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Tuesday, 25 Apr 2006
So, I found out earlier today about the bombings, like 20 minutes after they happend, and I wasn;t even anywhere near my laptop. Y'all should know the story by now. 3 explosions went off , 23 killed , 62 injured and since this was easter weekend, it means that the majority of those hit are from egypt's creme de la creme. This means that the crackdown is going to be extra super harsh, and hopefully they will remove Habib al adly this time. I don't know what more evidence is needed to prove that he is a failure at protecting egyptians. But then again, he never really considers that his job. He is mor einterested in protecting the President and his son. That's all he really cares about.
Whatever, this follows the trend of bthe bombings. Now every resort in sinai has been bombed, and they all got hit on egyptian holidays, 3 years in a row. I hope it will make egyptians wake up to the murderous nature of the Jihady fucks, but knowing my people, they will create some conspiracy theory blaming it on the jews or the government. As for what I think, I am just glad that BP is alive and I hope that Sally answers her e-mail and informs me that she is alive as well.
Till tomorrow….
April 25th, 2006 at 5:52 am
Hi Sandy,
Sorry to hear about the tragedy. I do wonder if that Egyptian newspaper that ran the editorial praising the recent bombing in Israel will praise this bombing as well. Somehow i doubt it
April 25th, 2006 at 6:58 am
I totally agree. This is some f***ing wake up call !!!
April 25th, 2006 at 7:08 am
Fucking wake up call? They should have had it two years ago or maybe last year the second time this happen!
April 25th, 2006 at 7:21 am
The Ummah must be reformed, absolutely NO tolerance for jehadi killing anywhere.
God bless all the victims and their families.
I’m glad you were not there on holiday SM.
April 25th, 2006 at 7:27 am
I hope it will make egyptians wake up to the murderous nature of the Jihady fucks, but knowing my people, they will create some conspiracy theory blaming it on the jews or the government.
you guessed it sandmonkey: (via JW)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3243397,00.html
Retired General Salah al-Din Salim, an Egyptian researcher at the Strategic Studies Institute in Cairo, said that it could not be ruled out that the Israeli Mossad was involved in the terror attack in Dahab.
April 25th, 2006 at 7:30 am
Sorry to read about this travesty upon your country, Sandmonkey. I hope now some heads will roll to ensure the security of your people in the future.
April 25th, 2006 at 7:32 am
Is it a coincidence that every time a terriorist attack in Sinai is coincides with a national holiday? I do not suggest any conspiracy theory. I mean is it a message from the Egyptian Bedwins who have lost their men (children and women too according to some human rights reports) to Egyptian prisons and torture since the first terrorist attack in Taba. The number of those in these prisons without trial is said to be about 4000. Is this a kind of vendetta rather than some typical terrorist attack from terrorist groups?
April 25th, 2006 at 8:30 am
If Mossad was going to blow stuff up, I think they’d start with the ka’ba, Dome of the Rock, or Ah-Azhar’s department of religion. Other targets of opportunity are too numerous to list. Projecting Islamic jihady attacks on the Jews might be up there with death and taxes in terms of universality.
As usual, the motives for things like the Bali bombing, Jordanian wedding bombing, suicide bombings of children crowding around U.S. Marines for candy in Iraq, and the triple hotel bombings, don’t make sense to rational people. If your goal is to kill kufr, destroy anything which might attract infidels to the Dar-al-Islam, make Muslims fear anything which isn’t based in the Seventh Century, and enforce strict Islamic dress codes - and all sorts of other similar motivations - I guess attacking hotels makes sense. But I don’t want it to make too much sense. Then I’ll need a day spa for a year.
April 25th, 2006 at 11:07 am
See I TOLD you that the Jews would get blamed for this……..
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3243397,00.html
April 25th, 2006 at 12:35 pm
I was worried about B. P. glad he is ok. Lots of us were waiting to hear from him.
