It appears that it is the singular attention-grabbing incidents that prevent many from being successfully oblivious to the turmoil that has beset Afghanistan. Reports that Marines were depicted urinating on Afghan corpses rocked the decency of many. The inadvertent burning of Qurans resulted in the Taliban’s killing of over 30 of their countrymen and injuring more. Yet, to date, protests over an Army soldier allegedly shooting 16 Afghan civilians has not provoked protests comparable to those resulting from the burning of the Qurans. Is one to deduce that human life is not as sacrosanct as the Quran?
Ahmad Daniels
Phoenix
truth posted at 2:35 pm on Sun, Mar 18, 2012.
All Americans are responsible for this sensless killing.
sockratties posted at 3:09 pm on Sun, Mar 18, 2012.
Afghanistan has been involved in some kind of war since Alexander the Great invaded in 330 BC. It was conquered by Islamic Arabs after a 70 year war in 709. War, killing and related atrocities are an unfortunate part of the Afghan culture. Islam is not something they acknowledge once a week but part of everyday life. When an enemy desecrates a body or goes on a killing binge everyone is bothered, but it still happened to someone else. A protest is in order but people can go about their business without it being personal. When someone defiles the Koran it is personal to every Muslim. It is more than a book, it is the Word, an albeit paltry image of the Word, but the Word still. It cannot be dissociated with Allah as it is the best representation that mankind is able to envision.
Cerulean posted at 5:10 pm on Sun, Mar 18, 2012.
My thought is that the people of Afghanistan are tired, with nerves worn thin from constant war and poverty, their broken dreams must permeate the air they breathe. That is sad. I believe that the Afghans are proud, though their expression of pride may be displaced.
I have sympathy for the people of Afghanistan even while I do not understand or agree with everything they do (especially the Taliban).
Dale Whiting posted at 5:46 pm on Sun, Mar 18, 2012.
Cerulean,
I like the new picture!
Let's face the facts. If we were Arabs or Persians or Afghanis, would we like it if foreign western forces over the years pretty much meddled in our domistic affairs? Wasn't that what motivated "Our Founding Fathers" to evict England from our shores?
I find it absolutely shocking to hear all of the rhetoric from our current crop of candidates that we ought to support Bibi Netanyahu in going to war with Iran over their right to develop nuclear power. If we had a right to throw tea into Boston harbor, why is it that Iran has no right to develop nuclear power? They must know that sooner or later they will run out of oil. And wasn't it Ike who suggested we needed "atoms for peace?"
Yes, we do have a double standard, a very simple and easy to understand double standard. What ever we want to do is right. And what ever others want to do is wrong.
Cerulean posted at 10:36 am on Mon, Mar 19, 2012.
Dale, Thank-you
I was going to change it yesterday. [smile]
Iran is difficult. It’s difficult to understand exactly what all of their motives are. However, the US has found no evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons or that they have any intention to. I read that a joke among neocons before the Iraq war was: “Anyone can go to Baghdad. Real men go to Tehran.”
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-iran-20120319,0,7922915.story
Slabside posted at 10:47 am on Mon, Mar 19, 2012.
The site sicko says, " If we had a right to throw tea into Boston harbor, why is it that Iran has no right to develop nuclear power?"
Only a true insane, sick individual would attempt to correlate the throwing of a few dollars worth of tea into the ocean by our forefathers to rebel against taxes and a country full of hateful madmen bent on annihilation of an entire country based on religious beliefs.
Dale, you seriously need to seek professional psychiatric help.
Dale Whiting posted at 11:47 am on Mon, Mar 19, 2012.
No, Slabside,
You need to study Iranian history and current politics. If you would like to give this a go, let me know. Just understand that as simplisticly as we pictured politics in Israel, not appreciating the strife amongst their divers and opposing factions, only listening to those AIPAC does not fliter out, we get even an even more and grossly oversimplified view of Iran.
No, we all know that comparing tea to nuclear power is simplistic. But the principles are the same. Where in 1775 we felt justified in dumping some tea [likely owned by John Handcock] into Boston Harbor, Iran has a right to do what it sees as being in its own best interests. And where Ike saw and promoted a need for nuclear power, surely it's hipocritical to deny Iran the right to do the same thing.
Most informed people [which counts you out] agree that Iran does not wish to harm Israel. It's campaign rhetoric! And the orator, Ahmadenijad, just got his wings clipped. Within a year, he'll be political toast. Iran's Supreme Leader is giving out hints that he wants to negotiate a peace, one which allows Iran to develop those Eisenhower atoms for peace. Obama is reading those hints now. But our crop of Neocon candidates don't read hints. Only one will steer clear of making war with Iran. Ron Paul does not read hints, but he does read the constitution.
samkat posted at 5:37 pm on Mon, Mar 19, 2012.
Dale: You could continue your Iranian studies in Iran. I am sure they will spread the welcome mat for you just as the North Vietnamese did for Jane Fonda. Please take truth with you.
