Kosovo - Proud, Independent, and Free

Today the Balkan nation of Kosovo declared it's independence from Serbia and announced it was the world's newest state.

"Kosovo is proud, independent, and free" said Hashim Thaci, Kosovo's prime minister, in Serbian, Albanian, and English.

Thousands of citizens came out in the bitter cold to sing, dance, and wave flags in the streets. The American flag is seen flying everywhere in photos of the celebrations in Kosovo today.

America has been the biggest supporter of an independent Kosovo, with many members of the European Union also supporting a free Kosovo. Russia and Serbia opposed the move by Kosovo to become free.

Serbia and Kosovo fought a brutal war in which Serbian aggression killed over 10,000 people. Finally in 1999 NATO stepped in and launched a 4 month long bombing campaign to drive the Serbs from Kosovo and bring and end to the violence. It was in this campaign that Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic attempted the 'ethnic cleansing' of Albanian Muslims living in the Kosovo province.

I was proud this morning to see the pictures and video of Kosovo citizens celebrating in the streets and waving the new Kosovo flag alongside the Stars and Bars.

What is perhaps the most ironic twist in these events is that Serbia consists mainly of Orthodox Christians and Kosovo is 90% Albanian Muslim. Here was a campaign in modern-day Europe in which Christians were trying to kill Muslims because they are Muslim. That isn't surprising, Christians have hated anyone who isn't like them for 2000 years.

What is surprising in this case is that the Muslims are pro-American, waving the American flag in the streets while they celebrate their Independence. Too many Americans disliked Muslims before 9/11/01, most Americans now hate Muslims after 9/11/01. This is a shame. The Islamic religion is a religion of peace, much more so than Christianity is. It doesn't teach violence or hatred. Islam teaches living without alcohol and giving 10% of your income to the poor.

The 1% of radical Muslims who teach a twisted version of the Koran in an effort to justify Jihad against Americans are no different that David Koresh, Charlie Manson, or Jim Jones twisting the book of Revelations to justify cruelty and violence that they and their followers enacted. Americans don't get that. They don't see the connection, the irrelevance between the Islamic religion and the radical nutjobs who preach Jihad. Ask about Charles Manson and you'll be told "He's not a real Christian". Ask about any Al-Qaeda member and they are an "Islamic Militant", a "Muslim Terrorist", or simply "a mulsim".

So when you see the images on CNN tonight of the people of Kosovo waving American flags celebrating their independence just remember, there is a 90% chance that those people waving American Flags are Muslim.