'Islam is a peaceful religion...'Christ, the number of times I've heard people say that.
By the time Mohammed died, there existed an Islamic empire that covered most of North Africa and the Middle East. This wasn't achieved by peaceful missionary activity!
I'm certainly NOT saying that ALL Muslims want to take over the world, but to merely parrot the liberal mantra 'Islam is a peaceful religion' doesn't achieve anything.
I agree Western foreign policy leaves a very great deal to be desired. This doesn't mean you have to side with the terrorists - 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' is the mistake Bush (and other US leaders) have repeatedly made.
And it's presumptuous of you to say I don't 'understand' a culture. I understand it well enough to find many aspects of it repulsive.
(By the time Mohammed died, there existed an Islamic empire that covered most of North Africa and the Middle East. This wasn't achieved by peaceful missionary activity!
I'm certainly NOT saying that ALL Muslims want to take over the world, but to merely parrot the liberal mantra 'Islam is a peaceful religion' doesn't achieve anything.
I agree Western foreign policy leaves a very great deal to be desired. This doesn't mean you have to side with the terrorists - 'my enemy's enemy is my friend' is the mistake Bush (and other US leaders) have repeatedly made.
And it's presumptuous of you to say I don't 'understand' a culture. I understand it well enough to find many aspects of it repulsive.
Mr. Tea dole-nonce-amuser extraordinaire,
Thu 7 Jul 2005, 16:45,
archived)
Liberal mantra?Is that the best refute you can come up with?
Go on then, explain why exactly Islam is not a peaceful religion....
While you're at it, why not point out exacty which bit of my post said I was 'siding with the terrorists'.
Just because people do terrible things in the name of a religion, that does not mean the religion is evil. And saying 'well they're a bit nastier than us so there's no need for us to try to be nicer because we're still slightly better than them' is hardly the zenith of logical debate.
If the best you can manage is 'either you're with us or against us' and can't see any possible shades of grey in this big, complex world of ours then just go back to reading your Rush Limbaugh book.
(Go on then, explain why exactly Islam is not a peaceful religion....
While you're at it, why not point out exacty which bit of my post said I was 'siding with the terrorists'.
Just because people do terrible things in the name of a religion, that does not mean the religion is evil. And saying 'well they're a bit nastier than us so there's no need for us to try to be nicer because we're still slightly better than them' is hardly the zenith of logical debate.
If the best you can manage is 'either you're with us or against us' and can't see any possible shades of grey in this big, complex world of ours then just go back to reading your Rush Limbaugh book.
Afinkawan Yes I can hear you Clem Fandango,
Thu 7 Jul 2005, 16:54,
archived)
The 'with us or with them' attitude is exactly what I'm trying to refute.It seems to me that a lot of Western liberals (and I consider myself a liberal in most important senses) have rushed to defend Islam in general, ignoring some of the more unsavoury points of *some* Islamic cultures, simply because they're now the sworn enemy of the American establishment. My own attitude is that no cultures a perfect, but that it's wrong to suggest that they're all 'as good as each other'.
As far as I am aware, and please correct me if I'm wrong, the Qu'ran says that every true Muslim (male) should "be able to ride a horse and fight with a bow and a sword" - something like that, anyway. I've already mentioned the early military success of the culture. Go to Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and much of the Arabian peninsular and all the men carry guns. I'm certainly not claiming Christianity or any other religion (OK, maybe Buddhism) is any more inherently peaceful.
(As far as I am aware, and please correct me if I'm wrong, the Qu'ran says that every true Muslim (male) should "be able to ride a horse and fight with a bow and a sword" - something like that, anyway. I've already mentioned the early military success of the culture. Go to Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and much of the Arabian peninsular and all the men carry guns. I'm certainly not claiming Christianity or any other religion (OK, maybe Buddhism) is any more inherently peaceful.
Mr. Tea dole-nonce-amuser extraordinaire,
Thu 7 Jul 2005, 17:01,
archived)
Damn rightOnward Christian soldiers.
When you are given the choice of supporting either someone with no respect for any aspect of you rculture, the lives of your family, or your way of life, or someone who's lived down the street and is prepared to blow himself up for his beliefs I imagine it's quite easy to go for the terrorist.
Whatever is said I find it hard to argue with someone who's blown himself up for his beliefs. I think if more politicians were this way inclined the world would be a better place.
(,
Thu 7 Jul 2005, 16:57,
archived)
When you are given the choice of supporting either someone with no respect for any aspect of you rculture, the lives of your family, or your way of life, or someone who's lived down the street and is prepared to blow himself up for his beliefs I imagine it's quite easy to go for the terrorist.
Whatever is said I find it hard to argue with someone who's blown himself up for his beliefs. I think if more politicians were this way inclined the world would be a better place.