Islam and terrorism

[rubberloon]

After 9/11 it was claimed that five out of six muslims approved the it while one out of six did not. I suspect this referred to Arab muslims who are about a fifth of muslims overall. Although there are exceptions this generally means the uneducated approved while the educated disapproved.

In Arab states the educated who are largely urban rule, the rest don't count and there is massive resentment throughout the Arab world. One opposition group are the clergy, who were formerly much more important (there is no muslim separation of church and state), although they are not the only ones. They blame this on the West (originally Europe now America) for introducing secular states, sometimes with a democratic government facade sometimes not, run by selfperpetuating cliques. Israel is the icing on the cake - an intrusive alien state (different religion, different language, democratic government) which they regard as inflicted on them by the West.

Many Arabs regard their own governments as tyrannical abominations supported by the West. Not all of this expresses itself as terrorism or even support for terrorism, or antiWestern sentiment but it always expresses itself as antigovernment.

The Egyptian government has had real problems since 1920 with religious and other opposition rarely descending into terrorism. Nasser ran a concentration camp system for his opposition including but not restricted to muslim fundamentalists. Mubarak regards muslim fundamentalism and fundamentalists as the major Egyptian problem.

Muslim terrorism against the West is largely a minor byproduct of resentment/dissent/opposition in Arab states. It isn't going to go away soon.

The educated strata is not going to encourage it, because they are well aware of the awesome power of the United States. If absolutely necessary they will fight a civil war against muslim fundamentalism, however popular it is, as in Algeria recently.

[pvn]

In before lock.

[GoodCallYouWin]

Islam causes terrorism, they're evil, when we invade countries it's for their own protection and for humanitarian reasons, we need to bomb these people so they understand freedom, fundamental extremist terrorist, 9/11, global jihadist network, America.

[Howard Beale]

I notice that whenever this sort of thing comes up nobody ever mentions Turkey. Has anybody been following the recent events there? The mildly Islamist party currently in charge is trying to take over a position that has traditionally been held by a moderate secularist. The people have been protesting. I've always admired Turkey as a staunch ally of the U.S. and the more I read the more I admire their society.

Kemal Ataturkwas a visionary and one of these days I've got to read his bio.

[rubberloon]

The Turkish army is muttering about a coup if the moderate Islamic party gets in.

Attaturk decided modernization and civilization required equal rights for women and if that was incompatible with Islam TOUGH!!!!

[John Kilduff]

[ QUOTE ]
The Turkish army is muttering about a coup if the moderate Islamic party gets in.

Attaturk decided modernization and civilization required equal rights for women and if that was incompatible with Islam TOUGH!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, I've heard Ataturk was quite the strongman.

Islamist pressures are increasing in Turkey. The horizon isn't completely clear or safe for secularism in Turkey.

[Taraz]

Don't we already have two threads on the front page discussing Islam and terrorism?