al-Zarqawi is dead

[pantherfan 0]

A little off topic but i think German people are some of the friendlyest in the world, i went to Bopard with school a few years back and because i suck at German they would all speak english to me and were really helpful in finding a McDonalds for us! :D

[jumanjaq143 0]

well back on ttopic, do you think this will be the end of terrorism or do you think the countries will keep on retaliating??

they will come back aand blow the americans up(just saying this because you guys blew the dude up). this is whats bad about getting revenge it comes back and bites you in the ass.

only if there was some way we could all live in peace, but people like him ruin it, and people like the troops in afganistan and iraq help destroy the evil that lurks in the shadows. i mean the terrorists

[cause4alarm 6]

By the way, the father of one of my friends was best freinds with Zarqawi. Just as a little insight, the house I live in was built by the BIn-laden family construction company.

name dropper

[foppa21 0]

I was just waiting for some stupid shit like this to drop.

http://www.nbc4i.com/news/9351294/detail.html

Typical media...Let's take a story that can't be independently confirmed and then perpetuate it over and over because we the almighty in the media know that the public is stupid enough that they'll eventually take this to be truth. It gets to be old after a while..

[Jason Harris 31]

The Quran may respect other religions and women's rights, but too many of its followers don't. From what I've read, one cause of this is a large percentage of Muslims are illiterate, so they are given their religious education in piece meal fashion and told what it means.

The result is non-Muslims become considered infidels -- instead of just people like me....  :D -- while some sects believe women are property of their husbands. Or worse.

I do agree with you and also with your earlier posts; it is not a simple problem. (although I would like to know what "or worse" could be...LOL)

I am not at all suggesting the following examples are condoned by the Quran. However, from what I've read, Islamic leaders in varying positions and countries have cited the Quran as justifying these punishments against women.

1) The most heinous of these are gang rapes as punishment to atone for indiscretions committed by other family members. The "indiscretions" in two of these cases were brothers walking with girls from families considered to be of higher class. This article will make your blood chill.

2) The Taliban decreed girls could not be educated past a certain age (I think 8), women had to be completely covered while in public (including mesh over their eyes), the first floors of all houses with women had to be boarded (wouldn't want a man to develop unpure thoughts by accidentally seeing a woman as he passes a house), women had to walk a certain distance behind males, and women were not allowed to hold jobs. The problem, however, is men could be publicly hanged for violations of Taliban law (including not growing their beards long enough), so many of the widowed women became beggars for food for their families.

3) In Iran, adulterers have been sentenced to death by stoning, although as this article states, the punishment is weighted toward being more severe against women.

4) Genital mutilation of young girls to try to curtail their impure impulses when they become women.

As a husband and father of two daughters, it's all frickin' sickening, especially when I read a quote from a Taliban fighter saying they wouldn't stop until they had taken over the entire world.

This will, I fear, take generations to turn around. And a war will not end it, although it may well end all of us. The answer lies somewhere in becoming known to each other; becoming people. Somehow drop our fear and seek to understand. To stop the "them vs us" mentality on all sides.

I don't think it will EVER turn around.

One thing I've realized as I've raised my children and seen my friends raise theirs, is virtually all "spirituality" is essentially a brainwashing. I realize now that it's a no-brainer why people are absolutely convinced in the correctness of their position, because it literally has been drilled into them from the day they were born. Why would they think otherwise? I don't care if we're talking about Athiests, Jews, Hindus, Protestants, Muslims, Catholics, Taoists, Buddhists, Whatever. Virtually every parent wants to ensure their children will grow up with the same values as them, so they start the indoctrination from birth.

If my observations are correct, and if I'm also correct that Judeo-Christian values, as often practiced, are diametrically opposed to Islamic values, as often practiced, how could we ever get along?

well back on ttopic, do you think this will be the end of terrorism or do you think the countries will keep on retaliating??

I'm well aware the US is considered a bully by much of the world, but Islamic terrorists have attacked other Muslims for being too Western (or not adhering enough to the attackers' interpretation of the Quran). Let alone we were attacked prior to retaliating in Iraq and Afghanistan. I don't think this will ever stop, because there is a small percentage of Muslims who believe they are entirely justified by the Quran to kill infidels. Regardless whether we have kooks and extremists on our side of the ocean, there are enough young men and women raised to hate us pathologically, that I can't see it ever stopping without really, really, really dire measures.

