Terrorism

[Allan from Fallbrook]

Arraya: Hell, its the Catholic Church. Does it really surprise you that they might have found common cause with the Iranians? No, I’m not being snarky.

I would like to pose a question to you and Dan, and follow up on an observation of Dan’s. Here’s my question: Both Christianity and Islam started off “under the gun”, so to speak. The early Christian (what I would call Catholic) church was heavily persecuted and prosecuted under Roman rule (it was a proscribed faith and practiced under pain of death) and yet Christianity not only emerged from this as a peaceful faith, it went on to convert the very empire that subjugated it (becoming the Holy Roman Empire in the bargain).

Islam had similar beginnings, although starting out later than the early Christian/Catholic church (7th century, if I’m not mistaken). Once it gained a foothold, it spread quite rapidly (almost virally) and was “evangelized” at sword point. Its gains were predominantly martial and it rapidly overtook Christianity in terms of “preparing the way of the Lord” (in this case, Allah).

Don’t you find the dichotomy interesting? I do, and the respective histories of both faiths HAVE to inform not only the early teachings and writings, but carry forward to the present day.

Hence the use of the “Crusader” meme in not only Jihadist invocations, but mainstream Islam as well. There is a persistent strain of victimhood present and it rings clearly in interviews, articles and references to the collisions of Christian and Muslim faiths and cultures.

I would argue that Islam’s virulent reaction to modernity (as seen in dress, mores, strictures, etc) is a direct result not only of the teachings, but a culture tied to the Qu’ran in terms of government, law and society.

[blahblahblah]

I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.

[blahblahblah]

I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.

[blahblahblah]

I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.

[blahblahblah]

I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.

[blahblahblah]

I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.

[NotCranky]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

I am not an expert on any of this but that doesn’t seem to be an obstacle.Maybe if I were, it would lead me to preclude potential relationships with muslims?Is that what you are saying?

In any case, I have more Muslim friends than evangelical christian friends. It probably helps not to have prejudices, something I can’t get over with the evangelicals but is generally pretty easy with Muslims.Of course the radical muslims don’t come right out and admit it like the radical Christians do.Something about the cultural enviornment I guess.Are you influencing that either way? The only thing I find difficult with Muslims is their shyness, kind of the same with many other immigrants. It’s easy to understand an immigrant being shy though.
So if the case is that you feel short of Muslim friends, Concho, I could probably help you.

[NotCranky]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

I am not an expert on any of this but that doesn’t seem to be an obstacle.Maybe if I were, it would lead me to preclude potential relationships with muslims?Is that what you are saying?

In any case, I have more Muslim friends than evangelical christian friends. It probably helps not to have prejudices, something I can’t get over with the evangelicals but is generally pretty easy with Muslims.Of course the radical muslims don’t come right out and admit it like the radical Christians do.Something about the cultural enviornment I guess.Are you influencing that either way? The only thing I find difficult with Muslims is their shyness, kind of the same with many other immigrants. It’s easy to understand an immigrant being shy though.
So if the case is that you feel short of Muslim friends, Concho, I could probably help you.

[NotCranky]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

I am not an expert on any of this but that doesn’t seem to be an obstacle.Maybe if I were, it would lead me to preclude potential relationships with muslims?Is that what you are saying?

In any case, I have more Muslim friends than evangelical christian friends. It probably helps not to have prejudices, something I can’t get over with the evangelicals but is generally pretty easy with Muslims.Of course the radical muslims don’t come right out and admit it like the radical Christians do.Something about the cultural enviornment I guess.Are you influencing that either way? The only thing I find difficult with Muslims is their shyness, kind of the same with many other immigrants. It’s easy to understand an immigrant being shy though.
So if the case is that you feel short of Muslim friends, Concho, I could probably help you.

[NotCranky]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

I am not an expert on any of this but that doesn’t seem to be an obstacle.Maybe if I were, it would lead me to preclude potential relationships with muslims?Is that what you are saying?

In any case, I have more Muslim friends than evangelical christian friends. It probably helps not to have prejudices, something I can’t get over with the evangelicals but is generally pretty easy with Muslims.Of course the radical muslims don’t come right out and admit it like the radical Christians do.Something about the cultural enviornment I guess.Are you influencing that either way? The only thing I find difficult with Muslims is their shyness, kind of the same with many other immigrants. It’s easy to understand an immigrant being shy though.
So if the case is that you feel short of Muslim friends, Concho, I could probably help you.

