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IRL (In Real Life) => Current Events => Topic started by: The Puss on June 01, 2013, 03:41:23 PM

Title: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: The Puss on June 01, 2013, 03:41:23 PM
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22741588

Don't you just love religion? It can come to the rescue in the most unexpected ways. Europe was ravaged by Catholic and Protestant strife for centuries. Is history about to repeat itself in the Muslim world.

Quote
Syria conflict: Cleric Qaradawi urges Sunnis to join rebels

An influential cleric has called on Sunni Muslims from around the Middle East to go to Syria to join the battle against President Bashar al-Assad.

Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, an Egyptian Islamist based in Qatar, told a rally in Doha that every Sunni capable of fighting should support the rebels.

He also claimed Iran and the Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah, Mr Assad's main allies, wanted to exterminate Sunnis.

His call came as fighting continued for the control of the key town of Qusair.

Rebel-held parts of Qusair, which is situated between Homs and the Lebanese border, are effectively blockaded by government forces and Hezbollah fighters, reports the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut.

Conditions inside Qusair are said to be dire, especially for civilians and wounded trapped there, our correspondent adds.


Some civilians trying to flee are reported to have been killed. Activists said an entire family of seven were executed at Dabaa, just to the north of Qusair. The report could not be independently verified.

Reinforcements from the Free Syrian Army are reported to have managed to break through from the north-east to support the embattled rebel fighters.

Some Lebanese Sunnis have also crossed into Syria to fight alongside the rebels, who are drawn largely from Syria's majority Sunni community.
'Party of Satan'

Addressing a solidarity rally for Syria in Qatar's capital on Friday evening, Sheikh Qaradawi urged Sunnis throughout the region to follow suit and join the battle.

"Every Muslim trained to fight and capable of doing that [must] make himself available," he said.

"Iran is pushing forward arms and men, so why do we stand idle?"

Sheikh Qaradawi, who has about 60 million followers for his religious programme on al-Jazeera TV, also denounced Hezbollah, whose name means the "Party of God" in Arabic, as the "Party of Satan".

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared a week ago that the group had sent fighters to Syria to assist forces loyal to President Assad, and vowed to fight to the end to defeat the rebellion and defend Lebanon from jihadist extremists.

"The leader of the Party of Satan comes to fight the Sunnis... Now we know what the Iranians want... They want continued massacres to kill Sunnis," Sheikh Qaradawi told the rally.

Our correspondent says the call was a clear sign of how rising sectarianism between Sunnis and Shia threatens to tear the region apart.

The cleric used to be an advocate of rapprochement with the Shia and defended Hezbollah against other Sunni authorities.

Now, he said he regretted that, because he realised that there was no common ground between the two, because the Iranians, especially hardliners, just wanted to "devour" the Sunnis.

The fierce fighting in Qusair and other parts of Syria has raised concerns about the prospects of a peace conference proposed by the United States and Russia.

On Friday, diplomats told the Guardian newspaper that the negotiations on a political solution to the conflict were almost certain not to take place in Geneva in early June as scheduled. They remained hopeful that they would go ahead, probably in July or August.

The main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, has ruled out taking part while civilians are being killed and "in the light of Hezbollah and Iran's militia's invasion of Syria".

US Secretary of State John Kerry meanwhile criticised Russia for agreeing to supply the Syrian military with advanced S-300 missile defence system.

"Whether it's an old contract or not, it has a profoundly negative impact on the balance of interests and the stability of the region," he said.

Russia has itself criticised the European Union's decision to allow its arms embargo on Syria to expire on Saturday to allow weapons to be sent to the opposition.

More than 80,000 people have been killed and 1.5 million have fled Syria since the uprising against Mr Assad began in 2011, according to the UN.

Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Martok on June 01, 2013, 06:33:17 PM
Hoo boy.  Just when I thought it couldn't get much more interesting than it already has... 

Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: besilarius on June 01, 2013, 06:44:25 PM
Sounds like the Thirty Years War in Germany.
Then it was Catholic Christians versus Lutheran Christians.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: TheCommandTent on June 01, 2013, 07:36:17 PM
Maybe they can just kill each other off and save us the trouble.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Gusington on June 01, 2013, 10:06:58 PM
^Good idea.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Staggerwing on June 01, 2013, 10:13:28 PM
I doubt that this eventuality has been lost on the deepthinkers and epoch-scale planners in some of the Western think-tanks.



Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: LongBlade on June 02, 2013, 07:02:27 PM
Quote from: Staggerwing on June 01, 2013, 10:13:28 PM
I doubt that this eventuality has been lost on the deepthinkers and epoch-scale planners in some of the Western think-tanks.

I have come to the conclusion that the only epoch-scale planners are those of us posting on these boards. For the vast majority of them the word "vision" means "a perk in our government health care plan."
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Centurion40 on June 03, 2013, 09:15:27 AM
Quote from: TheCommandTent on June 01, 2013, 07:36:17 PM
Maybe they can just kill each other off and save us the trouble.

If we didn't need to be in that region to get oil, or have a moral obligation to support and protect Israel, then THAT is exactly what would be happening, as it has for hundreds of years.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: TheCommandTent on June 03, 2013, 07:10:21 PM
Quote from: Centurion40 on June 03, 2013, 09:15:27 AM
Quote from: TheCommandTent on June 01, 2013, 07:36:17 PM
Maybe they can just kill each other off and save us the trouble.

If we didn't need to be in that region to get oil, or have a moral obligation to support and protect Israel, then THAT is exactly what would be happening, as it has for hundreds of years.

Agreed.  But apparently they are inept at it as there are still so many of them.   ;D
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Rex Brynen on June 03, 2013, 07:57:06 PM
Quote from: TheCommandTent on June 01, 2013, 07:36:17 PM
Maybe they can just kill each other off and save us the trouble.

Are you hoping Syrians kill each other off, Muslims kill each other off, or all religious people kill each other off? It's a rather offensive comment, especially in the context of a tragic civil war in which most of the 80,000 or so dead are ordinary civilians slaughtered by a relatively secular government.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: LongBlade on June 03, 2013, 08:02:02 PM
We'd prefer moderate, non-terrorist supporting secularists gained power.

Short of that it's difficult to discern who shouldn't be killing whom as they all appear to have some form of blood lust for someone else.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Centurion40 on June 03, 2013, 08:16:34 PM
Quote from: LongBlade on June 03, 2013, 08:02:02 PM
We'd prefer moderate, non-terrorist supporting secularists gained power.

Short of that it's difficult to discern who shouldn't be killing whom as they all appear to have some form of blood lust for someone else.

Bingo.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: TheCommandTent on June 03, 2013, 08:33:47 PM
Quote from: Rex Brynen on June 03, 2013, 07:57:06 PM
Quote from: TheCommandTent on June 01, 2013, 07:36:17 PM
Maybe they can just kill each other off and save us the trouble.

Are you hoping Syrians kill each other off, Muslims kill each other off, or all religious people kill each other off? It's a rather offensive comment, especially in the context of a tragic civil war in which most of the 80,000 or so dead are ordinary civilians slaughtered by a relatively secular government.

Nope, just the terrorist fanatics in either sect killing each other.  It is not so much offensive at practical.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 03, 2013, 08:44:19 PM
Quote from: Centurion40 on June 03, 2013, 09:15:27 AM
If we didn't need to be in that region to get oil, or have a moral obligation to support and protect Israel, then THAT is exactly what would be happening, as it has for hundreds of years.

we dont need the oil.  Europe and Asia need the oil.  its our connection to those economies that make it important to us.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 03, 2013, 08:44:58 PM
Quote from: Rex Brynen on June 03, 2013, 07:57:06 PM
Are you hoping Syrians kill each other off, Muslims kill each other off, or all religious people kill each other off? It's a rather offensive comment, especially in the context of a tragic civil war in which most of the 80,000 or so dead are ordinary civilians slaughtered by a relatively secular government.

yes and I dont care if that offends you.  Im somewhat offended about roughly 3000 years of getting shit on by the christian and muslim world so suck it up and deal with it.
80000 dead....  pffft  not even a drop in the bucket from my viewpoint.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Staggerwing on June 03, 2013, 08:50:13 PM
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on June 03, 2013, 08:44:19 PM
we dont need the oil.  Europe and Asia need the oil.  its our connection to those economies that make it important to us.