April 25th, 2006 at 12:36 pm
What kind of government sits there and watches while 3 of its main tourist cities are blown up within a year and a half !! Did they just think it would go away! Did they think of building more hospitals in case something like this happens or even a natural disaster, oh “we have the Sinai International hospital just an hour away ” said some health minister spokesman. Just an hour away !!!! Doesn’t this moron understand that an hour away is way too far !!! Then an ex official from the ministry of interior live on an Pan-Arab Channel says that security in the Sinai is a problem Egypt has because of the Camp David Accord (limiting the number of Army Personnel in the Sinai) Did that moron even read the peace accord. I am sure that if Egypt wanted more army personnel in the Sinai they could discuss with the Israelis, they send over the head of intelligence to discuss the Israeli and Palestinian security !!! The Minister of Interior has to stop beating up voters and focus on stopping these attacks. If the Sinai Bedouins are helping these people out (attackers) then the government has to find out why and do something about , It might just happen to be that the government has ignored these people ,who are Egyptian , for years and years .
To the Egyptian government I urge you to Wake up and smell the coffee before you wake up and smell the smoke of more charred bodies! Each member of the Government swore to God that they would take on a responsibility towards our country!
It is about time you did something about it
April 25th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
You know why the Jooos are being blamed — so that gullible people will let the real perpetrators get away.
April 25th, 2006 at 2:03 pm
I am at a complete loss, Could someone here please explain to me what any Jihadi group gains from blowing up it’s own people ? For as much as I ponder the issue, I simply cannot come up with an answer. If the explanations are correct, even if there was a sprinkling of international’s in that resort town during this time, it seems evident that this area and this time of the year is mostly populated by Egyptians enjoy a cost effective retreat close to Cairo. This kind of attack, just like the wedding bombing in Jordan are increasingly puzzling, given that in the end this can do nothing more than anger the very people that the Islamists count on for support. Please someone out there provide a logical reason, because I can’t find one.
April 25th, 2006 at 2:34 pm
Frenchman:
Just following the example of the prophet … The Sword of God.
They figure it’s their job to cleanse the earth of evil.
The act as judge, jury and executioner and celebrate their cleansing afterwards.
The pattern is plain to see.
April 25th, 2006 at 3:03 pm
Set you free : I still don’t understand. What is their definition of evil ? Their own people holiday’ing in their own country ? I could understand if they had targetted assasinations of Egyptian political leaders who support the west or even a moderate liberalization of Islam or even bombing egyptians in a McDonalds ( for supporting an American franchise ) or taking a hotel frequented by Israeli vacationers but these are just haphazard bombings and guaranteed to take out all kinds, including faithful Muslims. I just cannot see what they hope to gain. Maybe there is no answer, asside from we are just dealing with complete and utter buffons. Do they really expect to gather support using these tactics ?
April 25th, 2006 at 3:06 pm
Frenchman, these groups stir up contention, confusion, exhaustion, and wild finger-pointing among their victims (see the sign in the photo addressed to “governments” to stop war). Part of their strategy is to conquer by dividing. Unfortunately, it’s effective.
Another part of their strategy is to unite malcontents. They gain followers by exploiting people’s weaknesses. Are you poor? Uneducated? Do your people not have a lofty station in the world? Is the true religion mocked on routine basis by its enemies? Jealousy is (and has ever been) the driving force. They promise triumph over their enemies. They justify the means of their war because it’s a *holy* war. They know exactly how to manipulate people and what buttons to push to ensure an enormous (and growing) following. “What? Am I my brother’s keeper?” Story old as time.
Finally, terror itself, is a powerful motivation for people to make concessions to the aggressor and for others to join the perceived “winning side”.
April 25th, 2006 at 3:21 pm
Jen : I guess my problem is that no matter how hard I try to understand this specific kind of attack, I simply am unable. As much as I abhore any attacks like this I do understand when I think about attacks such as 9/11, suicide bombings in Tel Aviv or road side bombs against American troops in Iraq, but bombing a resort town in Egypt or bombing a wedding in Jordan, where, no matter how stupid they are, they have to know that 90% of the victims will be Muslims. I understand that they justify this with the whole ” casualties of war ” mind set but with all of the possible targets, how they fall upon a town in Egypt is beyond me. Maybe it is because anyone who vacations must be a liberal Egyptian, that instead of vacationing they should use their time praying.
Pretty sick bunch. I would have thought that grass roots efforts would be more effective in trying to reach the disenfranchised, instead of taking a chance of possibly killing some of the very people these idiots are trying to reach and recruit.
