[freddie]

Originally Posted by PowerPuff Grrl

But are they even true believers? Because even the moderate ones get me thinking.

Anyhoo, that link is hilarious, such a pity that the guy lives in Gaza, If he were American he'd be a gazillionaire. You have to admire that kind of capitalist ingenuity.

At least I HOPE they're some who truly believe. As in... believe and understand Islam the way it's futily been preached: as a religion of peace. What's the point otherwise, seriously? To not believe in moderates who actually have some common sense is the same as proclaiming the whole religion as a gathering of savages who dwell upon thoughts of segregating eachother from other infidels who'll go to hell anyway.

Originally Posted by PowerPuff Grrl

Though I'm fully aware that Europe has all sorts of schisms between countries, I'm sorry but you can't possibly compare Polish and Portuguese immigrants with Non-European ones. Geographically speaking, you live just two doors down from each other on either end and historically believe in the same faith. I know that these immigrants first experienced some mega-hardships when first living in France but eventually their children were able to exceed. See where I'm getting at here? The second generation of immigrants are supposed to exceed, regardless of where they are from. Why isn't this happening with the Muslims, particularly in Europe (excluding the UK, and possibly Ireland)? Why is it happening in other places but in Europe?

Clash of the titans. European tradition and pride versus an entirely different (and to us extremely foreign) tradition of Islam. I think it's all in the way liberalism was fought for in Europe. Liberal ideals had to be enforced and power stripped away from organized religion. It makes an average European inherently suspicious when it comes to a religion so deeply fundamental and uncompromising. Even more so than christianity and we all know most enlightened scholars roll their eyes seeing a narrow-minded, homophobic conservative leading the roman catholic church. Islam is that times hundred and twenty-five. That leads to mutual distrust. Which leads to fear. Which leads to people being unable to coexist in harmony.

Not to mention things get even worse in these trubled times, since there's a huge cultural gap about the West and Islam as it is. Being needlessly provoked further by Bush's mindless chatter of war against terror being the new crusades.

Originally Posted by forre

"CNN is not showing the negative caricatures of the likeness of the Prophet Mohammed because the network believes its role is to cover the events surrounding the publication of the cartoons while not unnecessarily adding fuel to the controversy itself."

In other words... they chickened out.

Originally Posted by amber

"Saudi Arabia is definitely the main source of the problem, it is the one country which has access to trillions of dollars from the petrol and use them to finance terrorism worldwide but also the 're-education' of Muslims everywhere.

So all shall be well as soon as oil-wells dry out. But seriously... I don't consider those imams gathering new recrites as any more harmful than those ridiculous mormon boys from Utah, traveling all over the world, trying to turn people towards the REAL religion. People of sound mind still have their own ideas of what's right and what's wrong. Whether they'd be Muslim, Christian, Jewish or atheist. This shouldn't be the real cause behind all the extremes we've been witnessing. Those Saudi preachers are just exploiting a problem that's been here to begin with.