Europe needs natural gas. If we were to sell our new gas bonanza to them rather than to the far east then we would have both leverage in the 'Eurozone' as well as taking Gazprom*cough*the*Kremlin down a few notches in influence.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Boggit on June 05, 2013, 07:08:33 PM
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on June 03, 2013, 08:44:58 PM
Quote from: Rex Brynen on June 03, 2013, 07:57:06 PM
Are you hoping Syrians kill each other off, Muslims kill each other off, or all religious people kill each other off? It's a rather offensive comment, especially in the context of a tragic civil war in which most of the 80,000 or so dead are ordinary civilians slaughtered by a relatively secular government.

yes and I dont care if that offends you.  Im somewhat offended about roughly 3000 years of getting shit on by the christian and muslim world so suck it up and deal with it.
80000 dead....  pffft  not even a drop in the bucket from my viewpoint.
A pity. Is this a kneejerk response from you - You seem at the time of writing to have lost your humanity? Like you, I agree it's just plain wrong that Jews as a community have been persecuted and killed simply for being who they are (although - and it's irrelevant - you overstate the timeline considerably). Whatever, the brand of religion, fanaticism is fanaticism and some Jews are not immune from that trait either. I don't recall ever seeing in the New Testament any direction to kill or persecute Jews, so cannot think that in honesty Christians can justify such acts as "Christian" behaviour. If anything, such actions are incompatible with the teachings of Jesus. I'd suggest that they are more reflective of societal prejudice and bigotry more than the core beliefs of that religion. I cannot speak for the Q'uran, since I have studied it only a little. If it were 80,000 Jews being killed would you have a different view? I would find it just as disgusting, regardless of the race or creed.

These not the fanatical nutjobs that would gladly see you or me dead. Like you, I have no sympathy for the murderous fanatics, but these are ordinary people. Are you insensitive to the fact that the vast majority of the civilians who have died have not hurt anyone. There are thousands of children amongst this number, are you ok with them being killed? I cannot believe that, on reflection, you really mean't what you said. I don't believe you are that inhumane. Didn't the Nazi's take such a callous view about killing innocent people too? You are better than this.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 05, 2013, 08:04:22 PM
I would say that theres a hefty dose of real politik at work here.  as a country, political system and religion (muslim) Syria has not only waged numerous wars of aggression against Israel but also actively supported terrorist organizations that have vowed to destroy every Jew it can.  as such I dont have much sympathy but neither do I know any Syrians over there either.  I look at their civil war as productive insofar as it removes some pieces from the chess board.  as for overstating the timeline Ill submit that for us its 2013.  for the Jewish religion its 5772.  if anything I understated the timeline.  and while it may not be Christian behavior there were partys like the Inquisition that were done in the name of the Church even though, and I agree, that prejudice and bigotry were the core driving factors.

QuoteIf it were 80,000 Jews being killed would you have a different view?
of course I would, Im Jewish.  and heres my self admitted hypocracy...  as a human being I find the whole mess disgusting but as a Jew I couldnt care less.  my experience with Syrians that Ive met here in the US is that if 80000 Jews were killed  they would have a party.  perhaps part of the problem is that neither the Jewish or Muslim faith has that 'turn the other cheek' bit to it.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Boggit on June 05, 2013, 08:55:59 PM
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on June 05, 2013, 08:04:22 PM
I would say that theres a hefty dose of real politik at work here.  as a country, political system and religion (muslim) Syria has not only waged numerous wars of aggression against Israel but also actively supported terrorist organizations that have vowed to destroy every Jew it can.  as such I dont have much sympathy but neither do I know any Syrians over there either.  I look at their civil war as productive insofar as it removes some pieces from the chess board.  as for overstating the timeline Ill submit that for us its 2013.  for the Jewish religion its 5772.  if anything I understated the timeline.  and while it may not be Christian behavior there were partys like the Inquisition that were done in the name of the Church even though, and I agree, that prejudice and bigotry were the core driving factors.

