the last three months, I had my
commanders' course where we had more
classes and exams on all of the material
covered in basic training. Going from
basic training to the actual course was a
nice jump because we were allowed more
freedom, while our responsibilities were
hightened, too.
After I completed my basic training
and course, I was placed at a base called
Michve Alon near Tiberias, where new
immigrants do their basic
training and learn Hebrew
from an intense course of
ulpan taught by the command-
ers. What makes this base
special is that it gives new
immigrants a chance to suc-
ceed and take part in the Israel
Defense Forces (IDF) just like
every other Israeli soldier. This
base is in the education unit,
so it's not just a place where
soldiers go through basic train-
ing, but also a great learning
environment.
I was placed in a platoon
(pluga) where my soldiers have basic
training and take courses on Judaism
and Zionism. These soldiers choose to go
through the conversion process via the
army so they can be recognized as Jews by
the State of Israel. It's amazing to see how
these soldiers already take on a Jewish
way of life by keeping Shabbat, going to
synagogue, etc. Each course is a total of
three months, meaning the first three
weeks is basic training that I certify them
in and the rest is a course on Judaism and
Zionism.
Most of the day, the soldiers have classes
with civilian religious teachers that teach
them the Tanach, holidays, etc. As a com-
mander, I also teach courses on Jewish
history, such as Herzl, the aliyot, the Six-
Day War, etc.
I was very lucky to have been placed
here because I can teach all I have learned
at Hillel Day School and Young Judaea
— knowledge that has influenced me to
serve my country. It is a great experience
to be a commander and teacher in one
teaching discipline of the army as well as
in a course that will help the soldiers pass
the conversion process when they go to
the belt din.
Through my army experience, I was
able to meet incredible new Israeli,
American, Russian and Ethiopian friends
from my course as well as my new base,
where I serve as a commander. This is one
of the many great things about the army
that I enjoy very much. The IDF made
me a stronger and more informed person
about what an Israeli soldier experiences
on a day-to-day basis. 7
Carley A. Sirlin, 23, formerly of West
Blodmfield, is the daughter of Valeri Sirlin of
West Bloomfield and Keith Sirlin of Bloomfield
Hills. She is a graduate of Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit, Bloomfield Hills Andover
High School and Michigan State University.