I.R Joey
02-23-2004, 05:02 PM
Do you think it's possible that the reason we're fighting this war is simply because of cultural diffrences? Why is it that these terrorist groups tend to villify the west as this huge monster that needs to be fought in a Jihad? Is it because they feel that the West (particularly America) is encroaching in on their way of life and through cultural influence is changing fundamental aspects of their society? For instance we're going into the Middle East and disposing of dictators who we think are tyrants, not only that but we're giving them our form of goverment (a kind of republic) to fill the void. Has anyone stopped to think about the fact that this area of the world has never had this form of goverment? That they've pretty much always had something similar to totalitarian goverment?
There's also the aspect of Israel and American suppourt for it (I don't use the generic term "Western" here cuz many countries in Europe don't suppourt Israel like America has and does.)
Then we have the religious aspect which is always explosive. The West has been predominately ruled by Christianity for the last 2000 years, but in the Middle east and some parts of Africa, Islam has been the prefered religon since 1500 years ago (during and after Mohammed's death.) The Crusades, the wars of the Byzantine empire, the fights in southern spain, all have been marks of when forms of Christianity and Islam have met. Even doctrinally there are diffrences. For instance Muslims don't believe in the deity of Jesus (they believe he was just a good prophet,) and of course Christians don't.
Then you have people from my particular religious persuasion (IE conservative Evangelicals) who after 9-11 immediatly pronounced that Islam was an inheriantly violent religion. While I didn't think that when I read the Qu'ran, I know some people who do hold that belief. Even more terrifying is that some people took the approach of vigilantism and because of ignorance attacked any Arab they could find, and even Seik's who are actually from India. Many of these people had likely never studied Muslim stuff, and really many Americans prior to 9-11 couldn't have told you a thing about the Muslim faith.
Then we also have problems when we look at the treatment of women in these countries and are aghast at the way they are often required to wear long garments and stuff. Meanwhile many in the Islamic world look at how women behave in our society and are aghast at how loose things are. Toss in issues like the debate over polygamy and you got an even more wood in the fire.
Anyway this has been running through my head and I'm anxious to see what other people think about it. If anyone of you is from that area of the world and practices Islam you're input is welcome and encouraged in this thread. Quite frankly if more people were willing to talk about these things before picking up arms we'd be in alot less trouble as a species.
There's also the aspect of Israel and American suppourt for it (I don't use the generic term "Western" here cuz many countries in Europe don't suppourt Israel like America has and does.)
Then we have the religious aspect which is always explosive. The West has been predominately ruled by Christianity for the last 2000 years, but in the Middle east and some parts of Africa, Islam has been the prefered religon since 1500 years ago (during and after Mohammed's death.) The Crusades, the wars of the Byzantine empire, the fights in southern spain, all have been marks of when forms of Christianity and Islam have met. Even doctrinally there are diffrences. For instance Muslims don't believe in the deity of Jesus (they believe he was just a good prophet,) and of course Christians don't.
Then you have people from my particular religious persuasion (IE conservative Evangelicals) who after 9-11 immediatly pronounced that Islam was an inheriantly violent religion. While I didn't think that when I read the Qu'ran, I know some people who do hold that belief. Even more terrifying is that some people took the approach of vigilantism and because of ignorance attacked any Arab they could find, and even Seik's who are actually from India. Many of these people had likely never studied Muslim stuff, and really many Americans prior to 9-11 couldn't have told you a thing about the Muslim faith.
Then we also have problems when we look at the treatment of women in these countries and are aghast at the way they are often required to wear long garments and stuff. Meanwhile many in the Islamic world look at how women behave in our society and are aghast at how loose things are. Toss in issues like the debate over polygamy and you got an even more wood in the fire.
Anyway this has been running through my head and I'm anxious to see what other people think about it. If anyone of you is from that area of the world and practices Islam you're input is welcome and encouraged in this thread. Quite frankly if more people were willing to talk about these things before picking up arms we'd be in alot less trouble as a species.