My problem with this terrorists-stuff is the way the West reacts to them. Here we say that they are following an "obsolete" religion, that they are fool, radicals, primitives. We despise them.
I disagree. How can a religion be obsolete? Islam has been around for a long time, but then again so has Christianity. Heck, Judaism has been around even longer. Since when was following a set of principles and rules in order to be a better person and be nicer in your day to day life irrelevant? No. The problem isn't the religion. And no, the ordinary Afghan / Iraqi / Iranian / Syrian and so on... is not a fool (although in my experience, you do get them everywhere...). The lack of basic education in some of these countries creates a knowledge vacuum, which certain people (bin Laden was one of them) then fill with religious half truths and flawed interpretations. They fill the people with hate for the West and Israel. They are the victims of a propaganda war. Yes, the way of life they follow is primitive, but so would yours be if you basically lived in the 16th century...
Ok, some of the intellectuals my don't but we have to face it, the public opinion is different. For instance, maybe you know or you don't, but in France a lot of Muslims live. There was a new law there in the last month: It is forbidden for women to wear the traditional Islamic clothing, the "burca" (the robes where only their eyes are visible). And they said it's because the state has to defend the rights of the women. C'mon!!! Don't they think that the women could defend themselves? Or that they wear these clothings because they want to?
Public opinion. Now THATS a good one... The law passed recently in France was two fold.
1 - It was designed to plug a very serious gap in the security network. How on earth do you know who is under that burqa? Ok, maybe the husband, father, mother, children know, but if you were a security officer, say someone who checks photo ID at the airport, how do yo know? There have been cases of terror suspects using burqas to circumnavigate certain security systems (and I mean men in burqas.). Did you know that in Britain it is illegal to ask a person in a burqa to lift their veil? You must take them to a private room and there also must be no men present at the lifting. Now tell me that isn't a security problem, please.
2 - Do you actually know the reason behind the burqa? The reason why women are supposed to wear it? It is so that men do not look upon women in a sexual way and so therefore have dishonorable thoughts about them. The women have to cover up so that the men do not think about them "that way". The women are being punished for the impure thoughts of men. How can you defend such an unfair situation? Surely the men should just exercise a little control? You know, I have a good friend that was in the Royal Marines, he was sent to Afghanistan way back in 2002/3 (if i remember correctly). do you know that when the Marines were on patrol, they would have to send word ahead to certain villages, so that the men could lock up the women some where out of the way, so that the Marines would not look at them, and so that in turn the women would not look at the Marines?
As I stated earlier, the lack of education in certain parts of the world has led to the afore-mentioned knowledge vacuum, which has led to the rise of these fundamentalist radicals who keep the people down, keep them ill educated enough so that they are easily controlled and will believe anything that the evil, hypocritical clerics will tell them.
Therefore, no. The women cannot defend themselves. It is not done because the "religion" says this is not to be done. Do you know that if a woman is raped, or if she sleeps with a man outside of marriage, her father is obliged (and legally empowered) to kill her by strangulation? Only then can the "honor" of her family be repaired. Furthermore, whether these women like wearing the burqa or not is surely a matter of personal opinion? Each one is an individual, are they not?
They looked at thesew women like they were people stopped in the middle age and needed to be liberated and modernized. Do you remember what happened when the "enlightened" and "civilized" nations wanted to "civilize" others? Slavery in Africa, extinction of the Indian tribes, death of many old traditions in Japan and China.
Oh, yes the evil modern world raping and pillaging the poor and the underdeveloped... You DO realise which side of the divide you are on, right? Ok, granted, there were horrible, horrible things done to the indigenous peoples of North and South America... The Conquistadors and the White settlers really did a number there... And also the European and American slavers did blatantly evil things in West Africa, just as the British, Germans and Dutch did in East and South Africa...