April 25th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
Frenchman:
Jenn touched on a point … envy and jealousy of anybody who is happy or successful.
What I can’t understand is the jihadists purport to follow a religion that claims it is a natural progression from Judaism and Christianity.
From where I sit, the juhadists actions breaks at least two commandments:
VI) Thou shalt not kill. This pertains not only taking others lives, but your own. It’s basically about the sanctity of human life. Of course, this can be twisted by saying “we are at war.” But what are they at war against?
X) Coveting … This one is all about envy, entertaining the idea of wanting something that belongs to somebody else.
Although bin Laden, for example, does not need wealth, his downfall is his desire for power on earth, something that was rejected by Jesus, who went through great pains to make a distinction of powers.
In short, today’s jihadists believe their enemies are other human beings who do not live up to their own standards. The Danish cartoon controversy makes this quite clear.
I’m still unsure what all this leads to.
Is it a legitimate religion being hijacked by a few or is it the few who are emulating the actions of the prophet, who found a way to legitimize murder?
I’m starting to lean toward the latter.
April 25th, 2006 at 4:39 pm
The Frenchman
I do understand when I think about attacks such as 9/11, suicide bombings in Tel Aviv or road side bombs against American troops in Iraq
That’s nice. I understand why auto insurance is impossible to get in France. Is Marshall Petain your hero? Or de Gaulle, with his plans for a Greater France, never mind turning on the Allies from WWII or those pesky Jews.
Really, your name says it all. I’m sure you’re a big fan of the grand EU experiment, which is turning out just slightly worse than Dr. Frankenstein’s monster.
When your little paradise of chi-chi cafes goes up in smoke, don’t come crying to me.
April 25th, 2006 at 4:59 pm
Hey Chip, Your name could lead me to all kinds of ” Jarhead, varsity jock, America # 1, We are the world’s savior, meat head ” conclusions as well. Don’t assume you know anything about me or my agenda’s. I am French / American by the way ( two passports both earned at birth )
Maybe instead of showing your ignorance, actually read my entire post where I clear state that I abhore all of the tactics used by these animals but that in the context of this thread I at least understand their motives for 9/11 and the like but not killing their own. ” Understand ” does not mean agree with, you jerk. Understand does not mean symapthise with. How about you get a grasp of the English language before you make assumptions.
Lastly, what makes you think the French will ever need your help. Fact is right now it is the US who wished it had the help of Europe in Iraq but the EEC was not stupid enough to send it’s children into a bogus war and as far as the Eu experiment, need I remind you of the value of the Euro against the US dollar ?
Next time you want to spout off about something I have said, put more than two seconds of thought into it.
April 25th, 2006 at 5:21 pm
As a final comment to all of the Chips in America, while we are demanding the Muslim world to atone for all of the attrocities it’s fundamentalists have inflicted on the world, maybe it is time for many American ” fundamentalists ” to admit that throughout the last 40 years plus our US govt has meddled in ME affairs and for all of the Muslim that have died at the hands of America, including thousands of Iraqi’s. America seems to care very little about the innocent in the Middle East and yet we expect them to cry tears when something happens to us.
Bring me Osama and I will slit his throat myself but I could say the same for Bush. He and Osama will be neighbors in hell.
April 25th, 2006 at 6:14 pm
These bombings are a complete disgrace to the Arab world which further proven their absolute idiocy and complete backwardness.
Please visit my blog for an article on the bombings:
http://egyptianobserver.blogspot.com/2006/04/bombs-in-dahab-icing-on-regions-cake.html
April 25th, 2006 at 7:18 pm
frankly frenchman i don’t expect frenchmen to understand anti-semitic terrorist attacks esp since france has a long history of supporthing such behavior from the drefus case to the vichy gov’t.
The murder of Israeli civilians is just as evil as murdering civilians along the red sea.
April 25th, 2006 at 8:23 pm
Yeah yochanan,
This Frenchman clown, jeeesus!
Last I checked the French still weren’t owning up to their own colonialist history in North Africa. Especially the millions dead in Algeria.
Sacre bleu! Typically French arrogance and hypocrisy. It’s neverending.
