We have seen a Muslim backlash against al-Qaeda building for over a year now. It began in the Anbar Province of Iraq, where Iraq Sunnis made the fatal decision to ally with the Islamo Fascists of al-Qaeda. The resulting atrocities and brutality inflicted by al-Qaeda to cow the Iraqis created such a backlash the Sunnis decided to ally with their one time enemy America to rid them of the pestilence they had let in their midst. This was no small change of heart but an indication of how violent and oppressive al-Qaeda is at its core, which meant if al-Qaeda did not change its ways it was going to be seeing the same reaction amongst any Muslim community that had not tasted its blood lust and evil desires.

And as The Awakening spread across Iraq it was clear that this was not an isolated event but a sea change in attitudes in spreading in the Muslim Street. We have seen the same response to al-Qaeda and their Taliban cousins show up in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where the general populations have revolted against the terrorists. We have even seen well-established extremist leaders denounce al-Qaeda’s atrocities against Muslims.

I have said for over a year this backlash against al-Qaeda would grow and expand as the horror stories from Iraq spread out into the Muslim community, and as more and more martyrs were coming from the ranks of those who had stood up to fight off al-Qaeda. This is a phenomena that was going to spread natively through the communities and was out of sight and control of Western news media to influence or deflect.

This phenomena is still growing as the Muslim street is rising up in anger – against al-Qaeda!

Al Qaeda increasingly faces sharp criticism from once-loyal sympathizers who openly question its ideology and tactics, including attacks that kill innocent Muslims, according to U.S. intelligence officials, counter-terrorism experts and the group’s own communications.

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The criticism apparently has grown serious enough that Al Qaeda’s chief strategist, Ayman Zawahiri, felt compelled to solicit online questions. He responded in an audio message released this month. For more than 90 minutes, Bin Laden’s second-in-command tried to defuse the anger.

In March, Zawahiri released a 188-page Internet book to rebut complaints, particularly those of an influential former Islamic militant who said Zawahiri and Bin Laden should be held accountable for violence against Muslims.

Sayyed Imam Sharif, an Egyptian physician who once was a senior theologian for Al Qaeda, was one of Zawahiri’s oldest associates. The author of violent manifestoes over the last two decades, Sharif did an about-face while incarcerated in Egypt. Several other prominent Muslim clerics and former militants have similarly condemned Al Qaeda.

Such rifts have been emerging for several years, but they have become increasingly contentious lately, in cyberspace and on the streets of some Arab countries. In addition to Zawahiri, Al Qaeda leaders, including Bin Laden himself, have gone on a public relations offensive. In October, Bin Laden asked followers for forgiveness for the deaths of civilians in Iraq.

I have said for months the Muslim street really doesn’t want Jihad – especially when it is raging within its neighborhoods. Fighting the evil West used to have a romantic appeal as the violence was confined to NY city and Washington DC, Africa, etc. But when the fighting came to the heartland of Islam, and Muslims suffered under the Islamo Fascist jackboot (which tortured and killed families as example to others) the reality of al-Qaeda was a shocking wake up call.

This all proves why George Bush was right to take the battle to the heartland of Islam while not attacking Muslim indiscriminately. While America and al-Qaeda squared off, America became the protectors and al-Qaeda the butchers. The decision on which future was best for the Muslim Street became glaringly obvious. It was just a question of how much time would it require for the world views once held to be thrown off in order to face the brutal reality playing out in front of everyone’s eyes.

Increasingly the Muslim Street has decided al-Qaeda is the enemy of Islam, not the future of Islam. The community understands it is better to co-exist with America than be brutalized under the whip of the Islamo Fascists. Ironically, the last people on the planet who will finally grasp what is going on will be the radical left in the West – the liberal/progressive (what oxymoronic monikers) Surrendercrats and SurrenderMedia. They were too vested in the now defunct conventional wisdom where America was the source of evil in the world. They have become so adept at ignoring the reality they in fact may never wake up from their delusional denial.

Which in the end means they will become marginal lost causes as the world wakens to a new world view. A world view where Bin Laden’s Islamo Fascists where thankfully destroyed before they could destroy Islam and brutalize muslims for their sick and twisted pleasures.

That is what history will probably write – that mankind was infected with another pestilence of power run amok and rose up under the leadership of America to destroy the human cancer that is al-Qaeda. It makes sense when you take the long view. America led the fight against Communism, but hesitated in stopping the Nazis until pushed into the fight. This time we stood up first and led the charge, in no small part due to the fact we were violently attacked on our homeland for the first time in decades.

Addendum: And don’t think Sadr’s Mahdi Militia will fair any better than al-Qaeda did. The indications from Basra are there is a palatable sense of relief that the Mahdi Islamo Fascists have been tossed out there as well:

“All areas of Basra are under the command of the security forces,” interior ministry spokesman
Major General Abdel Karim Khalaf said today.

“There are no areas under the control of armed men. Iraqi police are deployed in all Basra streets,” he said.

Many residents reported they feel safer as a measure of normality has returned to the oil-rich city with the reopening of markets and the resumption of basic services.

The tide of fundamentalism which swept into the city with the Shi’ite militiamen who tried to force their brand of Islam onto local residents has been rolled back.

Music stores have reopened, with US movies, cassettes and CDs on the shelves for the first time in years as residents again hold parties now that alcohol is once more available, albeit surreptitiously.

The tide is turning – in our favor.