Thomas Jefferson and Muslim Terrorists

Found it interesting that we were dealing with Muslim terrorists as far back as 1785 in the war against the Barbary pirates. American trading ships were being forced to pay tribute to North African Muslim piratical city-states.

".........one cannot get around what Jefferson heard when he went with John Adams to wait upon Tripoli’s ambassador to London in March 1785. When they inquired by what right the Barbary states preyed upon American shipping, enslaving both crews and passengers, America’s two foremost envoys were informed that “it was written in the Koran, that all Nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon whoever they could find and to make Slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.” (It is worth noting that the United States played no part in the Crusades, or in the Catholic reconquista of Andalusia.)"

And we had our appeasers at the time:

There were many Americans—John Adams among them—who made the case that it was better policy to pay the tribute. It was cheaper than the loss of trade, for one thing, and a battle against the pirates would be “too rugged for our people to bear.” Putting the matter starkly, Adams said: “We ought not to fight them at all unless we determine to fight them forever.”


http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=27956


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Barbary_War

 

Following the American Revolution America was no longer under the protection of the British tribute treaties, resulting in the crippling of American commerce in the Mediterranean. Having no significant Navy; the U.S. decided to form tribute treaties with the Barbary states, such as this 1796 Treaty of Tripoli.
I found Article 11 of this treaty to be eye-opening.
What is one to make of this statement?

Article 11 states:


"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselman; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interpretation of the harmony existing between the two countries."

What would Jerry Falwell and Dr. James Kennedy say about that?