QuoteIf it were 80,000 Jews being killed would you have a different view?
of course I would, Im Jewish.  and heres my self admitted hypocracy...  as a human being I find the whole mess disgusting but as a Jew I couldnt care less.  my experience with Syrians that Ive met here in the US is that if 80000 Jews were killed  they would have a party.  perhaps part of the problem is that neither the Jewish or Muslim faith has that 'turn the other cheek' bit to it.
At least you're honest :) and despite the aforesaid I believe that underneath the "as a Jew I couldnt care less" bluster you're actually a decent man.

I understand and empathise with your anger about those people who target Jews and Israel, simply because they are Jewish. An aggressive attitude to those who would hurt you and yours, or your extended family is fine with me. I share that view. I am not talking about those people.

I just see that 80,000 or so civilians who haven't done harm have died, many in horrible circumstances. I don't wish that on anyone, except perhaps the fanatics who commit the atrocities. Maybe you're right that Jews, and Muslims are so entrenched in their mindset (well some anyway at least) that they can't see each other as human beings, which is sad and just makes them both a part of the problem. I'd be just as concerned and saddened if it was 80,000 Jews. I cannot help but think that callous outlook on both sides is exactly the same stance the Nazi's took towards Jews and others who didn't fit their world view. Muslims may not have had the same appalling treatment suffered by Jews, but you'd think that Jews at least having been through that awful experience would be sufficiently disgusted enough by the Nazi's not to adopt the same callous line of thought in respect of innocent victims themselves.

I recently saw a documentary on Britain's surveillance of Hitler's Generals at Trent Park. It was quite disturbing to hear transcripts of people casually discussing mass murder as though it was nothing.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/spying-on-hitlers-army-secret-recordings/4od#3528251
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/transcripts/bugging-hitler%E2%80%99s-soldiers-program-transcript/950/

Why can't people learn to overcome their bigotry? :'(
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: TheCommandTent on June 05, 2013, 09:02:39 PM
^ What makes this even sadder for the innocents is that it is their own people killing them.  This isn't some other group coming in and trying to exterminate or destroy a people group it is Muslims killing Muslims so it is hard to draw correlations to the slaughtering of the Jews by outside people.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 05, 2013, 09:04:35 PM
QuoteMuslims may not have had the same appalling treatment suffered by Jews, but you'd think that Jews at least having been through that awful experience would be sufficiently disgusted enough by the Nazi's not to adopt the same callous line of thought in respect of innocent victims themselves.

I think that they would love to be disgusted by whats going on and most probably are.  but thats a really hard attitude to maintain when you have pizza shops blowing up, rockets landing in your border towns and a crap load of wars.  I have an uncle that visite there about a month ago.  while he was in northern Israel he had to get to a bunker 3 times over the course of a week because of rockets.  I think Israel would like nothing more then to be left alone and unfortunatly the civil war in Syria makes that easier to obtain.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 05, 2013, 09:05:45 PM
Quote from: TheCommandTent on June 05, 2013, 09:02:39 PM
^ What makes this even sadder for the innocents is that it is their own people killing them.  This isn't some other group coming in and trying to exterminate or destroy a people group it is Muslims killing Muslims so it is hard to draw correlations to the slaughtering of the Jews by outside people.

not when dealing with the number of people killed specificly.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Boggit on June 05, 2013, 09:37:26 PM
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on June 05, 2013, 09:04:35 PM
QuoteMuslims may not have had the same appalling treatment suffered by Jews, but you'd think that Jews at least having been through that awful experience would be sufficiently disgusted enough by the Nazi's not to adopt the same callous line of thought in respect of innocent victims themselves.

I think that they would love to be disgusted by whats going on and most probably are.  but thats a really hard attitude to maintain when you have pizza shops blowing up, rockets landing in your border towns and a crap load of wars.  I have an uncle that visite there about a month ago.  while he was in northern Israel he had to get to a bunker 3 times over the course of a week because of rockets.  I think Israel would like nothing more then to be left alone and unfortunatly the civil war in Syria makes that easier to obtain.
It's not the civilians in Syria who pose the threat to Israel. It's the politically motivated military/paramilitary/Jihadists. I don't have a problem with you saying the bad guys are killing each other and that's great for Israel. It's a question of separating innocent ordinary people from those terrorists who would do you harm.

