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Anyone who claims that terrorists hate America because of its freedoms are flat out wrong, however anyone who claims it is entirely about American foreign policy are missing some points as well.
Regardless of American and Western foreign policy, Islamic Fundamentalists would hate the United States and the rest of the West. They view Western culture as a direct threat to the survival of Islam and only the destruction of the West can get rid of that threat. If you look at surveys done in the Middle East of what countries Arabs hate the most and what countries they would like to live in, the lists look very similar. For every Arab who hates the West, there is another that would feel at home in Detroit, London, Vancouver, or Melbourne. That angers the Fundamentalists, they know that many young people are somewhat envious of the West, they do want to be as rich as Westerns, they love Western pop culture, and they do admire Western freedoms. To the Fundamentalists, the West is attacking them, not with bombs and bullets, but with ideals and entertainment. I went to a high school that had over 50% of its student population foreign born, one day our history teacher gave us an assignment to create our own Bill of Rights and to justify the rights we put in it. As I was making my draft I had this Arab guy who wasn't in my history class proofread it, I explained what the assignment was and passed it to him. He was completely amazed by it, called a few of his friends over (who were mostly Iraqi and Syrian refugees) to take a look at it, he told me how my ideas would change the world and how it was beautiful in its simplicity. He thought that I just created the very concept of part of a country's constitution restricting the government's right to violate the basic freedoms and human rights of its residents. It was the first time they were exposed to a Bill of Rights and they were previously completely unaware of that they existed. And yes, to Islamic Fundamentalists, that is a threat to them.
Remember that Western countries and Islamic countries have been fighting each other for quite a while, if you have seen interviews with a lot of Islamic Fundamentalists, most of them claim this war has been going on for long before the First Gulf War, some going all the way back to the Middle Ages. This just another battle in the centuries old Jihad.
What America's policies regarding the Middle East have done is turn a lot of moderates sympathetic towards terrorists, gave the appearance of legitimacy to the claims of Islamic Fundamentalists, and have made America the main focus of a number of terrorist groups.
The "They hate us for our freedom" and the "American foreign policy is to blame" people are both wrong.
must. do. more. research.
That entire thesis is as wrong as can be. I am Muslim and assure you, no one feels the west is a threat to Islam. They do feel meddling in their affairs needs to stop though.
That entire thesis is as wrong as can be. I am Muslim and assure you, no one feels the west is a threat to Islam. They do feel meddling in their affairs needs to stop though.
So I guess attacks on women who dress in Western style clothes and all those Imams from London to Riyadh who call Western culture "poisonous", "cancer", and still talk about the Crusades are just pissed about Israel and the Gulf War?
Saudi Men Busted for Flirting With Women in Public
Saudi Arabia began interrogating 57 men Saturday who were arrested after allegedly flirting with women in front of a shopping mall in the holy city of Mecca, a local newspaper reported.
The country's religious police arrested the men Thursday night, alleging behavior that included dancing to pop music blaring from their cars and wearing improper clothing, according to the Okaz newspaper, which is deemed close to the government.
It would be nice if all the America haters could find homes elsewhere, wouldn't it? Not going to happen. But it keeps us on our toes. Stay on the lookout, they are everywhere and growing in numbers, as the government run school system continues to churn out little socialists who hate America first. Got some in my family, sadly. Just gotta deal with them--at a long arm's length.
Are any of you posters parents? Did you ever criticize your children - that means you hate them, right?
I don't hate America, I don't hate any person or country.
But I find contemporary America very discouraging; the lack of interest for maintaining freedoms, the lack of interest to question authority, the widespread gullibility, and overall apathy. These are not the traits of the society of a great nation.
Last edited by Visvaldis; 02-24-2008 at 08:01 AM..
Are any of you posters parents? Did you ever criticize your children - that means you hate them, right?
Very valid point. Yes, I have children. Yes, sometimes they infuriate me. But I can complain about them because I live with them every day. I know them inside and out. And no, my complaining about them does not mean I love them any less or that I'm any less willing to defend them with my life.
What irks the bejesus out of me is the 2 people on here who do not live in this country yet take it upon themselves to cut America down. Its one thing to point out the faults of your own country (or children), but its completely different for someone who doesn't even live here to complain about things of which they know nothing.
Very valid point. Yes, I have children. Yes, sometimes they infuriate me. But I can complain about them because I live with them every day. I know them inside and out. And no, my complaining about them does not mean I love them any less or that I'm any less willing to defend them with my life.
What irks the bejesus out of me is the 2 people on here who do not live in this country yet take it upon themselves to cut America down. Its one thing to point out the faults of your own country (or children), but its completely different for someone who doesn't even live here to complain about things of which they know nothing.
Good point. There are many Americans who will cut down other countries (any muslim country and/or European country) without living there or even having visited those countries.
Good point. There are many Americans who will cut down other countries (any muslim country and/or European country) without living there or even having visited those countries.
Very true. But this American does not feel the need to seek out forums in foreign countries and bash that country.
Or possibly the assumption by tyrannical states of rights that they never had to begin with.
Without getting into this too deeply, the Federal government imposed tariffs on the southern states for foreign bought goods simply to force them to buy their goods from northern states, a perfect example of a violation of states rights.
Thank god the southern states stood against the tyranny of the federal government.
The "They hate us for our freedom" and the "American foreign policy is to blame" people are both wrong.
Quite so, but there is a difference in degree. The former is complete bunk, while the latter comprises an incomplete, but accurate, explanation.
Much of the worst that the Bush administration has done in its grossly inept prosecution of the so-called War on Terror is highlighted by the remainder of your post. This war is for the support and sympathies of those 99.99% of Muslims who are modern, moderate, and practical in their thinking. We win when this Muslim community no longer has room for or tolerates, much less supports, the actions of the extremists in its midst. We win when we are able to demonstrate and convince that we really do represent the ideals that we say we stand for. Instead, Bush has consistently chosen to act so as to demonstrate and convince that we in fact represent the very ideals that Osama bin Laden et al say we stand for. Who is this helping? Torture, kidnappings, indiscriminate rapes and killings, plunderous lawlessness and disrespect, and a military subjugation and occupation that has failed to maintain or produce even the very basics of a decent human society. More people in the Muslim world think poorly of us today than did when this war started. More people in the non-Muslim world think poorly of us today than did when this war started. How is this advancing the cause of anyone not living in a cave somewhere in the tribal lands along the Afghan-Pakistani border? The grave tragedy of the day-to-day failures of this war from its inception is exceeded by the tragedy of an apparent failure by this administration even to realize that it has been playing on this higher plane. We will unfortunately now be a generation and more in attempting to repair the damage that Bush has done...
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