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In reply to the discussion: My cab ride home, was the saddest moment I've experienced as apart of the human race. [View all]ErikJ
(6,335 posts)16. He should stop crying and become activist against Wahhabism.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-yousaf-butt-/saudi-wahhabism-islam-terrorism_b_6501916.html
Dr. Yousaf Butt is a senior advisor to the British American Security Information Council and director at the Cultural Intelligence Institute. The views expressed here are his own.
LONDON -- The horrific terrorist attacks on the Charlie Hebdo weekly in Paris have led to speculation as to whether the killers -- the brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi -- were lone wolves or tied to masterminds in ISIS or its rival, Al-Qaeda. Although Al-Qaeda in Yemen has taken credit for the attack, it is unclear how closely the affiliate actually directed the operation. No matter which organizational connections (if any) ultimately prove to be real, one thing is clear: the fountainhead of Islamic extremism that promotes and legitimizes such violence lies with the fanatical "Wahhabi" strain of Islam centered in Saudi Arabia. And if the world wants to tamp down and eliminate such violent extremism, it must confront this primary host and facilitator.
Perversely, while the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri took part in a "Je suis Charlie" solidarity rally in Beirut following the Paris attacks, back home the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi received the first 50 of 1,000 lashes he is due each Friday over the next 20 weeks. His crime? Running a liberal website promoting the freedom of speech. (Thankfully, in recent days it seems the Saudi authorities have buckled to international pressure and suspended the sentence.)
It would be troublesome but perhaps acceptable for the House of Saud to promote the intolerant and extremist Wahhabi creed just domestically. But, unfortunately, for decades the Saudis have also lavishly financed its propagation abroad. Exact numbers are not known, but it is thought that more than $100 billion have been spent on exporting fanatical Wahhabism to various much poorer Muslim nations worldwide over the past three decades. It might well be twice that number. By comparison, the Soviets spent about $7 billion spreading communism worldwide in the 70 years from 1921 and 1991.
This appears to be a monumental campaign to bulldoze the more moderate strains of Islam, and replace them with the theo-fascist Saudi variety. Despite being well aware of the issue, Western powers continue to coddle the Saudis or, at most, protest meekly from time to time
Dr. Yousaf Butt is a senior advisor to the British American Security Information Council and director at the Cultural Intelligence Institute. The views expressed here are his own.
LONDON -- The horrific terrorist attacks on the Charlie Hebdo weekly in Paris have led to speculation as to whether the killers -- the brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi -- were lone wolves or tied to masterminds in ISIS or its rival, Al-Qaeda. Although Al-Qaeda in Yemen has taken credit for the attack, it is unclear how closely the affiliate actually directed the operation. No matter which organizational connections (if any) ultimately prove to be real, one thing is clear: the fountainhead of Islamic extremism that promotes and legitimizes such violence lies with the fanatical "Wahhabi" strain of Islam centered in Saudi Arabia. And if the world wants to tamp down and eliminate such violent extremism, it must confront this primary host and facilitator.
Perversely, while the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awad Asiri took part in a "Je suis Charlie" solidarity rally in Beirut following the Paris attacks, back home the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi received the first 50 of 1,000 lashes he is due each Friday over the next 20 weeks. His crime? Running a liberal website promoting the freedom of speech. (Thankfully, in recent days it seems the Saudi authorities have buckled to international pressure and suspended the sentence.)
It would be troublesome but perhaps acceptable for the House of Saud to promote the intolerant and extremist Wahhabi creed just domestically. But, unfortunately, for decades the Saudis have also lavishly financed its propagation abroad. Exact numbers are not known, but it is thought that more than $100 billion have been spent on exporting fanatical Wahhabism to various much poorer Muslim nations worldwide over the past three decades. It might well be twice that number. By comparison, the Soviets spent about $7 billion spreading communism worldwide in the 70 years from 1921 and 1991.
This appears to be a monumental campaign to bulldoze the more moderate strains of Islam, and replace them with the theo-fascist Saudi variety. Despite being well aware of the issue, Western powers continue to coddle the Saudis or, at most, protest meekly from time to time
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My cab ride home, was the saddest moment I've experienced as apart of the human race. [View all]
kpete
Nov 2015
OP
Even sadder, and yes your right, laws are needed to ensure this bigoted targeting racist
AuntPatsy
Nov 2015
#22
Perhaps regulate the honesty, and integrity of our national media by allowing them to
AuntPatsy
Nov 2015
#30
Seems I've heard of such whispered about, depends on where you wish to freely express
AuntPatsy
Nov 2015
#85
I don't have all the answers nor obviously do you but somewhere someone who does
AuntPatsy
Nov 2015
#84
The point I was making is that you can't solve everything by passing a law.
totodeinhere
Nov 2015
#91
It could very well be made up but to pretend such has not happened and will again surely
AuntPatsy
Nov 2015
#31
The Beirut bombings of civilians the day before Paris...36 Muslims killed by ISIS:
Fred Sanders
Nov 2015
#4
Excellent point, Fred. I hope we (all of us in the world) can find our way through this tragedy.
Demoiselle
Nov 2015
#20
In our face, selective faux outrages out in force and have been allowed to fester out
AuntPatsy
Nov 2015
#24
It sucks. Been "debating" some of the facebook bigots I grew up with who are claiming all Muslims
Hoyt
Nov 2015
#5
It does happen all over the place -- People extrapolate & generalize. It's nothing new. n/t
whathehell
Nov 2015
#71
*nods* It's a good sign if you have few opportunities to right things in your area
Hydra
Nov 2015
#21
I had that chance today, attended a non denominational church with my daughter
AuntPatsy
Nov 2015
#28
I can remember when I was a kid and first learned about the internment camps
PatrickforO
Nov 2015
#13
Because it's pretty hard to tell if someone is muslim just from hopping into a cab with them,
smirkymonkey
Nov 2015
#87
OK, that's a good start-- real people identified in a real news story. Not that
TreasonousBastard
Nov 2015
#49
Which is idiotic because 85% of the oil imported by the US is from non-Middle Eastern countries.
4lbs
Nov 2015
#38
“With stupidity the gods themselves struggle in vain.” Friedrich Schiller nm
rhett o rick
Nov 2015
#92
This nation is full of people that are proud of failing to see the world in a nuanced way.
Enthusiast
Nov 2015
#41
The people from the middle east that I meet are as polite, respectful and friendly as you
brewens
Nov 2015
#42
Hmm, NY'ers would get in a cab w/Satan if it'd get them across town in rush hour.
KittyWampus
Nov 2015
#63
Exactly! I could maybe see this happening is some small southern or midwestern
smirkymonkey
Nov 2015
#101
how very sad indeed. "they", whoever "they", win by fear-mongering, divisiveness, hatred,
niyad
Nov 2015
#68
Alex Molloy likes to take selfies and draw attention to himself on social media.
smirkymonkey
Nov 2015
#107
Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs,
Tierra_y_Libertad
Nov 2015
#78
This is why, regardless of who the Democratic candidate winds up to be, we must support him or her
Tarc
Nov 2015
#83
In the universe scheme of life we are all one race, the human race.
Dont call me Shirley
Nov 2015
#89
Oh, for god's sake! I can't actually believe that anybody is falling for this
smirkymonkey
Nov 2015
#109
The only time I usually take a cab is from the airport to my downtown Minneapolis office.
Snobblevitch
Nov 2015
#112