Rich posted at 10:26 pm on Mon, Mar 19, 2012.
Here we go again.
a) Dale, read your Koran before saying something like "Most informed people [which counts you out] agree that Iran does not wish to harm Israel." As long as Jews control it they will 'wish' to stop that. Eventually, given the nuances of translation, Jews will not be able to hide behind trees because the trees will call out that they are hiding. Don't make representations that aren't there.
b) Eventually a lot of people will have nuclear weaponry, and if we don't get a handle on our politicians and beating war drums, it will get rather unpleasant. "We will all go together when we go."
c) What Mr. Daniels is really complaining about is war, what it does to people on both sides. We have to stop doing it, or my grandchildren's life expectancy will shrink dramatically.
d) We think it's terrible when some tortured soul goes nuts and shoots up a University, or a Fast Food place. But we seem to have no qualms about dressing kids up in neat little uniforms and doing much worse. And then, we try to apply rules to it? That's nuts. It's war, a least the psycho who goes on a rampage has the excuse of being crazy. What's our excuse? Our society is psycho?
k33j88 posted at 12:07 am on Tue, Mar 20, 2012.
YO---Ahmad----What do you call the Fort Hood massacure? A walk in the park? What about the countless women being murdered under the sharia condoned honor killings? What about the Christian churches being burned to the ground in egypt with parisheners in them? What about the countless thousands of young women in africa being forced to accept, sharia approved, genital mutalations. How about those innocent children being, sharia approved, forceibly rapped and beaten by their (sic) husbands. Muhammad has been quoted in the koran that lying and deceit is acceptable under certain circumstances. Islam isn't loving, forgiving nor tolerant of other faiths. The nation of ISRAEL will never be recognized by these fanatics. The muslim brotherhood was banned for a reason. Now they admit their #1 enemy is our only hope in the, thanks to obama, region. Israel is GOD'S chosen people, always was, always is.
k33j88 posted at 12:24 am on Tue, Mar 20, 2012.
Dale---I've lost all respect for you and your nonsense. You said, and I quote: "Most informed people agree that Iran does not wish to harm Israel". You're out of you mind!!! Shiite/Sunni----makes no difference. If Iran gets the bomb---they will use it----have said so repeatidly. You're a bible scholar? Digest this----Anyone that turns their back on Israel, I will do the same. May GOD have pity on youir soul.
Dale Whiting posted at 7:34 pm on Tue, Mar 20, 2012.
No guys.
To be well informed, you need to do more than just read the papers and the neo-con blogs. You need to listen to and read those who have lived in, studied and follow first hand Iranian politics. If you don't speak Farsi, chances are you are not well informed. I took my last Iranian out for lunch about two years ago, here in Mesa, no less.
Ahmadenijad is on the way out. The supreme leader has all but taken his powers away. We will not be hearing much from him and in the next year, the informed pundits expect him to be replaced. The supreme leader has responded to Obama indicating he's willing to start negociations. We have some carrots to offer Iran. Stick deplomacy is not going to work on a proud people like the Iranians. Heck, guys, these people still speak Farsi, a Persian language! And there is a more fractous political climate in Iran than there is in Israel. But because we do not hear what the AIPAC does not want us to hear, we don't appreciate this. You'd appreciate this if any of you had read "Palestine, Peace not Aparheid!"
Let's use some carrots here and give peace a chance. Remember here in the West we claim to be following the Prince of Peace! Or is that all a bunch of BS?
Dale Whiting posted at 7:40 pm on Tue, Mar 20, 2012.
Now Ahmad, to answer the question posed by the chosen headline.
Life is worth more than the scriptures we claim to be following. Those scriptures include the Kuran and the New Testiment. And the Creator of us all must be saddened with the way we are all behaving, treating one another like enemies and not the brothers and sisters that He created us to be.
I got this message about three weeks ago at the local Chandler Mosque. I have friends who attend there and I got an invitation to attend. Any of you wish an invitation? You'd be learning one heck of a lot that you don't know.
Rich posted at 11:36 pm on Tue, Mar 20, 2012.
Dale.
I'm in Tokyo. which explains my absence on these boards. Sorry, obligations. Don't really think so. We aren't scriptures. We are who We are. A unique thing that never as been, and never will be again. And in the end, our salvation is being that, whatever it is. Have to be in London Ftiday. will try to keep up.
sockratties posted at 6:18 am on Wed, Mar 21, 2012.
Dale, while you're chattering away in Farsi with your last Iranian, remember that Ahmadenijad is a moderate on the Iranian spectrum of politics. Be careful what you ask for.
You make a lot of assumptions about what others know or don't know. While you were hanging out at the mosque did anyone explain to your that you, as an infidel, will be told what you want to hear? Your "supreme leader," the Ayatollah, is trying to play that game on Obama. I like to think we will not fall for that the way you have.