April 26th, 2006 at 12:46 am
frenchman
Coptic Christians celebrate Easter there also. Jews also strongly represented.
April 26th, 2006 at 12:55 am
In defense of the French, they are French and as such have a European view of the world..ok fine. Why spend time attacking the French when we have fully 25% of our nation so far to the left…and they have no f…ing excuse. They hate the U.S. and they are Americans..what could be worse. I have been treated well in France and appreciate it. I hate American traitors so much I have no energy left for others.
April 26th, 2006 at 8:22 am
Jaydee,
That is why I am trying to drum up support for a revision of our “Patriot Act” that will actually encourage real patriotism.
The measure I propose would result in deporting the 25% most liberal portion of our population to France….
…or, at alternatively, Quebec.
For liberals it would be the perfect opportunity to experience the joys of the French command economy - socialism in action.
For us, the results would be obvious.
Granted, this may mean we have to shut down UC Berkeley and Santa Cruz, but then we can hate the French and the Left all at once.
April 26th, 2006 at 12:45 pm
How novel and weak for their to be people who jump at the opportunity to attack the French.
Tommy, like so many ignorant American’s ( I say so many, not all ) seems to think that America has been nothing but a shining savior to this world. What a joke ! There is nothing more arrogant then to think that everything that has happened ( hostages in Iran, 9/11 ) in the last 30 years is none of America’s fault. Poor poor America ! It is as a result of this, living in denial and arrogance that something like 9/11 happened. I can assure you that something of that magnitude could never happen in France because it has been prepared for decades. Ever walked through Charles de Gaul airport ? At least the French do not live in denial.
Yochonan, given that nothing I have said in my previous commentary had anything to do with the Jews, I can only assume that you are taking advantage of the opportunity to once again whine about how the Jews are so persecuted in the world. I have been on other forums and have been very clear about my disdain for what has happened to the Jewish people in history but cannot stand it when someone comes into a conversation and starts whining about the Jewish situation when it is completely out of context. Please don’t act as though the Jews are so innocent.
France is no more guilty than countless other nations in this world of anti semitism. There are racists worldwide, including Israel. Have you ever been to a soccer match in Italy or Spain where huge sections of the stands are populated by Neo Nazi groups ?
I will not deny that France has done some horrendous things in history and we have done everything we can to atone for these acts. I cannot say the same for the US or Israel for that matter.
You all criticize the socialist economies, I admit it has it’s flaws, but sh!t get’s done and the people are for the most part protected. No govt is perfect but given the performance of the US govt over the last 6 years, of all peoples in the industrialized world, Americans should be the last to be criticising anyone elses system of govt. If a Katrina had happened in France, you can rest assured that the response would not have been third world like it was in the US. Corruption is rampant in the US, nothing get’s done. Years after the worst tragedy in American history and 11 million foreigners have been allowed to just waltz across US borders. Ridiculous !
Anyway, I was hoping for some intelligent dialogue on this board and I did get some very kind and well thought out responses which for the most parts answered my question regarding why Muslims would kill other Muslims ( thanks to all of you ). I guess, however, in cyberspace it is inevitable to run into mindless drones whose only goal is to look for an opportunity to start sh!t. Very sad and very un-original, especially to pick on the French !
I find it quite amusing when people like tommy or even yochanan criticize the French. Tommy who is obviously American seems to think that America has been nothing but a savior to this world. There is nothing more arrogant then to think that everything that has happened ( hostages, 9/11 ) in the last 30 years is none of America’s fault. It is as a result of this ignorance and arrogance that 9/11 happened. ” Everybody loves us or nobody can touch us ” are why the US govt wasn’t prepared. If you have ever been to an airport in France then you would have seen preparedness, which goes double for the French intelligence service. The French have done some horrendous things in history but they at least don’t live in dumb denial.
You all criticize the socialist economies, it has
April 26th, 2006 at 12:51 pm
oops ignore the last paragraph I copied and pasted from a word doc and decided to rewrite and forgot to delete the paragraph that I had first written.
April 26th, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Hey Sand monkey, would it be possible to include an edit function into the forum ?
April 26th, 2006 at 7:03 pm
These bombing bastards are not “for” anything.
