John H
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Since many of them are already there, making up a considerable proportion of the rebel army, I suppose the answer is "yes" :wave:
Since many of them are already there, making up a considerable proportion of the rebel army, I suppose the answer is "yes" :wave:
John H
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A good point - and worth remembering when we are trying to offer "advice" to Muslim states (perhaps Bush and Blair should have paid more attention!). And if you think about it, it makes sense - if you believe in an all-powerful god then surely "his" rules outrank any we mere mortals might come up with. Being an atheist, its not a view I could go along with but it does help us to understand the way some Muslims think (although the majority of them are no more fundementalist than the rest of us). Also, it is not a view that is limited to Muslims - fundementalists in all religions believe the same, whether they are Hindu or Christian or whatever. The difference is that fundementalist Christians don't control as much of the globe - but the thought process is the same (e.g. fundementalist Mormons in Utah see no reason why they shouldn't practice polygamy despite the possibility of being thrown in jail for it by the federal government). And since democracy has made such a balls-up of the world, who is to say they aren't right?
Bigpeetee
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I have worked & traveled in many Muslim countries and have found the people to be kind, generous and very welcoming.
As has been said before, any sect can have it's extremists, the Christian tribes are no exception.
I remember as a child in Liverpool you could be asked; "What are you" Either "Liverpool/Everton" or "Catholic/Protestant" a wrong answer could mean a thump!!
PS I was Scunthorpe - no one could argue with that and Atheist or none, as a lot of them were too thick to understand the concept of Atheism
As has been said before, any sect can have it's extremists, the Christian tribes are no exception.
I remember as a child in Liverpool you could be asked; "What are you" Either "Liverpool/Everton" or "Catholic/Protestant" a wrong answer could mean a thump!!
PS I was Scunthorpe - no one could argue with that and Atheist or none, as a lot of them were too thick to understand the concept of Atheism
John H
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Ah but usually they follow that up with "yes, but are you a Catholic Atheist or a Protestant Atheist?" :dance:
A further question about democracy - what do people think when surveys have repeatedly shown that the majority of the public are in favour of something and the dictator in charge threatens his cronies with the removal of their livlihood if they support the public? Just wondered. :danger:
David & Ann
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Reminds me of all Political Parties in Government. Note: only my view, be it right or wrong. We have had and still have a democratic "Dictatorship" for quite a while. Meaning, A Democracy, whereby you are entitled to vote. There after, their promises and your choices are immaterial, they do as they wish until the next Election. I hope I have not caused a stir, if so i will get my coat.☺☺☺
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fofeg101
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Many Moons ago I was in business, one of my partners was an Arab (Yemeni), it was at the time of the 6 day war and I can only say his attitude was scary, even scarier when the Israeli's won and that was long before the Al Queda bunch were around, with hind sight I would fully imagine him becoming a Suicide Bomber in present times, something which will never be known as he was stabbed and killed in the early 1970s by two of his fellow countrymen, they all carry those big daggers and use them frequently with the slightest excuse.
John H
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I was with you until we got to this bit! Why do you generalise from one example? I know quite a few less than desirable Scots but I recognise that they are not the norm and Scotland is one of my favourite countries - despite the odd few.
Rubbertramp
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If someone came along and threw you out of your home that your family had lived in for generations... and they did it because some old fella thousands of years ago told them that your house was their promised land; wouldn't you have an "attitude"? I know I would. I'd have a long knife too...if it helped me defend my home.
Violence only creates hatred on both sides and so I don't condone it. But one must have some understanding of the underlying causes before judgments or generalisations can be made.
John H
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The result has just come through - 4 to 1 against public opinion. There's no doubt about it - our system is the envy of the world!
Pollik
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I'd vote for it...oh, I can't.
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day the revolution will come. I will probably be dead by then, for one reason or another.
Polly
fofeg101
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To be honest I couldn't care less if anyone is with me or not, however, I speak as one who knows these people, in the Yemen the men all carry daggers and would be dishonoured if someone affronted them and didn't use their dagger on them. If you don't believe it go over there and "affront" one.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe1u4z_knives-cut-to-heart-of-yemeni-ident_news#rel-page-3
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John H
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Well, I know "these people" very well too and I could produce lots of evidence to show you are generalising from a small example but let me put it this way - some would say there is a similar knife culture among certain sectors of our urban young but would it be fair if a Yemeni concluded that all Englishmen carry knives and would use them if you disrepected them? Of course not - no more is it true to say that the same applies to ALL Yemenis, most of whom carry the knife for ceremonial reasons (in a similar kind of way to the knives that Sikhs carry). Mind you, if you confront an angry man (whatever his ethnic origin) holding a knife I think that says more about you than him!
I note that since my reply, you have edited your post to include a video. I'm not sure why you have done this because the video makes two things clear - that the knives are indeed carried for ceremonial purposes and that the tradition is in danger of dying out. So your point is.....?
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fofeg101
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First of all, although I described my Yemeni friend as "scary" he was a friend of mine and is sadly missed. Secondly, he wasn't a Palestinian so he hadn't been "thrown out" of his home, in fact his father was a very wealthy man who paid for his University education here in the UK, he just had strange principles, i.e., when we registered our company with, the then, Companies House he insisted on declaring his nationality as being Arab, only after a lot of persuasion, by me, and after Companies House bounced our registration forms, did he declare he was a Yemeni.
fofeg101
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I can't find anywhere where I have said I, personally, have confronted anyone with a knife, where did you get that from....???
John H
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Sounds very much like incitement to go and commit suicide to me!
Rubbertramp
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But you had said that he was reacting to the Six Day War.....and, no doubt, showing solidarity with his Palestinian "Arab" brothers.
fofeg101
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I wish I'd thought of that. LOL
fofeg101
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OK I understand, you misread or didn't understand the post.
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