Dale Whiting posted at 7:34 am on Wed, Mar 21, 2012.
Rich,
I appreciate and respect your perspective. You are not a man of faith.
But I perceive that most of the rest of us like to think that we are men and women of faith. But we are just hypocrites about faith and don't realize it. We want to believe in God. But our experience with man destroys that faith. And my efforts here are aimed [perhaps rather foolishly] at trying to stimulate us to turn to our faith and turn away form our natural man selves, whom my faith defines as "an enemy to God" from the beginning, who will remain so until we turn in faith back to Him.
Notice how kj, himself a professed man of faith, wars with Islam, another group of highly faithful and peace loving people. Sure, Islam and Christianity have had their moments of conflict. But men and women of faith, whether in Christianity or in Islam, preach peace, not war.
So how about it? Any of you up to soliciting an invite to the Mosque? Or has your hypocracy gotten the best of you? I'd say 'socratties' hypocracy has gotten the best of him! Notice how he strives to justify his positions when he's never exersized his faith to believe in the Gospel of the Prince of Peace! Should his sermon this coming Sunday be coming from the Sermon on the Mount, he'll have to do much more than exercising his hypocritical reasoning.
And "sock" the lady from whom I got this opinion about Ahmadinejad and the Supreme Leader in Iran is Jewish and speaks, reads and writes Farsi. So she's getting her information from off the streets in Tehran first hand. AIPAC is not sensoring her. And I did not converse with her in the Mosque. In fact, what I said about Iran in the Mosque was news to them. I was speaking in quiet tones to an Afghani and a Pakistani as the room slowly filled before prayers. If you've never witnessed first hand an Islamic prayer service, you've missed seeing devoted people. My faith lacks much outward display of reverence. Catholic Mass shows considerable devotion, but can't hold a candel to Islam. And those wisperings as the Mosque filled slowly were about peace and the acceptance of the deversity of mankind, you and me included!
P.S. For any of you Mormons out there wondering how this Mormon can compare the Koran to Holy Scripture, realized that in a press release contemporaneous to the first threat to burn Korans in Florida, our church leadership did that comparing for us all. I had a piece in this paper published revealing this fact.
k33j88 posted at 9:19 am on Wed, Mar 21, 2012.
Dale, careful attacking and questioning my faith on a public forum. This will not be tolerated any futher. I do and will exercise any and all legal options. You have been officially notified.
sockratties posted at 12:44 pm on Wed, Mar 21, 2012.
Dale – You are one slippery fish. So you were talking to two Arabs about what you heard regarding the Iranians from an Israeli woman who's credibility is that she can speak Farsi. Now there's an unbiased source.
In this short column you have already determined that Slab is uninformed, stated that you are not well informed (unless you want to lie and say you are conversant in Farsi), Rich is not a man of faith (maybe he is and his faith is different than yours), that K33 wars with Islam (which differs from your pandering embrace), and that I strive to justify my positions. Dale, I don't have to justify anything to you. To me you're just 10 pounds in a 5 pound bag.
You make claims about personal lives you know nothing about. I don't believe in the supernatural, but you have no idea as to my faith, beliefs or religion except that they are not the same as yours. Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable. Hypocrites typically say one thing and do another, like not walking the talk. That is the impression I get of you. That doesn't sound like it describes your critics.
You may harp on the Prince of Peace and be a sucker for ritual but some of us don't prefer to put on a show to impress others with our devotion. The truly devout don't need an interpreter to translate our faith or an arena to demonstrate it. We also accept responsibility for our actions and realize that character, morality and faith are from within. If your faith is so fragile that you have to defend it, don't blame others, just look inside where you think your soul is. You don't have the only game in town and for some of us there are choices that are more honest, forthcoming and accepting.
Dale Whiting posted at 11:40 am on Thu, Mar 22, 2012.
Sock,
You have just revealed your total ignorance. First, neither Pakistanis nor Afghanis are Arabs. Second most Jewish women are not Israelis. The Pakistani and the Afghani were explaining to me their attitudes toward us infidels. They view us as being fellow and equal creations of our mutual God, Allah. And the Jewish woman who had lived for a while in Iran, was and is an American. Her old Iranian contacts feed her the local news, often in printed Farsi. And she has other sources, too, but none which are screened by AIPAC!
Now, sock, you do what you want to do. But don't say you are a Christian yet not strive to make Peace. No one will believe you!
kj,
Now you reveal the problem of your remaining anonymous. If I say "You're nuts" no one but you or I know who you are and whom I am talking to. I have published nothing! So there is nothing to complain about. But where I am not anonymous, should you say "I'm nuts" conceivably, I could seek damages. However where both of these sayings are merely opinions, neither of us has anything to complain about. And furthermore, truth is always a defense!
So go back to your Bible Study and seek to find what you are looking for. Once again, sincerely I wish you success. Just know, you could use a guide!