They are psychopaths who just like killing people … the excitement of making thngs go BOOM, and watching the scurrying.
April 27th, 2006 at 4:39 pm
Frenchman:
I knew I had posted somewhere here and finally found the thread again.
Muslims have been killing Muslims for a long time … it’s all about emulating the prophet Muhammad.
Sunnis, Shiites, Wahabbis – it’s a complex phillosophy that has no capacity for forgiveness and moving on. Hatreds continue for centuries and one perceived insult could lead to tens of thousands of deaths down the road. These guys will slit each others’ throats when they get whipped up by irresponsible imams (or maybe they are just acting out a historical passion play) on Fridays.
Latest example: the Good Friday bombings of Coptic Orthodox Churches in Alexandria.
It’s a death cult … nothing more. Guys with good hearts like SM inherently understand this is wrong. He’s articulated how the blame-shifting, even in Egypt, and the subsequent denial of any responsibility will lead down a tragic path.
I’m not even sure I buy the argument these guys are murderes cloaking themselves in the legitimacy of Islam. I’m starting to believe more and more that Osama bin Laden exemplifies the ultimate Muslim.
This religion cannot be reformed without a lot of blood-letting.
It’s best for those who do not like the fruit the philosophy bears to find a better alternative for their spiritual needs … the Coptic Orthodox churches would be an excellent start.
April 27th, 2006 at 6:03 pm
Set you free :
Thank you for your insight. I understand your comments quite well. I have had many Arab friends and they have all been extremely passionate, to a fault sometimes. Getting into an argument with them no matter how much the evidence points in my favor was always a losing battle. Another thing that I have learned in much greater detail is the countless ” tribes or factions ” that make up the Middle East. It is obviously way off to simplify all Arabs under the title Muslims and assume that Islam will act as the unifying force. I guess what has caused confusion is that the fundamentalists profess to be acting on the part of all Muslims, which indicates their ignoring these factional divisions in the Middle East. My view until recently has been that the fundamentalists really cared about the Muslim people, when it has become increasingly obvious that they really don’t give a shit about any Muslim that does not adhere to their radical view point.
I am coming to the realization that I might be giving these Islamists too much credit in assuming that they would understand the hypocricy of screaming about spilt Palestinian blood while they have no qualms about spilling Egyptian blood themselfes. The hypocricy is gigantic, because they end up being no better than the very people they so adamantly criticize. This realization only makes the possibility of ever reasoning with these kinds of people impossible.
I truly empathize with all Muslims who have had their religion so badly tarnished by these animals. What makes things so much worse is that people like Sandmonkey can only express their opposition in annonymity, because I imagine that if a united outcry could be unleashed from all moderate arabs in the Middle East, that maybe the tide would turn. As you say, converting to an alternative philosophy would produce equal results however, I imagine that ” defecting ” to another church would end up punishing those who converted in the same way that speaking openly in dissent against the fundamentalist would.
While I point the finger at the US govt for creating many of these problems through historic misdealings in the Middle East, I truly believe that if the two sides could just sit down and talk like friends, that we could banish the fundamentalists on all sides to the hell they deserve and we can all get on with improving each others lives through even handed commerce and reason.
One can dream no ?
However, as is becoming more and more
April 27th, 2006 at 6:28 pm
Frenchman,
Have you every checked out Robert Spencer’s Jihad/Dhimmi Watch sites?
I don’t agree with everything he says or is posted on this site, and his views on Islam are a lot harsher than mine, but he does make a lot of valid points. Going through the archives, if you have never visted them before, can be a learning experience.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/
http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/
April 27th, 2006 at 7:32 pm
Frenchman and Tommy:
All can be understood if you understand the life of Muhammad.
The fact he was epileptic, had a nervous disorder and suffered from hallucinations is beside the point.
Actions are always louder than words and Muhammad stands alone among the inspirations of the so-called great religious leaders in his use of violence to enforce his beliefs.
That’s not to say people did not committ atrocities in the name of their gods, but look at the actons of the founder.
That’s what his followers today, no matter what the sect, take inspiration from.
