The West's Multi-Headed Monster by Raymond Ibrahim.
Unfortunately, this ideology is grounded in religion and God, replete with eternal damnations and rewards, and thus not easily discredited. None of the aforementioned men initiated the many commands that create strife between Muslims and non-Muslims; they only upheld them. Immutable verses from the Koran, as well as countless statements and examples by the prophet Muhammad, are what initiate this animosity:
'When the sacred months have passed, slay the idolaters wherever you find them - seize them, besiege them, and make ready to ambush them' [9:5]
'When you encounter infidels, strike off their heads' [Koran 47:4].
'I (Muhammad) have been made victorious through terror' [Bukhari B52N220].
No 'radical' Muslim - including head-chopping Zarqawi - made up these verses and others like them. They are understood to be the everlasting words of God and His prophet.
The West's plight vis-a-vis radical Islam is therefore akin to Hercules' epic encounter with the multi-headed Hydra-monster. Every time the mythical strongman lopped off one of the monster’s heads, two new ones grew in its place. To slay the beast once and for all, Hercules learned to cauterize the stumps with fire, thereby preventing any more heads from sprouting out.
Similarly while the West continues to lop off monster heads like figurehead Zarqawi, it is imperative to treat the malady - radical Islam - in order to ultimately prevail. Victory can only come when the violent ideologies of radical Islam are cauterized with fire.