[hockeymom 2]

Jason...I know what I'm going to be thinking about all day.

I know, of course, about the atrocities to women... and they are indefensible. As a woman and mother of a daughter - sickening is an understatement. Many muslims are working to alter these practices; often at the risk of their own and their families' lives.

I'll add more later....need to think about this one.

[Langenbrunner15 0]

I am holding out for Osama ... I still feel a ton of rage for that SOB and have not forgotten.

Ditto..

I am right there with you!

[hockeymom 2]

The Quran may respect other religions and women's rights, but too many of its followers don't. From what I've read, one cause of this is a large percentage of Muslims are illiterate, so they are given their religious education in piece meal fashion and told what it means.

The result is non-Muslims become considered infidels -- instead of just people like me....  :D -- while some sects believe women are property of their husbands. Or worse.

I do agree with you and also with your earlier posts; it is not a simple problem. (although I would like to know what "or worse" could be...LOL)

4) Genital mutilation of young girls to try to curtail their impure impulses when they become women.

As I made my, admittedly feeble, joke to try to lighten a heavy subject...I thought, "He'll come back with circumcision..."

I've worked in a very small way with some women who have suffered circumcision, and it is UGLY. In case anyone doesn't know, female circumcision is the full removal of a woman's clitoris and labia - which means no sexual stimulation, ever.

Now largely isolated to rural regions or poor families, it is performed on girls between 6-11, and is done primarily by mid-wives, some Doctors and, if no one else is available, the village barber. Some deaths occur from medical complications as there are no facilities in these backwards villages; the psychological trauma has been likened to rape. And, as it is arranged by your parents, adult survivors speak of the isolation, terror and betrayal they experienced as children. As for sex, the joys and mysteries are lost to them; they have no experience to know what they are missing.

You're correct that it is to stop impure thoughts - fundamentalist groups of every flavour are big on this. But it has always seemed to me that it was intended more of a "marriage aid" to stop the possibility of adultery. If she has no pleasure from the act, she is less likely to wander.

The history of the ritual comes from Africa (the mid-east has long been a conquered region) Although I believe the continued practice is among muslims, it is not an Islamic practice.

I read an account many years ago where a mother was asked why she would consider doing this to her daughter. She was in agony over it but thought there was no other choice because, if left intact, no man would agree to marry her daughter. Just as no man would marry a girl who was not a virgin. It would be a lifelong sentence in this culture.

There is not just one victim in this; I feel for those caught in the trauma of this "transition phase" out of barbarism. I sit in my comfy home in Canada and send trifling amounts of money to the cause. While there are people putting their lives at risk to stop things like this. It can't come soon enough.

[hockeymom 2]

A double post - am I allowed to do that...LOL...Here is what I thought about today....

We can not protect ourselves from a suicide bomber; all bets are off as soon as you are willing to sacrifice your own life in order to take mine. And as we make changes to protect ourselves from an indefensible threat - we also restrict the very freedoms and way of life that we hold precious. It is a lose-lose proposition. Not the legacy I want for my breathtakingly amazing daughter.

But not one person in the world seeks this legacy for their sons or daughters.

It is impossible to address this question without also taking religion into account. We in the west are accustomed to somewhat separating church and state, in other parts of the world church IS state and it is woven into the fabric of life in a way I don't think we understand. However, I'm going to sidestep religion here for the moment to get at other aspects not covered in the thread so far.

The rise of fundamentalist Islam led to the rise in terrorism. Why? People didn't swing their legs out of bed one morning and just decide to bomb the crap out of another group of people. They felt frightened (and righteously angry) and decided that really, really dire measures were the only solution.

The cliche - my freedom fighter is another person's terrorist rings true.

OIL. The Western World's economy (arguably its very existence) is completely dependent on crude oil. The last time I looked this up - admittedly about 10 years ago so it might have improved somewhat - about 70% of the world's crude oil reserves are in the Middle East. But, of all the oil available for export - a whopping 85% comes from the mid-east.

What this has meant is the West has HAD to muck about in the politics of the region in order to keep the flow of oil steady. Our survival depended on it. And, with centuries of being conquered by some one or another, that has been highly resented in the Middle East. Don't blame them for resenting it frankly - I'd be p.o.'d if someone mucked in my country's politics because they wanted - ah Canada's mountain spring water? our beer? The point is the French, the British and the Americans have all played a part. In fact, the history of this interference IS largely the geo-political history of the Middle East.