They are right in their own right besed on nothing beyond the fact that they say they’re right. And if you disagree, well this is the will of Sword of God. So, by invoking the name of the god, any follower is justified in taking another human life. No surprise it’s the fastest-growing religion among the US prison population – it’s a very attractive philosophy for those with a criminal bent.
Apply this theory to the Danish cartoon controversy or to about any other situation you can think of, including conversion to another religion, and let me know if you think I’m at least close.
Is it any wonder the vast majority of conflicts in the world today include one side which claims to be killing in the name of Allah?
It’s all about following the example of the prophet.
April 28th, 2006 at 7:42 am
Set you free : Once again thank you for your enlightening comments. I was actually quite shocked at the revelation that Muhammad suffered from the ailments you described and even more so to learn that his philosophy, as a result was viscious in nature. While I cannot attest for the interpretations of Islam in the Middle East, I spent 20 years of my life in Singapore, which itself has a considerable Muslim population but which is surrounded by both Malaysia and Indonesia. I always thought that Islam, based on my experience with South East Asian Muslims was that it was an extremly passive and peaceful religion. While I have never dug deeper into Islam, the only conclusion I drew was that Islam must have been founded on a philosophy of inclusion and peace. Naturally like in all religions as time moves forward, different sects of the same religion form each with their own interpretation but my belief was that the purest form of Islam was based on the philosophies of a passive leader. Of course, I am not naive enough to assume that every single word from any religious leader is exclusively about love and compassion. One only needs to read the Bible to see that intolerance and hate were very much a part of life in the time that these lifes were lead, but the like with the bible, my albeit uninformed belief was that the Koran was, for the most part all about peace and tolerance. This has actually made me want to read the Koran. I still believe of course that Islam is a religion of peace but now have a better understanding how easilly it can be distorted if the prophet Mohammed was actually a sick man.
Again thank you for the valuable insight.
April 28th, 2006 at 9:13 am
Tommy : I am actually surprised to hear from you given you jumped all over my being French earlier. No matter thank you for the links. Indeed there is a lot of interesting and educational information offered by Mr. Spencer. Like you, I read certain commentaries with a grain of salt, in that it is obvious that his views are very biased but obviously to a certain degree studied and more importantly controlled emotionally.
I guess we should be thankful that all Muslims do not subcribe to the views of the radicals, but my question is if these points are defined in no uncertain terms in the Koran, how is it possible than any Muslim can live in a peaceful way without being considered a ” traitor “.
Set you free ( if your still reading all of this ) I must plead my ignorance but am I correct that there is only one version of the Koran ? If so are the calls for Jihad against all non-believers written in certain terms or are they similar to the bible in that statements like though shall not lie with another man ( not a direct quote ), are interpreted by certain people to mean that being gay is a sin in Christianity. This statement is very loose and in my opinion could mean any number of things pertinent to life in the age of Jesus. If the statement read ” though shall not have sex with another man ” this would be an exact statement with no room for interpretation. Is the language in the Koran exact or loose ?
What is equally confusing is, if the Koran is the doctrine for all Muslims, how is it possible for there to be so many divisions within the Muslim world ( ie Shiites vs Sunni’s ? ) Naturally I understand that territorial disputes play a big factor in conflicts but of any religion my understanding ( which is obviously wrong ) is that Islam seems to be the most unified and that any Muslim should put his religion above all else, including such earthly issues as territorial disputes and tribal seperations. Do all Muslim not follow the same essentially identical principles ? The divisions between the various different churches in Chrsitianity are very clear, each sect worships in their own very distinct church, yet for Islam there is only one place of worship and it is the Mosque.
I guess I am getting way to deep into this and of course do not expect anyone here to dedicate their time to answering these questions, but I thought I would throw them out there anyway.
Thanks again Tommy for the links. The Al Qaeda has Nukes piece is very disturbing.
April 28th, 2006 at 2:38 pm
I am actually surprised to hear from you given you jumped all over my being French earlier.
Relax, Frenchman. Teasing the French (and French-Canadians) is a popular pastime among Americans (especially German-Americans, like myself). Even more so when you have the likes of Chirac representing France. It is kind of like the way Europeans view Americans because of George Bush.
My last girlfriend was of French descent, I always gave her a hard time about it, so don’t take it personally.
my question is if these points are defined in no uncertain terms in the Koran, how is it possible than any Muslim can live in a peaceful way without being considered a ” traitor “.
