I came accross this great bbc arab channel documentary on broadcasting hate in the arab world. To me it seems these are the people who need to be stopped as they are fanning the flames and making things worse between Sunni and Shia muslims.
Really worried about the state of the Middle East right now. Israel and Palestinians appear to be going the distance, which IMO is going to drag other Arab states into the conflict. Given that ISIS goal is that of a total takeover, at what point does Iran get involved? Just a powder keg right now and its not slowing down by any means. Hell, ISIS has even threatened Spain.
With everyone focused with the war in Gaza, no one is paying as much attention to Iraq. ISIS is doing some really evil crap with beheadings and mass executions with AKs in shallow ditches. I have to say, I think Iraq was far better off under Saddam with what's going on now.
Leaked video of executions and one guy just shooting about 30 people in a ditch. ~2:00 mark things get really F-ed up.
With everyone focused with the war in Gaza, no one is paying as much attention to Iraq. ISIS is doing some really evil crap with beheadings and mass executions with AKs in shallow ditches. I have to say, I think Iraq was far better off under Saddam with what's going on now.
Leaked video of executions and one guy just shooting about 30 people in a ditch. ~2:00 mark things get really F-ed up.
Warning NSFL
NSFW!
Oh my god. I don't think that will stay up on Youtube very long.
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Yeah I think the Israel conflict always gets more play than other conflicts which, like in this case, appear to be worse. Because of the involvement of the Jewish state and what that means to so many people in the States and the fact that one of the sides is, and I use this term only because that's how many see the conflict even though it's not that simple, white. Brown people fighting white people is news in the Western world. Brown people fighting brown people, not so much.
What is going on in Iraq right now does appear to be many times worse. Not to belittle the situation in Israel/Palestine.
That is disturbing. Is anyone doing anything about them? You can't let them take over.
Who's going to do something? They acted at precisely the right time to take this region over. The only nation that will intervene against ISIS in the relatively near future is Iran.
ISIS also may be the most strongly backed terrorist group yet in terms of financing and arms. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are huge backers as ISIS wants to impose the kind of strict interpretation of Islam that both of the powerful in those countries want. Plus because they have seized a lot of military equipment from the departed Iraqi army posts they've taken, they are truly closer to an army (albeit unsophisticated) than a terrorist group at this point.
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This is one of those situations that has the majority of the international community absolutely baffled, and stems in large part from another situation that had the international community largely baffled in Syria.
ISIS is completely insane (and horrible). But the grievances of the Sunni community in Iraq and in Syria are not. Saudi Arabia supports the Sunnis, and to a lesser degree ISIS itself.
The historical grievances of Shia in Iraq are certainly not without merit as well, but the way al-Maliki governed Iraq was completely idiotic. Like Morsi in Egypt, al-Maliki was elected fairly and then proceeded to immediately act like a despot; unlike Egypt, the military junta was not waiting in the wings for the smallest slip-up.
Democracy, rule of law, and nation-building are going to take a long, long time in the Middle East, whether in Iraq, Egypt, Palestine or elsewhere. It would also really help if democratically-elected leaders didn't become absolutely mindless once they assumed power.
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I'm actually a little disturbed at how much a part of me wants to see that video. I haven't watched it ... but it makes me a little uncomfortable that I even want to see it a little.
Without religion, there wouldn't be religious extremism. The best thing that could happen to mankind is some how absolutely proving, without doubt that there is no higher power and no God(s). Then people would start realizing they and everyone around them has one go at this life thing.
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Originally Posted by nik-
I'm actually a little disturbed at how much a part of me wants to see that video. I haven't watched it ... but it makes me a little uncomfortable that I even want to see it a little.
This is one of those situations that has the majority of the international community absolutely baffled, and stems in large part from another situation that had the international community largely baffled in Syria.
ISIS is completely insane (and horrible). But the grievances of the Sunni community in Iraq and in Syria are not. Saudi Arabia supports the Sunnis, and to a lesser degree ISIS itself.
The historical grievances of Shia in Iraq are certainly not without merit as well, but the way al-Maliki governed Iraq was completely idiotic. Like Morsi in Egypt, al-Maliki was elected fairly and then proceeded to immediately act like a despot; unlike Egypt, the military junta was not waiting in the wings for the smallest slip-up.
Democracy, rule of law, and nation-building are going to take a long, long time in the Middle East, whether in Iraq, Egypt, Palestine or elsewhere. It would also really help if democratically-elected leaders didn't become absolutely mindless once they assumed power.
I don't think the problem is that they become mindless once they take power. The problem is that the only way leaders can survive in these environments is to exert power. It's what people respect (and fear) in many parts of the world. People who get power by "winning an election" just aren't respected everywhere.
It's a mistake to think that democracy is a natural system that can exist in every situation. The vast majority of people who exist today (and that have ever existed on this planet) do not, and have not existed in free and democratic nations. For democracy and freedom to exist, it requires very specific parameters and a relatively liberal cultural mindset. You aren't going to convince an entire population over there to accept democracy any faster than you would convince Americans to accept an absolute Monarchy to rule their country. The best you can hope for is some measure of stability.
Even in the West where democracy has become an institution in most countries, there were decades of revolts and upheavals before it became mainstream.
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Without religion, there wouldn't be religious extremism. The best thing that could happen to mankind is some how absolutely proving, without doubt that there is no higher power and no God(s). Then people would start realizing they and everyone around them has one go at this life thing.
No, there'd just be something else to be extremist about. This is humanity.
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Without religion, there wouldn't be religious extremism. The best thing that could happen to mankind is some how absolutely proving, without doubt that there is no higher power and no God(s). Then people would start realizing they and everyone around them has one go at this life thing.
Blood lust.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nik-
No, there'd just be something else to be extremist about. This is humanity.
Religion definitely isn't the problem and without it there'd just be some other thing to kill people over. To say so with such a broad brush is to be guilty of the same misguided generalization that you blame on religion. It's much more based on ignorance, lack of tolerance and penchant of human beings to fear/hate what is different. How many wars are started in African based on tribal lines for example?
Skin colour difference, accents, blood line differences can all be used and have been used to justify genocide. Even children in school yards will pick on these minor things and it's by proper societal controls and morality that we stamp that out (for the most part) in Western societies. Obviously the same can't said in Iraq where religion has been subverted as a tool to control the ignorant.
Without religion, there wouldn't be religious extremism. The best thing that could happen to mankind is some how absolutely proving, without doubt that there is no higher power and no God(s). Then people would start realizing they and everyone around them has one go at this life thing.
Blood lust.
disagree, it's not god/theism that's the issue. It's people/religion. I'm all for the destruction of all religions regardless of the existence of a god, if there is a god he/she/it would be thrilled to see religions destroyed.
They are mostly stupid and never really accomplish anything productive asides from a few exceptions. For the most part religious extremists use religion and manmade doctrines to justify their violence, not any real theistic or moral foundation. If science proved there is no god that wouldn't matter, religion would go on, just tear them down and the world would be a better place.
Last edited by AcGold; 07-29-2014 at 12:46 PM.
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