In the UK recently we had a soldier grotesquely murdered by an Islamist. My first impulse was to think he should be nailed to a tree to die and that if a couple of mosques were fired it would send the right message back. When I'd calmed down I realised that it is not your ordinary muslim who had done the murder but a politically motivated Jihadist and I was ashamed of the fleeting thought of retribution to a community that was not responsible for the attack. I don't have any problem with you wishing bad things on those people that would hurt your family, but when you think about it, to blame an entire nation for the action of some segments of that society is wrong.

To quote Bishop Arnaud Amalric's infamous words at the sack of Beziers in 1209 "Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius" (Kill them all. For the Lord knoweth them that are His.) illustrates the inhumanity of failing to make distinction between those who are your enemies and those who are not. (Incidentally - for an alleged Christian and church leader it wasn't a particularly Christian attitude towards human beings even if they were Cathars ;))
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Boggit on June 05, 2013, 09:48:52 PM
Quote from: TheCommandTent on June 05, 2013, 09:02:39 PM
^ What makes this even sadder for the innocents is that it is their own people killing them.  This isn't some other group coming in and trying to exterminate or destroy a people group it is Muslims killing Muslims so it is hard to draw correlations to the slaughtering of the Jews by outside people.
It is not so simple as that. The Syrian "nation" is fragmented into a multi ethnic, multi religious society with a long history of oppression towards the other segments of society. Under Ottoman rule the Sunni's were top dog, giving everyone else a hard time. Since the French occupation the Alawites took precedence and the Sunni's became second class citizens. The Druze, Kurds and Syrian Christians have aligned with the Alawites for survival as much as anything since the Sunni Jihadists are not exactly well disposed towards them either. Safer to be with the enemy of my enemy... Both sides commit atrocities on the other. Each "side" does not see the other as their own people. It is not muslims vs muslims either, specifically being a Shia alliance versus a Sunni alliance. It is a "war of religion" as much as the French Huguenot Wars or the Thirty Years War with much the same decency being shown to non-combatants as those wars did.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Gusington on June 05, 2013, 09:53:52 PM
We sitting here bathed in the comforting glow of our PC screens have no way of knowing who is innocent in Syria and who is not. I do know that saying "most Syrian Muslims would not give a rat's ass if I died in five seconds" is not much of a stretch, because I'm a jew. I feel comfortable saying that about most Muslims.

I stopped caring about Muslims around 9/11 when there were spontaneous Muslim celebrations, some right here in the U.S., some right in NYC. Sorry if that is callous, but it's the truth. And then there's this guy. He may be a Syrian, he may not be. He may be a Muslim or he may not. There are a lot of this guy out there, but I've stopped counting.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.godreports.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F03%2F911-shirt.jpg&hash=dfa64d5d4636239ff08abdc3f2fe5b40099777b6)
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Boggit on June 05, 2013, 10:33:53 PM
Quote from: Gusington on June 05, 2013, 09:53:52 PM
We sitting here bathed in the comforting glow of our PC screens have no way of knowing who is innocent in Syria and who is not. I do know that saying "most Syrian Muslims would not give a rat's ass if I died in five seconds" is not much of a stretch, because I'm a jew. I feel comfortable saying that about most Muslims.

I stopped caring about Muslims around 9/11 when there were spontaneous Muslim celebrations, some right here in the U.S., some right in NYC. Sorry if that is callous, but it's the truth. And then there's this guy. He may be a Syrian, he may not be. He may be a Muslim or he may not. There are a lot of this guy out there, but I've stopped counting.

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.godreports.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F03%2F911-shirt.jpg&hash=dfa64d5d4636239ff08abdc3f2fe5b40099777b6)
Gus :)

You are correct that we don't know who are the innocent and the guilty in Syria. I'm not betting that the vast majority of women and children killed fall into the guilty camp.

My concern isn't for the guys who want to hurt innocent Israelis, or celebrate 9/11. As far as I am concerned they are a gang of bastards that deserve the worst.

My concern is especially for the women and kids that have been killed not only in the fighting, but in the targeted murders of families who have done no more than be in the wrong community at the wrong time.

You say "I do know that saying "most Syrian Muslims would not give a rat's ass if I died in five seconds" is not much of a stretch, because I'm a jew." IF, that's true, they should be ashamed of themselves. The fact you are a Jew is no reason to take that attitude.