Yeah, it’s tough. I’m no scholar on Islam so I can’t say. All I can say is that more moderate Muslims seem to be able to find less extreme interpretations of what is in the Koran than the extremists do. Also, the Koran isn’t all doom and gloom, there are instances where Muhammad is more tolerant. Most moderate Muslims place their emphasis on these events. All we can do is support more moderate Muslims towards becoming the more prevalant worldview. We also need to support Muslims who want to live in democratic countries where religion is an individual, rather than a state, affair.
What is equally confusing is, if the Koran is the doctrine for all Muslims, how is it possible for there to be so many divisions within the Muslim world ( ie Shiites vs Sunni’s ? )
Well, first their is no one interpretation of the everything in the Koran. Far from it. Also, the Koran is not the only source that Muslims draw from. There is also a body of supposed sayings of Muhammad called the hadiths, these hadiths, which are several thousand in number are also a source of contention. There is disagreement among the various sects about which hadiths are valid versus which are apocryphal. Also, some hadiths are subject to more than one interpretation. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is disagreement among Muslims about who was the rightful successor to Muhammad. This is the main reason for the split among Sunnis and Shi’a. Disagreements of this sort are also a source of further divisions within Shi’ism. For instance, there are “Twelver” Shi’ites, the largest sect - the one that most Iranians belong to; there are also Ismaili Shi’ites - the second largest division of Shi’ism, a form practiced predominately among Arab Shi’ites, and so forth.
In Sunni Islam, many of the divisions aren’t so much denominational in the Sh’ite sense, as much as they are simply “reform” movements. Wahhabiism is an example of such a movement within Sunni Islam.
I don’t give too much creedence to that particular “Al Qaeda has Nukes” piece. Read the comments section of the article, there are a lot of unlikely “facts” in regards to this journalist’s story. Also, the journalist thinks that Osama is in Iran. Most intelligence agencies are pretty convinced he is in Waziristan in Pakistan. The fact that they recently nearly took out Zawahiri in Waziristan, and Goss at the CIA has indicated that they have a “very good idea where bin Laden is,” is a good indication that they do have an approximate idea of where he is located.
Even though I wish story hadn’t been published, the less speculatory articles at Jihad/Dhimmi Watch are definitely informative. Spencer’s book “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades)” is worth a read. It does an especially good job debunking many of the politically correct myths about the Crusades that we are often taught in school.
Another book, less cynical than Spencer’s works, is an old book by Thomas Cantwell Smith called “Islam in Modern History.” The book was published in 1957. Despite the age of the book, Smith possessed incredible insight and his conclusions are still valid today. Unlike Spencer’s works, Smith’s book will leave you with the impression that Islam isn’t impossible to reform, but various circumstances have colluded to make the task very difficult.
April 28th, 2006 at 2:40 pm
Sorry for my typos, I wrote all that crap in a hurry.
May 2nd, 2006 at 12:47 am
The French are neither as bad as we say they are or as good as they say they are. For brevity substitute ” the Americans” for French and there we have it.Actually French intelligence is very good at least as it pertains to Arabs, a holdover no doubt to the 60’s and Algeria.
On the subject of ” Be careful what you wish for” it is good for the muslims that they do not control the world as they cannot feed themselves. Their work ethic is a little back of book(used car vernacular). Look at what Israel has done with desert. They could do this anywhere but too bad for palestinian Arabs, they are going to continue to do it in Israel. Too bad the Mossad only recruits Jews as this Christian would like to do one of their direct action assignments. I hate those piles of fecal matter with every molecule in my body.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Tommy : a little late, I hope you you get this. I want to thank you for the detailed responses you provided to my questions. It is quite obvious that you are a great deal more versed in all thing Muslim than I am. Indeed the seperations seem vast and almost inconsolable. WHat is ultimately gretaly saddening is how the actions of so many in the Middle East have greatly fogged the beauty and true regality of Middle Eastern history and culture. I hope one day this will change but it won’t be the Western World that changes the Middle East. Only the Middle East can change itself. All we can do is to try and lead by example, while admitting our own flaws. Thanks again!