# I Pit Babale **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 7, 2025, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738 "2025-04-07T14:59:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 47
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/921 "2026-09-08T20:50:11Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > AOC’s position on Israel/Palestine is practically indistinguishable from that of many folks who identify as anti-Zionist, You’d have to be pretty fucking stupid to think that “your country shouldn’t exist” and “your country should exist and I carefully avoid hinting that it shouldn’t when I criticize specific things it does” are “practically indistinguishable”. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/922 "2026-09-08T21:11:55Z")
You’d have to be pretty fucking stupid to believe that every (or even necessarily most) anti Zionists believe Israel “shouldn’t exist”. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/923 "2026-09-08T22:07:28Z")
And once again, both “Zionism” and “anti Zionism” mean different things to different people. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/924 "2026-09-08T22:23:12Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > And once again, both “Zionism” and “anti Zionism” mean different things to different people They mean different things to people who know what the words mean and to people who don’t. It really is as simple as that. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/925 "2026-09-08T22:29:05Z")
I don’t think ethnostates should exist. And I think a lot of people want Israel to be an ethnostate. But an Israel where all ethnicities are treated equally? That’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2026, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/926 "2026-09-08T22:38:57Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > > [@puzzlegal](#): > > > > And once again, both “Zionism” and “anti Zionism” mean different things to different people > > They mean different things to people who know what the words mean and to people who don’t. It really is as simple as that. It’s always funny when an individual person thinks they get to decide what words mean, when it’s always been, and will always be, the users of words en masse who decide what they mean. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/927 "2026-09-09T01:18:31Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > I don’t think ethnostates should exist. Can I expect to you see you at the next protest against [The Arab Republic of Egypt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt) or [The Islamic Republic of Pakistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan)? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/928 "2026-09-09T01:20:23Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > Can I expect to you see you at the next protest against [The Arab Republic of Egypt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt) or [The Islamic Republic of Pakistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan)?. Of _course_ not, that would be exceedingly Islamophobic, you bigot! ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/929 "2026-09-09T01:25:10Z")
But what about…! What about…! ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/930 "2026-09-09T01:33:49Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Of _course_ not, that would be exceedingly Islamophobic, you bigot! @Babale, it’s not Islamophobic. It’s anti-Arab/Islamic self-determination in their ancestral homeland. That’s completely different. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/931 "2026-09-09T01:43:40Z")
I don’t go to protests but I’ll sign the petition. Boo all ethnostates. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/932 "2026-09-09T05:36:21Z")
Wait, did you just suggest _Pakistan_ is some kind of ethnostate? _[Pakistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Pakistan)_? My day’s just started, so I haven’t read any webcomics yet, and I already know I’m not going to read anything funnier today. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/933 "2026-09-09T09:36:09Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > Can I expect to you see you at the next protest against [The Arab Republic of Egypt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt) or [The Islamic Republic of Pakistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan)? Count me as someone who thinks the islamism in Pakistan’s government is bad. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/934 "2026-09-09T09:50:33Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Wait, did you just suggest _Pakistan_ is some kind of ethnostate? _[Pakistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_Pakistan)_? Hey, Partition sorted that all out and there’s been no need to think about it any further since then. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/935 "2026-09-09T10:08:29Z")
Bangladesh is a fairly demographically homogeneous ethnostate in spite of a genocide by Pakistan of their main ethnic group. ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/936 "2026-09-09T10:19:00Z")
96.4% Muslim. From Wikipedia: > The [Constitution of Pakistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Pakistan "Constitution of Pakistan") establishes [Islam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam "Islam") as the [state religion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_religion "State religion"),[[4]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Pakistan#cite_note-:4-4) and provides that all citizens have the right to profess, practice and propagate their religion subject to law, public order, and morality.[[16]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Pakistan#cite_note-:6-16) The Constitution also states that all laws are to conform with the injunctions of [Islam](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam "Islam") as laid down in the [Quran](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quran "Quran") and [Sunnah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunnah "Sunnah").[[17]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Pakistan#cite_note-:8-17) The Constitution limits the political rights of Pakistan’s non-Muslims. Only Muslims are allowed to become the [President](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_Pakistan "President of Pakistan")[[18]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Pakistan#cite_note-18) or the [Prime Minister](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Pakistan "Prime Minister of Pakistan").[[19]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Pakistan#cite_note-19) Only Muslims are allowed to serve as judges in the [Federal Shariat Court](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Shariat_Court "Federal Shariat Court"), which has the power to strike down any law deemed un-Islamic, though its judgments can be overruled by the [Supreme Court of Pakistan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supreme_Court_of_Pakistan "Supreme Court of Pakistan").[[20]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Pakistan#cite_note-20) Sounds like an ethnostate to me. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/937 "2026-09-09T10:31:14Z")
That says you have to be Muslim, which does not really narrow down your ethnic group. Different kind of evil discrimination, by religion in this case. Cf. in Israel, aren’t there different ethnic groups who are Jewish but still (or especially because of it) hate each other’s guts? ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/938 "2026-09-09T10:54:05Z")
Religious state. There are a whole bunch of different ethnic groups. And I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who supports Pakistan’s islamist institutions. You’d have a hard time finding any American with any defense of America’s relationship with Pakistan except on transactional grounds. America’s relationship with Israel has largely been sold to the public on moral grounds with the argument that we need to support a Jewish state which sparks backlash both because we wouldn’t use that logic about other countries and because many people don’t think their government is moral ay all. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/939 "2026-09-09T11:31:53Z")
Are you really so dumb that you think religion and ethnicity are the same thing?? ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2026, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738/940 "2026-09-09T11:45:16Z")
Are you really so dumb that you think that discrimination based on religion is ok? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738.md?page=46) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-babale/1016738.md?page=48)