Hi Rasheed:
Good to hear from you again.
> Sorry to butt into this discussion, but I haven't said anything in a while
> and I have some time before class starts. So here goes. . . .
>
> Platt wrote:
>
> We don't hear much from Muslims leaders who admire the West. Who
> are they? What do they admire about the West? How come Muslim
> clerics don't speak out against the Taliban?
>
> Didn't you see all those imams on TV denouncing the terrorist acts of the
> Taliban? What about Pakistan pledging support to the US in finding Osama bin
> Laden?
No, I didn't see a single imam denouncing the terrorist attacks, and I
watch a lot of TV news on both air and cable channels. A number of
newspaper columnists have commented about the absence of such
comdemnations. Even the invited Muslim cleric to the Washington
prayer service shortly after the attack couldn't bring himself to
denounce the evil deed. Pakistan's support is welcome and I hope
Pres. Musharraf can hang in there against all the Taliban lovers in his
country.
> Also:
>
> Radical Muslims are against Christianity, the religion of the West. US
> policies in Arab and Muslim worlds have largely been supported by
> other Western nations. The last few American interventions abroad--in
> Kuwait, Somalia and the Balkans--were all conducted in defense of
> Muslims. If Israel is what you have in mind, let us not forget that the UN
> created it.
>
> Radical Muslims are against foreign policy of the US, such as the sanctions
> in Iraq, more than they are Christianity. Also, whenever Israel violates the
> UN security council resolutions, the security council vote to reprimand it is
> always 14 to 1; the US being the only nation that lets Israel get away with
> these violations. There have been more than 69, if I am not mistaken. (I'll
> know for sure when Jonathan starts going off on me.)
Until the Palestinians recognize Israel as a legitimate state with a right to
exist, there will be no peace. Jonathan knows the history of the area a
lot more than I do, but it's my general impression that Israel does what
it does not out of desire for more territory, but to better defend itself
from random and unprovoked attacks. Regardless, would you have the
U.S. renounce its support of Israel?
>Platt
>
> Hate is no excuse for terrorism. The only possible conversation
> between intellect/society and biological acts of terrorism is a soldier
> with a gun.
>
> No matter how many times you keep spouting this phrase, it is still the
> responsibility of the US to examine its foreign policy. I am not saying that
> this has anything to do with the attacks on the US; this is a completely
> different subject. I am not blaming the US for being attacked. However, we
> should be aware of how powerful hate is and we should take steps to present
> our country and what it stands for truthfully to the people of other nations
> in order to quell their hatred. How can you blame them for hating us when
> their media are constantly bombarding them with images of us being the 'Great
> Satan?'
Well, I would like everybody to like us. But, as the most powerful and
technically advanced nation on earth that will never be possible. Even
those we go out of our way to help, like the beneficiaries of the Marshall
Plan after World War II, tend to resent us. I can't say as I blame them.
No one likes being a loser. No one likes being in a position where he
needs somebody's help.
>
> Platt:
>
> Please name the countries in the Muslim world which are liberal
> democracies
>
> Egypt and Pakistan are two, i believe.
President Mubarek has been the leader of Egypt for the past 20 years,
receiving 94 percent of the vote in the last election because no one
opposed him. President Musharraf suspended the constitution of
Pakistan when he took over the country in a military coup in Oct 1999.
Liberal democracies? I think not.
> As a sidenote, let me say that I have heard plenty of offensive jokes that I
> won't repeat about Afghanistan and the Middle East in general where I am, and
> it makes me sick. It's this kind of stereotyping by supposedly intelligent
> people that is the cause for much of the ignorance about the Middle East.
> There's the attitude of, "They weren't born in the richest country in the
> world, so I can make fun of their culture and then enjoy watching Britney
> Spears dancing around like a filthy whore."
> And I am afraid to say anything against them because I may be perceived as a
> supporter of terrorism.
Yes, I know what you mean. Say anything critical of a black in this
country and you are immediately accused of being a racist. Stupidity
can be hurtful. As for the general decline of American culture as
exemplified by the popularity of Britney Spears, I'm on the side who
deplore the vulgarity which began with Elvis Presley and the pot-
smoking, make-love-not-war flower children of the 60's. Pirsig explains
why and how such degeneracy began and has flourished since. In
essence he says that SOM intellect bereft of any morality has taken
over and left society defenseless. This leads me to believe that
perhaps the terrorist attack on society is a blessing in disguise.
> Platt:
>
> Let us agree at the outset that it is "openess and
> inquiry"--the very things we value so highly--that the Tailban wants to
> snuff out.
>
> Agreed.
Doubly agreed--which is why I value our discussions so much even
though we have opposing views at times.
Platt
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