Rasheed, Please don't fret about Platt's obtuseness. He argues not to learn
but for the cleverness of it. If he wished to, he could easily, for example,
have found out for himself from many news sources just how many imans and
other Muslim leaders condemned the September 11 attacks, but no, he finds it
easier to ask people on the list to do it for him. Not that it would make
any difference, for even if names were supplied to him, he would be back to
his generalizations, unchanged, in subsequent statements. Facts are not
going to modify his doctrinal certainties.
I responded to some of his more glib and ignorant statements earlier, not to
try and inform him, but for the benefit of other list participants who might
otherwise have given credence to his statements.
I do find myself embarrassed by the general ignorance of too many fellow
Americans about the Middle East and Islam. I do recognize that people in the
Middle East and elsewhere (e.g. Europe) know more about the US than we do
about them, and I recognize that this harms our ability to find
knowledgeable people to serve in US policy positions, to the detriment of
our policy and international relations with the rest of the world. Alas, the
Middle East is not the only area of the world in which we are ignorant (I'll
offer Guatemala and the Central American countries as examples.) But I am
even more embarrassed that, when faced with the evident need to learn more
and do so quickly, some of my fellow citizens choose a willful and proactive
ignorance. I would propose to you, though, that many Americans are indeed
asking themselves important questions about September 11th and what led to
it, and what we should do now, and are gathering information and
understanding, thinking, learning, and will emerge from this tragedy much
better able to understand what is happening in the Middle East, the Arab and
the Muslim worlds, and the nature of our policies toward them. You would be
right to suggest that it is coming a bit late, but I will simply say that it
is better late than never.
I have, and I know others on this list have also, learned from your
descriptions of events in the Middle East, as well as your courtesy and
patience. I hope that you do not lose patience.
Regards,
Lawrence
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-moq_discuss@venus.co.uk
> [mailto:owner-moq_discuss@venus.co.uk]On Behalf Of HisSheedness@aol.com
> Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2001 4:02 PM
> To: moq_discuss@moq.org
> Subject: Re: MD Logical Conclusions Anyone?
>
>
> Platt,
>
> I do not believe attacks on Israeli civilians are in any way moral and I
> don't know how you would think I do. I merely said that US
> foreign policy
> should be less biased towards Israel and more concerned with bringing a
> lasting peace in the area (very vague, i know).
>
> In response to your second statement, I was under the belief that
> the US kept
> the repressive Saudi royal family in power.
>
> Lastly, I'm sick of arguing on this list about the fact that Muslims are
> peace-loving people and that there are thousands of Muslim
> families who love
> this country (mine included). And I'm aware of Muslim terrorist
> organizations in this country who want to overthrow the government or
> whatever. I also know of radical Christian organizations that
> want to rid
> the country of African Americans and accomplish other ridiculous
> goals. I
> can send you a link to the Aryan Nation webpage, but I'm sure you
> wouldn't
> want to waste your time. When you hear on the news that the KKK
> has bombed
> some church on done some other horrible act, does anyone even think about
> associating them with Christianity? Even though they use a
> flaming cross as
> a symbol during their lynchings? No, because we all know that
> they're a pack
> of ignorant cretins who don't know the first thing about
> Christianity. It's
> time for people to realize that the same thing holds true for Islamic
> radicals.
>
> Rasheed
>
>
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