Twin Towers

[BrianHawley]

One of the main purposes of the attack on the US was to drive a wedge of hatred between Muslims and Christians.

When I hear of mosques and Muslim businesses in the US being attacked, I know it worked.

Let's not blame people on the basis of their (supposed) religion. Nobody went around shooting up churches after Oklahoma City.

Let's nail the scum responsible, but don't beat up the poor Indian pizza guy who never hurt a fly in his life.

[Jethro]

Originally posted by BrianHawley
One of the main purposes of the attack on the US was to drive a wedge of hatred between Muslims and Christians.

When I hear of mosques and Muslim businesses in the US being attacked, I know it worked.

Let's not blame people on the basis of their (supposed) religion. Nobody went around shooting up churches after Oklahoma City.

Let's nail the scum responsible, but don't beat up the poor Indian pizza guy who never hurt a fly in his life.

I didn't know Indians were Muslims

Damn l thought this was gonna be a breast related thread.

Agree with your thoughts though.

[aknisely]

Originally posted by Jethro
Damn l thought this was gonna be a breast related thread.

You people always assume that everyone has one nipple...

[Emo]

mmmmmmm....nipple.....

Anyway, Indians are not Muslims, they are Hindu

-Emo

[BrianHawley]

Most Indians are Hindu, but a very large proportion of the population is Muslim. There are also Indian Christians and even some Indian Jews (I know at least one).

Anyway, the point is that people who look 'Arab' do not feel safe. Even a Mexican friend of mine (who I must admit looks Arabic) in Texas has been spit upon and callled Arab Scum. It is turning into a hatred of people with brown skin.


The point is that the terrorist problem is not a religious one. It is a problem with crazy people. If the followers of the world's major religions did what their religions really told them, there would be no trouble anywhere. People twist their religions' instructions to support their own political needs - and that's true of almost all religions. Look at the KKK and their burning crosses.

Let's not forget that Jesus probably looked like an Arab.

[DerFarm]

and that's true of almost all religions

I beg to differ. I can't think of ANY religion (including animism in
Japan) that hasn't been perverted by political design.

[BrianHawley]

I think if you read the post again carefully, you will see that we actually agree.

People twist their religions' instructions to support their own political needs - and that's true of almost all religions.

I can't think of ANY religion (including animism in

[Nucleus]

Originally posted by BrianHawley
I think if you read the post again carefully, you will see that we actually agree.

I read DerFarm's comment as agreement with your comment.

I don't much about Islam as I would like so forgive me I do not present an accurate view, but it seems to be a relatively oppressive form of religion/control.

Usually with oppressive systems of control, the power is concentrated in the hands of a few. A few extremists see the concepts/ideology offered by the western world as threatening, and I can understand why this would be the case, and with increasing globalisation (internet etc) more and more of western ideology is undermining their system of control.

On the other hand USA is not completely safe from criticism, it has tried to covertly assassinate Osama Bin Laden on numerous occasions and this has led to an escalation in the conflict over many years. USA must accept responsibility for its part in the twin towers bombing in this regard.

Problem is a further escalation in conflict potentially could lead to WWIII. This would be disastrous for humankind. It is up the US to take the lead and focus on solutions that take us down the path of conflict resolution rather than conflict escalation.

Part of evolution's legacy to the human species is the mammalian brain structure called the limbic system and the palette of intense, reactive emotions associated with it. These strong emotions — fear, anger, lust, hatred, greed, craving, jealousy, envy, etc. — are the cause of much human suffering. The person experiencing these forms of emotional reactivity suffers, and if reactive emotions take control of our behavior, others are often made to suffer too.

Wise people have learned how to deal with reactive impulses so they don't become prolonged reactive states of mind, and so they don't result in reactive behavior. Wise people don't rail against the present moment's informational content. They know that by the time we become aware of this moment's event, it has already taken place. Accepting it is therefore the only sane, rational response. It's not that wise people avoid acting. In the moment that follows they may very well choose to act. But their actions are almost always guided by wiser centers of control; their actions are not knee-jerk responses to impulses from the limbic brain.

What we need from the US is an intelligent, carefully crafted non-limbic system response. I have a tendency to believe that the best way to neutralise this threat is by challenging the ideology underpinning the oppressive system, after all doesn't that underpin the conflict in the first place?

Do not give in to terrorism, do not fight the war with weapons and become a terrorist yourself, fight with ideas as the path to minimising conflict/suffering.

Do the opposite of what the terrorists want, increase the contact with the Muslim countries as much as possible. It is contact with western concepts that the terrorists are most fearful. They know the where the real power is.

[BrianHawley]

Do the opposite of what the terrorists want, increase the contact with the Muslim countries as much as possible. It is contact with western concepts that the terrorists are most fearful. They know the where the real power is.

I agree 100%. I have lived in Saudi Arabia for over 20 years and I think I understand the Muslim religion pretty well. What you have to remember is that terrorists and those who support them are a VERY small minority of the Muslim faith. Islam preaches peace and tolerance. I am not a Muslim and I DO NOT agree with a lot of the things that Islam teaches - however I do not think it teaches anything harmfull, and certainly true Islam is VERY much opposed to violence and terrorism.

Islam is evolving and modern Muslims are not so different from modern Christians. Fundamentalists do fear this and would probably ban even electricity if they could. However they are a small (but loud) minority.

Christianity was responsible for the Spanish Inquisition and many other horrific things - but Christianity evolved. Islam is now doing the same thing. We should support this, not condem the religion.