While it would be ideal in some ways, I also object to the idea that it's their job to teach the ignorant if they don't feel like it.

But I'm not up for the effort for idiocy like Ghostwriter.

I personally dislike labels (Creator of her own definition), but here goes....

Moderate Muslims feel that they, like Jews, should feel some solidarity with their Muslim brethren. In that respect, the plight of Muslims in Palestine or other places is of importance. However, like most Americans we are in love with the idea of self-determinism and that we can carve out a great life for ourselves here in America where we can live and worship as we please. Some other nations like Saudi Arabia may have a more "Islamic" daily life, but few American Muslims would trade their life here for a strict, oppressive life over there even if they believed that living by Shariah Law is best.

There is a common refrain that the suicide bomber is the only weapon that poor Palestinians have against a heavily armed Israel, but the moderate Muslim believes that ONLY in theory. No one they know would ever do such a thing and they would never want to live in a place where people did such things. Most Moderate Muslims believe that the real solution in Palestine is a political and economic one, that will not be won with weapons. The issues in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq are about bad people using religion to gain power and convince younger, poorer, dumber people to kill others in market places and mosques. Meanwhile this does not excuse the United States from being an occupying force in these countries.

The answer to terrorism is a better brand of Islam. You have people who can't read or write being taught that the religion says things that it does not. If they were properly educated in the religion and given economic opportunities, we would probably see a decrease in the amount of people thinking that the only thing they have to do in this life is to please God and that killing others pleases God.

Lastly, I question the religiousity of the 9/11 attackers anyway. What Muslim gets drunk and goes to a strip club before performing a "holy" act? None.

The Muslim who posted last said that they need to educate their uneducated. That is no different than what I posted. Should he/she educate himself/herself as well?

Read my statement again. I said, "most terrorists attacking Americans are Muslim". How many of these obscure groups you cited are attacking America? Maybe the KKK but the FBI virtually destroyed them in the 70's and 80's to where they are now a non factor.

Oh let's not forget the liberal wack job groups such as Earth Liberation Front, Earth First, etc. Their religion is "Mother Earth".

Terrorism in the name of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Mother Earth is wrong, period.

My objection to the building of the Mosque so close to the site of the 9/11 attack is that it is too in your face. Build it somewhere else.

One assumes she already has. You however are a reactionary idiot.

remember this?

Your response?


So exactly how many people does it take to incite terror?

How many neo nazi anti Jewish gunmen did it take to shoot up the the Jewish Holocaust museum down the street from me last year?

One.

How many people did it take to make an attempt to bomb the Pentagon

One.


An how many did it take to bomb Oklahoma?

Two

You want to incite terror? All you need is one good incident.

I have the opportunity to speak openly with American Muslims, because I have personal, intimate friendships with adherents to Islam. I don't know how many GCers have that same avenue to increase their knowledge.

I recognize the risk of holding people up as the voice of [fill in the blank], but nothing compares to the privilege of open dialogue. Rather than talk around an issue that doesn't affect me directly, I'm always very interested in the opinions of people who have even more of an understanding than I do.

ETA: I'm completely spoiled by Theta Nu Xi, where I can straight up go to a soror and ask a question that might not be socially acceptable. There's no better way to learn!

Leave it to a THETA WOMAN! :D Love you, soror!

Oh I agree, I always want to hear from other people, I just don't like putting the responsibility on the minority to educate someone's ignorance. It's a lot different if you go ask a friend, or a sister!, a question. :D

and the same can be said about Christians. There are so many that take scripture at face value or worse yet make the worst inane conclusions about a scripture and go quioxic on everyone with a band of followers coming right behind. As my grandmother said it's nothing worse than an ignorant Christian than a miseducated one. It took me a little while to get it but after dealing with certain people in life, I got it.

My business partner is a Sunni Muslim born in Pakistan. Had I come out and said "some of my best friends are Muslim" everyone would have called BS on me. Glad you said it first.

He and I disagee greatly on politics (he is a liberal and I am conservative) but we have a blast arguing. We almost missed a flight to Ecuador because we were caught up in political discourse.

I asked him about the Mosque and he does not agree with building it near the site of the attack. His thought process is similar to mine as he considers it too open a wound and too close to ground zero. His statement is that it "doesn't serve any real good at this time".

Very smart woman!

DaemonSeid, yep and I say that about religion period. :D Anything that humans are involved in can and will be corrupted. I should bump that frodobaggins salvation thread.

I have been blessed to have some Christian friends and acquaintances who I can chop up...I mean...discuss religion with. One buddy said he agreed with much of my assessment of religion except with my belief that the Bible is an illustration and lesson that some interpret differently, but it is not to be taken literally. He said that the Word of God is to be taken 100% as the Word and taken literally because these were divinely inspired men (just men? LOL). And I said "NO NO NO...you don't love me and I know now." :)

When people call "BS" on that line it's because having a friend doesn't mean you can't still be racist/sexist/ignorant/etc.

Who the hell cares? Is there some sort of beat a dead horse week going on here?

If NYC doesn't have a problem with it, it should go up. AFAIK it's not even really at ground zero, but a few block away from it. I understand why some may think it's in poor taste to put it there, but it is what it is.

I wish they didn't have to tear down that 160 year old building though.

It's a Burlington Coat Factory. I'm not sure what else you could do there at this point.

Unrelated, but pretty much anywhere but the US would laugh at 160 years being historic. Except maybe the Aussies.

I don't think there should be any cooperative place of worship between only three faiths (all of which are so closely related).

I don't think there should be any coordinated effort to tie religion to 9/11 at all, especially since so many people (and I'm sure many people that died in the attacks) aren't religious at all.

This post reminds me of CG2's rants about the Manson Family.

Wrong. If I have time when I leave work I'll pull up my database (not really MINE, but I worked on it).

You forgot Khobar Towers

I tend to agree. I don't really think this should be an issue at all, and JCCs, YMCA's, and this type of community centers (even tied to faith) tend to do a lot of good in communities.