Suspected Jihadists hack man to death in London

That's been the common understanding in academic circles. I'd be interested in what you think has changed, considering you've been (and are now?) on the ground.

 

Very, very interesting. And hey, whenever you feel like chiming in about any of this, please do. I appreciate any in depth knowledge about this stuff just to show some people around here that it's not as black and white as they'd like to believe.

 

they hate us for our freedom!?

for whatever reason the "WHY?" usually isnt touched on in these types of discussions

the likely cause for their disdain (especially seeing as how it was a soldier) might have more to do with US and friends presence in the middle east, support of saudi arabia, dead women and children, stealing oil, devastation of iraq, etc, etc...yes they also happen to be religious, much like the vast majority of the world

if we abandoned the middle east entirely (not gonna happen) a random attack or two still might happen for a cartoon of their super friend or some other perceived slight...there will always be the random wacko, but i think children would stop being raised with as much hatred in their hearts. i see no alternate debate on this point.

at the end of the day, muslims are not all under a blanket together. their views vary from country to country, sect to sect, culture to culture, why someone would lump them all together is short sighted, reactionary, and truthfully, kinda dangerous

 

On a relative level, it most certainly is.

 

Fantastic posting Brian

 

Well, you are off doing actual things, so limited time is understandable. I'm working on a masters degree so I have plenty of time to try and convince people of this stuff. It's usually pretty pointless, but I have one of those personalities where my wife may be trying to get me to come to bed and I'm like, "NOT NOW HONEY SOMEONE IS WRONG ON THE INTERNET." So, yeah. I appreciate the insight.

 

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi

 

do you even understand what that means? you are proving my point (hint, its the zionist part)

 

I really wonder if this incident will prove to be a turning point in the UK. There was a book called Londonistan that described the policy of the UK government allowing anti-western and anti-British rhetoric from Muslims residing in the UK, as long as there weren't acts of terrorism performed in Britain. Finsbury Park may now see quite a bit more scrutiny in light of this attack.

 

Bullshit. I'll address this more next week...

 

Gorilla's Christophobia is epic.

 

This thread didn't turn into atheists vs. Christians, and was never going to. In adult conversations, mentioning something does not make the whole conversation revolve around it. I dislike ignorance. Christians are more ignorant than atheists. I think it, I said it, get over it.

This thread also isn't about whether God exists or not, which you brought up anyway.

Thanks for your wonderful contribution.

 

Ok, maybe I'm missing your point. What I take from that quote is that Morsi wants future generations to continue the hatred of Jews forever.....whether the US is in the middle east or not.

I think children will continue to be raised with as hatred in their hearts, regardless of what the US does.

Go Blazers

 

If you think the head of the Muslim Brotherhood has that much influence on Muslims, or even most Egyptians, then you're mistaken. Mohammed Morsi is a politician, and what he says won't alter the general course of the Middle East, which is one of liberalization, "opening up" and acceptance of the West.

 

it's a tough thing from over here, we only hear a small handful of names of the leaders and automatically assume they have great influence. I would love to actually know what the general opinions are of the populous over there.

 

It's not much but I saw this on reddit awhile ago and it offers a brief look into average life in Iran. Taken by a lonely plant photographer with some insightful captions. Iran looks like a beautiful country.

http://imgur.com/a/oRpnu

Here is the reddit link if you want to scour the comments

http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/19yx2p/im_a_photographer_with_lonely_planet_and_have/c8sk83p

Couple captions I found noteworthy

"Life is becoming drastically difficult for ordinary Iranians but many feel powerless to change the situation. Said one Tehrani "we're not naive like the Arabs to think a violent uprising will magically fix everything. We've had our revolution.. and things only got worse"

A group of friends in the hills above Tehran. Many (every single one I met) young Iranians feel deeply embarassed by their government, and the way the nation is perceived abroad. Zac Clayton, a British cyclist who will finish a round-the-world cycle on March 23 describes Iran as having the kindest people of any country he cycled through. "I found most Iranians - particularly the younger generation - to be very aware of the world around them ... with a burning desire for the freedoms they feel they are being denied by an out of touch, ultra-conservative religious elite

A young worker walks through the light of a stained glass window in the Tehran Bazaar. Under Khomeini Iranians were actively encouraged to produce large families. By 2009 nearly 70% of all Iranians were under 30, but the country is the least religious in the Middle East. Instead of the "armies for Islam" Khomeini had called for, the youthful population is now seen as the biggest threat to the deeply unpopular regime.

 

Good thing for you that Egypt is one of the most studied countries in the region. There's plenty to be read about the country.

I'd say if you want to get a better idea of public opinion then you need to think about the demographics: 84 million people. Obviously there are many people living in huge urban centers. Egypt's cities are quite liberal. They are tourist hotbeds with malls and music and fashion and arts and and culture, just as you might imagine them. Egypt is the Hollywood of the Middle East and the biggest producer of popular culture and media in the region. Then again, the rural part of the population is quite poverty stricken and highly religious and conservative. So, in a way they are a conflicted population, but isn't any country that is making the transition from rural and tribal to modern and Western?

If you want to more about the public reaction to Morsi and the Brotherhood, then you need to read about the revolution and how it applies to Egyptian/Arab culture. Allegiances are complex. I wish there was an easier answer than telling you to read about it, but that's kind of the point. Life be complicated, yo.

 

And yeah, Iran's younger generation is some of the most progressive and tech-savvy people in the region.