US policy has been focused on establishing and maintaining governments in the Middle East that best served Western interests - to keep oil flowing - with arguably little regard for how those governments served the needs of their own people.

Ironically, the list of Monsters have all been supported (created?) by American foreign policy - the Shah of Iran, Ayatollah Komeini and even Saddam Hussein. This is why terrorism has risen - in their view it is to take back their country and their values.

I for one, have admired the US stance as the "Global cop" - someone has to take action. And taking action brings criticism. At the same time I have also cringed over some of the policy decisions. Especially when this weeks "good guy" leader (who we send aid and guns to) becomes next weeks "bad guy" leader (who we send troops after). It has been hard to follow who is the "bad guy" at times!

I hope "they" finally get the policy part of it right - it is our best hope. And if we can relate to each other as human beings the hope increases. Of course, if we could get off of fossil fuel we would no longer need to muck about in the politics of this region. But that's not going to happen anytime soon is it?

[hockeysew 0]

well back on ttopic, do you think this will be the end of terrorism or do you think the countries will keep on retaliating??

they will come back aand blow the americans up(just saying this because you guys blew the dude up). this is whats bad about getting revenge it comes back and bites you in the ass.

only if there was some way we could all live in peace, but people like him ruin it, and people like the troops in afganistan and iraq help destroy the evil that lurks in the shadows. i mean the terrorists

By definition Terrorism is intended to create fear within a population.

Dont confuse this with what is happening in Afghanastan and Iraq.

What we are facing over there is guerilla warfare which is an extremly effective means of a small, loosly organized force to combat a large well organized force.

One would have thought that we would have learned a thing or two from Vietnam and from the Soviets in Afghanastan.

But to answer the qoute

This will not end terrorism-there is always some clown more than happy to become a martyr and die for Allah :(

[lesterhenson 0]

By the way, the father of one of my friends was best freinds with Zarqawi. Just as a little insight, the house I live in was built by the BIn-laden family construction company.

name dropper

What are you trying to say?

[shnuggs 0]

I was just waiting for some stupid shit like this to drop.

http://www.nbc4i.com/news/9351294/detail.html

Typical media...Let's take a story that can't be independently confirmed and then perpetuate it over and over because we the almighty in the media know that the public is stupid enough that they'll eventually take this to be truth. It gets to be old after a while..

Eh hes lucky---- they should have beheaded him. Thats justice.

[foppa21 0]

Actually, if you were just wanting to be plain vindictive about it, a clean beheading would have been too good for him. With the kind of internal injuries he was likely to have sustained from the concussion of the bombing, he would have been in one of the mother of all excruciating pains for the fifty or so minutes it took for him to die. Why would you want to cut that short? Again, just if you want to be straight up vindictive about it..

[jrhky36 1]

do any of you know who the best terriorist is? see next post for the answer. its not what you expect

[jrhky36 1]

the answer is A DEAD ONE.

[ktang 34]

As long as s/he didn't take anyone with them to Heaven/ The Next Life/ Paradise/ Hell/ Hades...

[hockeysew 0]

You dont worry about the terrorist that has your name and number-cant do anything about him!

Its the ones that have the "To whom it may concern" assignment that would scare the crap outta me!

[delpiero81 0]

The rise of fundamentalist Islam led to the rise in terrorism. Why? People didn't swing their legs out of bed one morning and just decide to bomb the crap out of another group of people. They felt frightened (and righteously angry) and decided that really, really dire measures were the only solution.

Well it'a 1000 year problem, when Islam invaded Europe then Europe invaded Islam and so on and i think it will continue forever, or until someone will lose.

Democracy and respect for each others it's something you have to earn, nobody can bring it to you.

And it's a pretty new thing, 50 years ago we were slaughtering each others, we the west civilized countrys.

In Islam nations people think different than us and we cant change people mind

(do we have to?) ...and they have the same right to change ours.

Still prefer my way of living.

Terrorism and war will never stop.

There isnt a religion/dictature/socialism/democracy/whatever that exempt you from be a good person. And people will continue to kill each others believing that their way of life it's the only and right way of life (wich is normal but i dont go around killing people).

Sorry for the bad english, my $0.02