The Danes really have the Muslims going now....

[beds]

Nice post, Don. Future of the region, IMO, is the formation of 3 states where Iraq once was. Either that, or a larger Turkey, a larger Iran and Sunni Iraq/Palestine with what's left.

And just as the west is built on a Christian foundation, all Islamic countries are built on a Sharia foundation. Some more traditional than others.

 

[Melensdad]

just as the west is built on a Christian foundation

I'm under the impression the west is built upon a Judeo-Christian foundation. There is a signifcance to the fact that that the real underpinnings of our law pre-date Christianity.

 

[jpr62902]

Don, I think some balance should be added to your last post.

Prior to the invasion of Iraq, we did not have Saddam contained, nor were we spying on his every move -- it's just not possible with today's technology. If this were true, why did Hans Blix tell the UN in December, 2002, that Saddam's accounting of his WMD's was difficient, and that he, Mr. Blix, feared, in the alternative, that the minimal amounts accounted for by Saddam could merely be the "tip of the iceberg." Ole Saddam could have prevented the invasion himself by one act alone -- granting UN inspectors full access -- terms to which he agreed at the cessation of hostilities in 1991. This he did not do.

Second, and after inspections for WMD's were concluded post invasion, the findings were that Saddam did not have the WMD's stockpiled (although they did not rule out the possibility that the materials were smuggled to Syria). But they also concluded that Saddam was merely biding his time until the UN was placated, after which he'd be up to the same no good, and then what? Who cares if its not Bin Laden? At that point, the possibility of an Anthrax, VX or Serin cloud besetting one or our population centers becomes very real.

Finally, let's not forget who the parties are that are indisciminately bombing\slaughtering women, children and other innnocents. It's not the US, so saying we caused these people to die is not on par with the typical consideration you offer in your well deliberated posts. C'mon, Don. Your distaste for our current administration is numbing that cerebral acumen you usually wield in your comments.

 

[Dargo]

After being in airports, and watching CNN, for the better part of 3 days all across the country, there seems to be a huge backlash against the Muslims. I've been in O'Hare, JFK, Hartsfield, LAX, and Phoenix Int. airports just to name a few since Saturday. There has constantly been coverage of the Muslims being savages in the Muslim countries on the air.

The general opinion of the average American seems to be (and I agree) that the Muslim society is very hypocritical. They absolutely and literally want to kill anyone who doesn't believe what they believe and who does anything that doesn't go along with being a "good" Muslim. However, in most Muslim countries, it is illegal, under the penalty of death, to distribute a bible or have a Christian prayer. That is in the face of the fact that we allow thousands of Mosques to be built right here in our country. Yet, in their "demonstrations" (actually them just being primitive savages) they now chant "Death to America" because of the Dutch cartoons. This makes no sense!

Anyway, almost all of the people in these airports (which literally represent the U.S. from coast to coast) believe that the Muslims are now going to either force the rest of the world back to the 5th or 6th century (where they are), or cause a complete war of the world against Muslims. One Muslim worker at JFK told a crowd of people he is renouncing Islam and threw his turbin away. He said that his mosque did not teach terror and hate as he grew up, but that is all it teaches now. With these rediculous "protests" over a cartoon (all they have to do is say that they don't care for it and not view it - not force the world to give up freedom of the press and freedom of speech and conform to radical Muslim interpretations) the inability of the Muslim world to even fit in with the 15th century has come to light.

From being all across our country in the last few days, I can tell you that the American view on Islam is going down and down and down.

 

[kensfarm]

I thought this was pretty good..

 

[TINGUY]

There seems to be a couple of motivators behind the demonstrations that are endemic in the whole Muslim issue. First the leaders of the Muslim world need to keep the anger of there followers focused somewhere other than on them selves as they have in general done an extremely poor job of bringing them out of extreme poverty and suffering, This is why they seem so dead bent on taking the rest of the world backwards they find it easier to try and bring the West to the 5th century than to bring themselves in to the 21 century.

Second the squeaky wheel syndrome. Keep making allot of noise and the west will through money at you.

If you look at it this way the Muslim leaders have succeeded at one thing very well and that is laying the blame of every conceivable problem there people have at the feet of everyone but them selves. I sometimes wonder how they have managed to instill such blind ignorance in such a large group of people...Then I think of Hitler and wonder no more.

This explains exactly why some cartoon in Europe can be a reason to want to kill Americans and why there is no outcry by the Muslim leaders about the hypocrisy of it all

 

[jdwilson44]

Anyway, almost all of the people in these airports (which literally represent the U.S. from coast to coast) believe that the Muslims are now going to either force the rest of the world back to the 5th or 6th century (where they are), or cause a complete war of the world against Muslims. One Muslim worker at JFK told a crowd of people he is renouncing Islam and threw his turbin away. He said that his mosque did not teach terror and hate as he grew up, but that is all it teaches now. With these rediculous "protests" over a cartoon (all they have to do is say that they don't care for it and not view it - not force the world to give up freedom of the press and freedom of speech and conform to radical Muslim interpretations) the inability of the Muslim world to even fit in with the 15th century has come to light.

From being all across our country in the last few days, I can tell you that the American view on Islam is going down and down and down.

It makes me happy to hear this. After first reading about this whole cartoon thing I really started trying to read as much as I could about this whole situation. The internet being what it is I happened across a number of web sites that have the writings of people who were Muslim and have since rejected the so called faith. If you are looking for some interesting reading try these out:

http://www.faithfreedom.org/

http://www.islam-watch.org/authors.htm (Al Sina has some very insightful articles - worth a read if you have the time)

It does appear that more and more people are tuning into this and it is like a light is going off in their head - the editor(s) who published those cartoons should be hailed as heroes of freedom. I find it depressing that newspapers in this country are not showing the cartoons so people can make up their own minds about what all the fuss is about but it sounds like people are figuring it out anyway.

 

[jdwilson44]

I sometimes wonder how they have managed to instill such blind ignorance in such a large group of people...Then I think of Hitler and wonder no more.

This might explain it pretty well too:

http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/sina50218.htm

As to your reference to Hitler think of what the world might have been like 1000 years hence if the Nazis had won - would National Socialism be an accepted thing - probably. Would it have been thought of as a "religion"? - maybe, that is what the Nazis basically were trying to make it.

 

[bczoom]

Bimp.

Something just came to me... (yea, I know I'm a bit slow as it only took me a month).

If the clerics have interpreted the Quran does not allow anyone to idolize Muhammad (or Allah), why is it that so many of them have taken the name "Muhammad". Isn't that a form of idolization?

 

[thcri]

Bimp.

Something just came to me... (yea, I know I'm a bit slow as it only took me a month).

If the clerics have interpreted the Quran does not allow anyone to idolize Muhammad (or Allah), why is it that so many of them have taken the name "Muhammad". Isn't that a form of idolization?

You know Larry that is a pretty good thought and I would think you are right.


murph

 

[bczoom]

You know Larry

Murph,

Are you talking about the "Bimp" or the "I know I'm a bit slow as it only took me a month"

 

[thcri]

Murph,

Are you talking about the "Bimp" or the "I know I'm a bit slow as it only took me a month"

bczoom,

It was the "Bimp" that got me laughing and I just had to get you. Hope there is no hard feelings.

murph

 

[bczoom]

...and I just had to get you. Hope there is no hard feelings.

No hard feelings at all.

I'm not really sure, but I think I've been called worse in the past.