You also say "I feel comfortable saying that about most Muslims.". How many have you met, or are you talking about the rent-a-mob's you see burning the American flags? That some muslims celebrated 9/11 is shameful. How many didn't? Do you know or did you form an impression at the time from the news clips?

Are you saying that it's ok with you that in the Syrian war families have been dragged out of their houses and killed in cold blood simply because they were likely to be muslim? It makes my blood boil to think it, but how would you feel if that happened to your family, and then someone said to you "well, they were just Jews"?
(Don't answer that last bit. I know exactly how you'd feel, and believe me, I'd help you pull on the rope when you'd finished with them.)

I'm not a Jew. I've met a few unpleasant Jews in my time, some of whom deserve a bad end in my opinion. But I know many more Jews who are very nice decent people who certainly don't deserve that. How can I condemn all Jews on the basis of a few bad apples, since it's plainly unjust? How can you say the same of most muslims on the basis of the acts of a minority?

As to the guy you show. He should be ashamed of himself... and not be surprised if he then gets beaten up for insulting the memory of those people who died. Simply because some people are human sh1t doesn't mean that we have to sink to their level.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 05, 2013, 10:52:33 PM
QuoteIt makes my blood boil to think it, but how would you feel if that happened to your family, and then someone said to you "well, they were just Jews"?

perhaps the disconnect is that this has actually happened to roughly half my European family once upon a time and it never happened to yours.  not only that but those events were drilled into every post war Jewish kids head from day 1.  now that I think about it happen to half the European side under hitler and the russian side had about a quarter 'purged'.  it tends to make one fairly unforgiving.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Boggit on June 05, 2013, 11:29:22 PM
Quote from: GDS_Starfury on June 05, 2013, 10:52:33 PM
QuoteIt makes my blood boil to think it, but how would you feel if that happened to your family, and then someone said to you "well, they were just Jews"?

perhaps the disconnect is that this has actually happened to roughly half my European family once upon a time and it never happened to yours.  not only that but those events were drilled into every post war Jewish kids head from day 1.
My mother in law was a child in Coventry during the Blitz. Their house was destroyed by the Luftwaffe and my wife's grandfather narrowly escaped being killed after returning to get my mother in law a toy. She still remembers the fire all around at the time. The same nearly happened to my grandfather (on my mum's side) and he was eventually wounded in Germany in 1945. Had the Nazi's overrun the UK in 1940, there's a good chance half of my wife's family would have ended up in a concentration camp for lineage issues.

Don't you tell me that my family wasn't touched by those bastards when you don't know what happened to them. Bombs and aerial mines kill people too.

I have every sympathy with your family. There but for the grace of God could have gone some of mine - my wife has some Romany Gypsy ancestry, which would be enough to put some of her folks in a camp. I hear what you say and whatever you might think, understand where you are coming from. One of my best friends' (friends for over 25 years) grandfather's was bought out of Dachau by his neighbours' from the Bavarian village he grew up in. Not all Germans hated the Jews. Unfortunately, Bruno's brother and most of his family died in Dachau and Auschwitz. They were nice people and had done nothing wrong. Bruno's dad was a war hero from the First World War serving the Kaiser, but that didn't save him. I know something of what Jewish kids get brought up with, because I have Jewish friends I grew up with, including the Best Man at my wedding.

Sorry for the rant. You didn't know what my family's experiences were. I really am sorry for the circumstances surrounding the loss of your family. I don't like innocent people being murdered either the way the Nazis did it, nor the way it's happening in Syria. I don't care if they are a different religion or not, they are still innocent people and don't deserve to be murdered.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 05, 2013, 11:37:51 PM
QuoteDon't you tell me that my family wasn't touched by those bastards when you don't know what happened to them

I wasnt trying to.  Just some clarity about where my mindset is at.  you do however bring up an interesting point.  Americans simply dont have the kind of experience base as civilians that a typical European family has about war.  I would imagine just about every family has those stories about WW2, the Cold War, Spain, Bosnia etc.  its really not part of the typical cultural conscience except as an abstract.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Gusington on June 06, 2013, 07:30:54 AM
My family was split into three groups...the branch in Europe, the branch in Israel, and the branch in America. The branch in Europe were all killed before 1945.

