Just a reminder that you can still have nasty behaviour in the Middle East with religions other than Islam:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27883685
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27883685
Meanwhile in Bethlehem...
- Thread starter Mr Badger
- Start date
That's because it's not about religion, it's about one people trying to supplant and remove another people. Whether a Palestinian is Muslim or Christian or anything else isn't important, he is still a Palestinian, at least as far as a certain section of Israeli is concerned.
Man of Honour
This. As I've also said many times, religious wars are never actually about religion, but about land, money, resources and power. This one is about number two and number four on that list. Religion is thrown into the mix to stir idiots up. Seems to work on these forums as well.
Soldato
Soldato
That's some fine DM-esque reporting there Mr Badger.
No it's not.. it's a real life account of someone's struggle to keep hold of their land in the wake of Israeli oppression. It goes to highlight the continuing forced expulsion and building of Israeli settlements in land occupied by isreal, all illegal under international law.
Yes it has little to do with religion, but then the article mentioned little about religion, other than the farmer is not Muslim but Christian. What it is about is a gross abuse of foreign policy sanctioned by the west from a country seen as "western" and so who can do little wrong. It's just another example of the ridiculousness of Israeli policy, recently bolstered by their reaction to the disappearance of three Israeli teenagers and the spiteful measures they forced on the Palestinian territories after they claimed recognition from the UN as a non member observer state. The Israelis fearful it will lead them to being forced into a two state solution and isreal having to give some of the occupied territories back (and move back many of the settlers it orchestrated the movement of in the first place).
So no, not a DM piece at all, rather more unbias (although it is only the story of one side of the argument I will concede).
Soldato
I think his comment was directed directly at OP, rather than the actual article.
Associate
Sure is a lot of fuss over a piece of desert
Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Mar 2007
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What you're forgetting though is religion was invented for that very purpose you describe. It's been used a tool for centuries for one set of people who are (or in some cases aren't but claim to be) oppressed by another to garner support and encourage people to fight for that religious cause.
It's similar to argument about guns. 'It's not the gun that is the problem but the psychotic person holding it'. It's an argument that is trying to disguise the problem with firearms but ignores the data that where firearm control is tough there are a lot less murders. Same for religion, yes ultimately it is the extremist preacher who perpetuates the violence, but without religion to use as his weapon it would be a hell of a lot harder (and less likely) to happen.
I'll take that as the compliment it was clearly intended to be.
Soldato
I wondered how long it would take for this story to appear here...
Its hardly the first people have been forced from their land in that region of the world.
Its hardly the first people have been forced from their land in that region of the world.
Soldato
It seems that Israel is rather good at it at the moment.
Soldato
Shhhh!!! You ARE NOT ALLOWED to say anything bad about Israel, or you will be branded an antisemite!
Soldato
Well that's just not true is it. Its rare to see anyone jump in and defend Israel's actions.
But it is one of the few western backed nations that is doing it... Most/all the others are on the "naughty" lost. Why isn't Israel? Why are we providing weapons (well more the US) to do it?
It's times like this where the idea of removing the veto from the 5 permanent members of the security council seems a good idea. We could have "solved" this problem years ago. Instead the US stands on the way of almost every resolution trying to stop isreal doing this.
Soldato
India wasn't split to create Pakistan in order to keep two major religions apart then?
Apart from the USA that is, they've vetoed practically every UN resolution which in any way condemns Israeli actions which is why Israel does what it wants.
Soldato
Yep, article itself is fine but the presentation by Mr Badger is off the mark.
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Man of Honour
It isn't. Although I realised after I set of for work that I should have said "one" and "three". The war in Palestine is about territory. It would happen no matter what the religions of the two sides, and even if they were the same. Because it's about two peoples with mutually incompatible claims to the same land (thanks to Britain, of course).