Iraq al-Qaida Says Pope, West Are Doomed

wIggy

is it just me or does it seem silly that these extremists are angry about the pope quoting someone who said islam is a violent religion, so they respond with violence, and burning the pope in effigy. What do you think the reaction would be if Christians were to burn Muhammed in effigy? I don't see people dying due to this form of protest they've created, however, just after a charicature of the prophet Muhammed was published, riots and death ensued...I think this rash of violence seems a bit exaggerated, and out of control

Noodles

The Pope already made a formal apology but it was not good enough. Check out this Iranian response.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5356820.stm

wIggy

That's exactly what I'm saying, I don't think this is about what religion is better, I think it's turned into a pissing contest...Muslims REFUSE to accept that the Holocaust ever happened. You show them pictures and they say they're fake, you get accounts from soldiers who helped to liberate the camps, and the soldiers are American, of course they're going to lie. What can you do to that? Nothing. This is a topic that really gets me going. It's almost futile, kind of like trying to reason with a teenager who was just told no you can't stay out until midnight, and this is why.....they aren't hearing what they want to hear, so you can't reason. Why must it be so damn impossible to reason with these extremists??

Noodles

The region has been fighting for thousands of years. They could care less. Life is cheap and meaningless. It gets me pissed also. They are so closed minded that they are preventing all kinds of good for their populations.
What really makes me sick is that I believe things are going to get a lot worse there in other countries, not just Iraq. The world can not let Iran make enriched uranium. It would start a nuclear war in the mid-east.

wIggy

I spent 2 years in Turkey, a very loyal, although sometimes critical ally of the United States. The problem with Turkey is they're too muslim to be considered European, but too European to be accepted by the Muslim world. I learned a lot about the dynamic between Europe and the Muslim community. Turkey being one of the most rich countries in religious history, (it's believed that the resting place of the Mother Mary is in western Turkey) but they are still primarily muslim, and one thing I've noticed while I was there, is they are very very stubborn when it comes to their religion. I have yet to find one that will even budge on their beliefs...not that I tried to argue that with any of them, but one of my friends phrased it the best I've heard...he said "it's like this country is run by a bunch of 14 year old boys with HUGE egos" and that's how I felt while over there. What they say is right, and if you argue, you're a fool, because they know best. I don't see Iran voluntarily stopping the enrichment of uranium. If I came to you and TOLD you to stop doing something, maybe you wanted to before, but you won't now because there's a certain amount of pride involved in doing what you want no matter what or who tells you not to. Iran has a certain image to uphold, I think that most of the muslim community looks to them as the guy in school who talked back to the teacher, and walked out of the classroom slamming the door. The Western world is that teacher.

Noodles

I do remember you spending time there and thank you for your perspective on Turkey. Very insightful.

wIggy

Thanks, but back to the matter at hand...how can we expect to move forward from this situation? The extremists know that they only have to threaten, and become violent to get an apology. From the Pope even!! What would be the outcome if islamofascists did decide to kill the Pope? What would happen with worldly affairs then?? Anybody else have input? Just curious about what everyone thinks. I'm not religious in the least, but there is some inherent respect given to the Pope in my opinion, I do believe a muslim (Turk actually if I remember reading correctly) that shot Pope John Paul in the 80's. Anybody here that was around then? What was the reaction?

Godfather

I'm sooo confused. What the pope said is nothing compaired to the mindless and endless rants we hear from them all the time....and more importantly, the responce that has been seen from the pope's comments only proves that what he said was accurate!! It is a religion being spread by the sword.

Geuss they're a bit blind to irony right now (I'm sure we're just as bad...but you'd think they'd notice is all I'm sayin!!)

wIggy

That's the point of the post is the blatant in your face irony!!! I can't believe that they're going to prove to us how peaceful they are by inciting riots, burning churches, burning Pope dolls, shooking AK-47s, and gunning down a nun. I guess they'll intimidate us into seeing them as peaceful??

Noodles

wIggy

I don't really understand why Spain left, are they any safer now? I must say one thing in regards to the terrorists, they have been truthful in this war, as unamerican or whatever it may sound to say, if they say pull troops out or we'll kill this hostage, they've followed through, I'm not saying that's the right thing to do, I'd gladly take a blade to the throat if it meant the war would continue (not the "war" per se, but the resistance to the terrorists)

Noodles

You are 99.9% correct, but they have released a few hostages. On the whole they are not bluffing and I would not want to test them.

Spain is royally screwed now. They have lost tons of political respect and have made themselves even more vulnerable.