I realize that this is going to sound very ignorant, and I’m sorry, but if I don’t ask I’ll never know.
I honestly have no idea what’s going on. From what I gather, a bunch of people in the middle east hate us (Americans) because we support Israel, and Israel has been killing Palestinians. This is the extent of my knowledge - I have clue why Israel is killing people, what else we’ve done, and why bin Laden in particular has it out for us.
Also, why can’t we just keep our nose out of the affairs of other countries and make everyone happy? No, I’m not asking a rhetorical question or trying to express my views or anything like that, I genuinely do not understand why more people need to die to rectify this situation (what can I say, I’m a product of the NJ Public School System… :)).
Thank you.
[sub]apologies if this has been covered somewhere else[/sub]
Isreal, of the Jewish faith, and Palestine, of the Muslim faith, are fighting over the same area of land. They both claim it as their holy land and therefore want it to be under their control. This fighting dates back to the time of Jesus.
The US has backed Isreal more than Palestine in this fight so Palestine and some others of Muslim faith feel that the US is interfering and being a bully.
So basically, there’s been a war going on for 2000 years in the Middle East and we’ve picked a side. Now the other side in that war is upset with us.
Note: I am not racial or bigoted in any way. Referring to those of Muslim faith was just easier than saying those of Muslim faith with fanatical and hatred tendencies.
Nice, digestible soundbites are all well and good but if you want more information about the mind-set of who it is we’re dealing with: All you’ll ever want to know about Osama bin Ladin:
Actually, bin Laden’s hate for us doesn’t have much to do with Israel, per se.
Rather, bin Laden hates us for supporting the current Saudi government. bin Laden sees the current Saudi government as tyrannical and corrupt, and therefore making a mockery of the ‘guardians of Islam’ they are supposed to be (Mecca being in Saudi Arabia, after all).
bin Laden thinks that our support for the Saudis has corrupted them, and that our stationing of troops in Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm was the highest offense possible. Therefore, we must be destroyed so that the good Saudis can take over and keep Mecca ‘free’.
I don’t think that’s quite right, John Corrado. Bin Ladin’s radicalisation against the US began during his dealing with the CIA in the 1979-89 Afghani Jihad against the USSR and then evolved much further.
"When it comes to Muslims, there is testimony from Westerners and Christians who testified to the death of hundreds of thousands of our children in Iraq. And there is Qana, Sabra and Shattila, Dir Yasin and Bosnia.
The crusaders continued their slaughter of our mothers, sisters and children. America every time makes a decision to support them and prevent weapons from reaching the Muslims, and allow Serbian butchers to slaughter Muslims.
You do not have a religion that prevents you from carrying out these actions and therefore you do not have the right to object to like treatment. Every action solicits a reaction. It is a punishment that fits the crime. At the same time, our primary target are military and those in its employment."
It would seem that the ‘events’ in the Beirut camps were the thing that finally set him on his course.
You know, I have a good friend of mine named Tia. She was born and raised in Germany, and only came to the States a few years ago. She lived briefly in Jersey before moving to Tampa, and has just settled in Malibu, CA. She’s scared to death by all of this, because she’s never really been exposed to this level of hatred. She called me the other night, and it was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done, trying to keep her together when I was falling apart myself.