Small army of religious fanatics retreat to the hills and refuse to give up their beliefs, even though a great and powerful army is after them. That applies to both Maccabee and Bin Laden. However, there is one very important difference.
Maccabee did not want others to conform to his beliefs. He just didn't appreciate a statue of another God being erected in a sacred temple. He didn't want to be assimilated - to give up his beliefs. But he didn't force those beliefs on others.
He didn't demand that other people of other faiths be slaughtered just because they had different beliefs.
The celebration of Hanukkah is about religious freedom - standing up for ones beliefs without impinging on those of others. The general consensus among my peers is that it's perfectly fine to worship as you wish as long as you don't harm or impede others.
When we light our menorah tonight, we will think of those that do not have the freedom to do so. When we put the candles in the window to shine the light for all to see, we will say a prayer for those who cannot worship in the open.
Most of all, we will say a prayer that people can just let each other be.
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