Terrorism, Security, and Discrimination: Are We Going Too Far?

Cheveyo:

I am not advocating racism, not do I think the Muslim community SHOULD be in the spot they are in. I had ancestors who fled religious persecution in this country.

That said, whether they should or should not be in this spot is irrelevant. What I'm saying is that the American Muslim community IS in that spot to an extent, and getting OUT of that spot is going to require some effort on THEIR part as well as some on the part of other Americans.

 

yes, but the Israelis started it, and they are currently the ones perpetuating it. They're the ones carrying out the occupation. They're the ones building illegal settlements. They are clearly the aggressors here.

Actually, they didn't start it.

From the World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 10 (1990):

"In 1947, the UN proposed dividing the region in an arab state and a jewish state. On May 14, 1948, the nation of Israel officially came into being. The surrounding arab nations immediately attacked the new state...Israel has remained technically at war with its Arab neighbors throughout its history."

This is going to be a long post as it is, so I will not write a history lesson on all the wars, but in a nutshell, the arabs attacked Israel, who would've shared Jerusalem from the start, and attacked them again in 1967. Please check your facts .

They could agree to any of the more than generous peace proposals which have been presented (the Saudi plan being the best example) and the vast majority of the violence would stop.

Which generous peace proposals are you referring to? The ones which for decades have demanded Israeli withdrawal to an eight-mile-wide stretch that is nearly indefensible or the ones from Hamas and Islamic Jihad who tell the Israelis they can live there in an islamic state under islamic law. The saudi plan is a great example, and an impressive effort, but the plan Barak proposed was just as good. Sharing Jerusalem, autonomy for the Palestinians in the west bank and gaza, Israeli (and substantial US) money for economic development, 95% of the land they were demanding. Not perfect, but a start.

So what does arafat do? He says "NO, we want ALL of jerusalem", goes home, and starts the first intifadeh. Two years later, fed up with the violence, Israel votes in the hard-liner Sharon, whose eye-for-eye strategy has helped perpetuate a violent cycle that Arafat is just as responsible for starting. That is one of the many reasons why I do not find Arafat to be a credible leader.

the Saudi situation is really complex. one of the major beefs that Islamic radical groups in general and bin Laden in particular have with the US is that the US backs the Saudi government, which is oppressive, corrupt, lies to its people, and violates its sacred mandate to keep infidels out of the Arabian Peninsula by allowing US bases there. to bin Laden, US support is basically a collusion between the Saudi elite and US military and oil company interests at the expense of the majority of Saudis and the Islamic world in general. this is not terribly inaccurate, however, a lot of those Saudi elites take the money they make off selling oil to US corporations and donate it to Wahabbi charitable organizations, which in turn set up schools which train people like the Taliban, among others. the Saudis are in a really, really weird position, and are essentially balancing a number of interests against each other.

So in other words, Saudi Arabia is a corrupt, dictatorial islamic theocracy whose failure to run things the way Osama bin Laden (who really wants to rule the region, if not the world-who are you kidding, the man wants power) justifies al-Qaeda's actions. I don't see the issue as all that complicated. Have you ever read anything on current Saudi Arabia? Most of the country's youth are quite modern, and love american modes of dress, music, entertainment, etc. Except the saudi government forbids movie theaters, dance halls, etc; morality squads roam the streets and force people to mosque five times a day, beating those in violation.
Then, when challenged on this, the saudi royal family tells the US that they have 'no choice' but to fund these anti-western religious schools or else they would be swept away by Islamic fundamentalists. Nonsense. They are stoking our fear of the 'arab street' to help maintain the status quo and their own power. If they allowed democracy, the fair distrubtion of wealth and education, the growth and development of a middle-class, the

 

Vaderize.... you are my hero. Seriously.

 

Aw, thanks Rebecca .

You're my special girl .

Man, my wrists hurt .

Peace,

V-03

 

Awww, poor dear!

 

He he...thank God for aspirin!

Time to study for my neuro exam...

Peace,

V-03