[NotCranky]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

I am not an expert on any of this but that doesn’t seem to be an obstacle.Maybe if I were, it would lead me to preclude potential relationships with muslims?Is that what you are saying?

In any case, I have more Muslim friends than evangelical christian friends. It probably helps not to have prejudices, something I can’t get over with the evangelicals but is generally pretty easy with Muslims.Of course the radical muslims don’t come right out and admit it like the radical Christians do.Something about the cultural enviornment I guess.Are you influencing that either way? The only thing I find difficult with Muslims is their shyness, kind of the same with many other immigrants. It’s easy to understand an immigrant being shy though.
So if the case is that you feel short of Muslim friends, Concho, I could probably help you.

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

CONCHO: My boss in my first “real” (corporate) job was Lebanese (Muslim) and we grew to be close friends over my eight years there. At present, my company works closely with Muslims in Egypt, India, Singapore, Iraq, etc on our overseas operations and domestically we work with or employ dozens more, largely in engineering or design capacities.

On a personal basis, I’ve had similar conversations on the topics we’re discussing here dozens of times. Sometimes collegial, sometimes rancorous. One of the most interesting conversations I’ve been a part of involved an Iranian structural engineer and an Egyptian mechanical engineer and covered the rise and fall of the Persian and Egyptian empires and the differences between Persian and Arabic cultures. It was not only educational and entertaining, but it showed how many Persians view the Arab world (in a disdainful light, to say the least), and the Western world (you can probably guess).

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

CONCHO: My boss in my first “real” (corporate) job was Lebanese (Muslim) and we grew to be close friends over my eight years there. At present, my company works closely with Muslims in Egypt, India, Singapore, Iraq, etc on our overseas operations and domestically we work with or employ dozens more, largely in engineering or design capacities.

On a personal basis, I’ve had similar conversations on the topics we’re discussing here dozens of times. Sometimes collegial, sometimes rancorous. One of the most interesting conversations I’ve been a part of involved an Iranian structural engineer and an Egyptian mechanical engineer and covered the rise and fall of the Persian and Egyptian empires and the differences between Persian and Arabic cultures. It was not only educational and entertaining, but it showed how many Persians view the Arab world (in a disdainful light, to say the least), and the Western world (you can probably guess).

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

CONCHO: My boss in my first “real” (corporate) job was Lebanese (Muslim) and we grew to be close friends over my eight years there. At present, my company works closely with Muslims in Egypt, India, Singapore, Iraq, etc on our overseas operations and domestically we work with or employ dozens more, largely in engineering or design capacities.

On a personal basis, I’ve had similar conversations on the topics we’re discussing here dozens of times. Sometimes collegial, sometimes rancorous. One of the most interesting conversations I’ve been a part of involved an Iranian structural engineer and an Egyptian mechanical engineer and covered the rise and fall of the Persian and Egyptian empires and the differences between Persian and Arabic cultures. It was not only educational and entertaining, but it showed how many Persians view the Arab world (in a disdainful light, to say the least), and the Western world (you can probably guess).

[Allan from Fallbrook]

[quote=CONCHO]I’d like to hear from all the Islam experts on this thread how many Muslim friends and associates they have had in their lives.[/quote]

CONCHO: My boss in my first “real” (corporate) job was Lebanese (Muslim) and we grew to be close friends over my eight years there. At present, my company works closely with Muslims in Egypt, India, Singapore, Iraq, etc on our overseas operations and domestically we work with or employ dozens more, largely in engineering or design capacities.

On a personal basis, I’ve had similar conversations on the topics we’re discussing here dozens of times. Sometimes collegial, sometimes rancorous. One of the most interesting conversations I’ve been a part of involved an Iranian structural engineer and an Egyptian mechanical engineer and covered the rise and fall of the Persian and Egyptian empires and the differences between Persian and Arabic cultures. It was not only educational and entertaining, but it showed how many Persians view the Arab world (in a disdainful light, to say the least), and the Western world (you can probably guess).

[Author]

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