There is one massive difference though. Shaka Zulu did not enter into a global terrorist campaign against the colonials. No. the traditions (im not sure which ones you mean) in China and Japan did not die out because of the "evil colonial powers". The Chinese and the Japanese were falling over themselves to be more like the west. Trust me, I studied Japanese history and the Japanese did far worse things to themselves, the Chinese and the Koreans (and of course the Chinese and the Koreans reciprocated) than the westerners ever did. Let me give you two examples.
The traditional Japanese hair style (the top knot, as we call it) was considered "too backward and too Japanese" by the government. So what did the government do? They paid squads of people to go around and shame the men who still had the hair cut into cutting it off, in public. This is a major loss of face to any Japanese man.
Another example is the binding of the feet of Chinese girls. Basically, the feet of Chinese girls (not the peasants) were broken, over a period of time, and bound tightly, so that they would not grow. This was supposed to make the feet smaller and more attractive. Needless to say it was bloody painful for the girls and many caught painful and serious infections. The feet would also stink from being bound 24/7 and the girls could hardly walk properly (they had to "shuffle"). This tradition died out with the Communists. The CHINESE Communists outlawed it.
We look at these people like they were someones who are misleaded, who are "the worse part of humanity". Because they believe in God so strongly. Because they don't allow women to wear anything. Because they use tools like terrorism and piracy. But why do they steal ships? What do they make planes crash? Because they are primitive?
I think not. but they have no other option to get the attention of the world. While here in Europe and in the US are throwing out megatons of food and drinkwater every day, they have nothing to eat and drink. While we're starting war to get more oil, to get money for the new Playstation, for the new car, they have to steal and kill to give their family a slice of bread.
And how do we help them? Instead of sending them food, money, clothing, we send them weapons to kill each other. Instead of calling them victims and poor people, we call them primitives and terrorists. Instead of sending them medicines, we let the drug-barons to sell them drugs. Instead of helping them to be free heir own way, we try to force our way of liberty on them (see France, or Iraq where the democracy still doesn't work). Instead of sending humanitarian aids, we send in troops to "keep up the order" and take the goods they have (primarily oil). Instead of helping them to build their infrastructure, we allow multies to go there, build their factories and make their products there for less than a minimal wages...
Most of the people think that they are violent, arrogant, aggressive people. I think we are.
I think Thunderfoot answered this last part perfectly.
Some of the opinions expressed herein display gaps in the knowledge and information some have of the Muslim world. They are not viewed as primitives nor backward by informed individuals. This is the culture which invented the concept of zero as a placeholder while people in Europe, living amongst the ruins of the Roman Empire, were afraid to take baths.
I am not going to be sorry Osama Bin Laden is dead, no matter how much you chastise me over it. How many Europeans did Adolf Hitler kill? Are we to be sorry for his death as well? How many Hungarians were killed by Stalin's troops during the uprising there against Communist control? Are we to be upset Stalin is dead too? Or do we do as we should do? Mourn and honor the fallen who realized freedom is wrested from the hands of tyranny only after a terrible price is paid.
in 1776, when Thomas Jefferson penned the words, "We hold these truths to be self evident. That all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. Among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness." He wasn't just writing about the Colonials. He was writing about all people everywhere. When Dr. Martin Luther King started that famous speech with the words, "I have a dream..." He too was not speaking only about and for Americans.
The Muslim world and Joe average Arab deserve to be free of people like Bin Laden and a whole host of others who simply see them as pawns in The Great Game. Happily, this has begun in North Africa and spread. People such Bin Laden would simply replace the curent dictator with another which would be far far worse. Mr. Jefferson's and Dr. King's words are meant for Joe Average Arab as well. I believe this to very core of my being. And I'm not the only American who thinks so. I just happen to one of the few who will speak out loud on this.
Incidentally, It is not my intent to put words in to Thunderfoots mouth. He doesn't need help to express elegantly exactly what is on his mind. It is a talent and a quality he has that I admire. I, however need all the help I can get and this is why I quote TF here.
I think I've been watching too much of the Dune miniseries.
Thats one less DB wasting my air.