I have known some Muslims personally. They were regular people just like anyone else. And I have actually lived among very wealthy Syrian Jews and Christians, but not Syrian Muslims.

As for the picture above, is shirt is much more acceptable around the world than we would like to think...almost like wearing a home team jersey to a home game.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: The Puss on June 06, 2013, 03:59:30 PM
What I find sad but not unexpected is that one man in power, and of a minority faction, is prepared to see 80,000 of his citizens die in order to remain in power. Though through current reading it does appear that history does repeat itself and the human race never seems to learn. 
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Windigo on June 06, 2013, 04:18:20 PM
Quote from: LongBlade on June 02, 2013, 07:02:27 PM
Quote from: Staggerwing on June 01, 2013, 10:13:28 PM
I doubt that this eventuality has been lost on the deepthinkers and epoch-scale planners in some of the Western think-tanks.

I have come to the conclusion that the only epoch-scale planners are those of us posting on these boards. For the vast majority of them the word "vision" means "a perk in our government health care plan."

most epoch-scale planners are employed by think-tanks and institutes funded privately to futher one agenda or another

gov't has a 2-4 year planning cycle, typically 3... wonder why eh?
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Centurion40 on June 07, 2013, 10:14:01 AM
Elections.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Windigo on June 07, 2013, 11:22:36 AM
Quote from: Centurion40 on June 07, 2013, 10:14:01 AM
Elections.

DING DING DING!
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmusformation.com%2F%253Cpic%253E%2FBirthday-Gift.jpg&hash=a1b0365880cfd9ad6ecfd33562dc82575776a11b)
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: LongBlade on June 07, 2013, 11:40:27 AM
Windy, why is there an anorexic girl making a sandwich in your footer?
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Windigo on June 07, 2013, 11:43:07 AM
Quote from: LongBlade on June 07, 2013, 11:40:27 AM
Windy, why is there an anorexic girl making a sandwich in your footer?


Do you really want to know?
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: LongBlade on June 07, 2013, 11:49:20 AM
Quote from: Windigo on June 07, 2013, 11:43:07 AM
Quote from: LongBlade on June 07, 2013, 11:40:27 AM
Windy, why is there an anorexic girl making a sandwich in your footer?


Do you really want to know?

You've joined a local chapter trying to help stimulate the appetites of anorexics by making them serve meals?
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Windigo on June 07, 2013, 11:57:39 AM
Quote from: LongBlade on June 07, 2013, 11:49:20 AM
Quote from: Windigo on June 07, 2013, 11:43:07 AM
Quote from: LongBlade on June 07, 2013, 11:40:27 AM
Windy, why is there an anorexic girl making a sandwich in your footer?


Do you really want to know?

You've joined a local chapter trying to help stimulate the appetites of anorexics by making them serve meals?

didn't think she was that skinny and her topside looked pretty seaworthy... and she was making a sammich!
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Gusington on June 07, 2013, 12:43:47 PM
Thought Breezy may have read the 'elections' post as 'erections'.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Boggit on June 11, 2013, 04:21:38 PM
Quote from: Gusington on June 07, 2013, 12:43:47 PM
Thought Breezy may have read the 'elections' post as 'erections'.
Politics and sex are so often linked. What to you think of the name of this politician and former British Prime Minister http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonar_Law The poor sod must have had hell at school with a name like Boner, oops Bonar! ;D ;)

Oddly enough, like Windy, he was a Canadian. ;)
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Gusington on June 13, 2013, 09:08:21 PM
We have a Bohner of our own...a nice tan one.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 13, 2013, 09:09:56 PM
umpa lumpa tan

or as the Air Force calls it, Dayglow Orange.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Gusington on June 14, 2013, 07:34:11 AM
There's one of those in my town too, everone calls him Malibu. Hey that also rhymes.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: bayonetbrant on June 14, 2013, 08:17:04 AM
are you going to rhyme all the time?

Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Gusington on June 14, 2013, 10:23:06 AM
No that would be way too f@cking annoying.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: bob48 on June 14, 2013, 10:53:20 AM
Yeah. We don't mind if you rhyme a bit, but do too many and we'll think you're a git.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Gusington on June 14, 2013, 11:00:13 AM
I expect better from you Bawb. Work on it.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: JudgeDredd on June 14, 2013, 11:00:43 AM
We should stay the hell out of that mess. Let the Arab League should sort their own sorry mess out.

Whatever the hell we're going to spend pumping up the pockets of military hardware companies we should use to look after the refugees. Let everyone who wants out get out and look after them (in neighbouring countries)
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Boggit on June 15, 2013, 06:23:01 PM
Quote from: JudgeDredd on June 14, 2013, 11:00:43 AM
We should stay the hell out of that mess. Let the Arab League should sort their own sorry mess out.

Whatever the hell we're going to spend pumping up the pockets of military hardware companies we should use to look after the refugees. Let everyone who wants out get out and look after them (in neighbouring countries)
Seems like that's too late. I've heard - BBC News, I think, that the US is going to back the Free Syrian Army with arms.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22901972

Good luck with that :o, assuming the US really does know who they're arming. :-\ Otherwise it'll bite us on the butt either in Europe, Israel or the US. :'( Like JudgeDredd says we're all better off helping the refugees rather than pour more arms into the region. It's not as though they're short of weapons - after all Saudi and Qatar are spending a small fortune supplying the Sunni's whereas Russia and Iran are busy supplying the Syrian Shia/Government.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Centurion40 on June 15, 2013, 08:24:39 PM
Great, a shit-sandwich proxy war.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: besilarius on June 16, 2013, 11:13:34 AM
Part of the issue is safeguarding the Kingdom of Jordan.  They are one of our best allies in the region, and have good relations with Israel.
Right now they are awash in refugees, and if the fighting in Syria spills over, the state of Jordan could be overwhelmed.  They have no oil and the army is small.  Good but small.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: TheCommandTent on June 16, 2013, 12:02:30 PM
Quote from: besilarius on June 16, 2013, 11:13:34 AM
Part of the issue is safeguarding the Kingdom of Jordan.  They are one of our best allies in the region, and have good relations with Israel.
Right now they are awash in refugees, and if the fighting in Syria spills over, the state of Jordan could be overwhelmed.  They have no oil and the army is small.  Good but small.


Well it looks like we will be leaving some hardware in Jordan after a training exercise there wraps up.  That should help the Jordanians out a bit


QuoteAs the United States prepares to supply Syrian rebels with small arms through a CIA-run program, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Saturday that U.S. troops temporarily in neighboring Jordan will leave behind fighter jets and a cache of Patriot missiles.

So far the White House has committed only to supplying rebel forces with small arms and ammunition, following confirmation that the regime of Syria President Bashar al-Assad's has been using chemical weapons in the 2-year-long civil war in which at least 90,000 people have been killed.

Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain and other Capitol Hill military hawks have called for much heavier arms including the Patriot defense missiles and for the United States to enforce a no-fly zone over Syria.

However, the Pentagon made clear Saturday the detachment of missiles and F-16s was brought to Jordan as part an annual, multi-nation military exercise called Eager Lion and will remain there only at the request of the country leaders, when the exercise ends next week.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/06/15/cia-will-lead-us-effort-to-arm-train-syrian-rebel-forces-fox-confirms/?test=latestnews#ixzz2WOpiDxj1
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Centurion40 on June 17, 2013, 08:24:50 AM
I worry about Jordan.

Here we have Queen Rania of Jordan:

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fm5.paperblog.com%2Fi%2F26%2F268768%2Fthe-royals-queen-rania-of-jordan-L-xoCYZl.jpeg&hash=2b24611897bb8b410d9504c9612ff0c09071e45a)

She lives in the middle of this:

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thenational.ae%2Fdeployedfiles%2FAssets%2FRichmedia%2FImage%2FSaxoPress%2FAD20110128784684-The%2520al%2520Ameri%2520fa.jpg&hash=6484065ad68b6d8e213daaf98ac09a2edc5a92ec)

(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.science.co.il%2Farab-israeli-conflict%2Fimages%2Firaq-shiite-muslims.jpg&hash=47c09f0506350664a66e40713d7573814b74f945)

I worry about her future.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Airborne Rifles on June 19, 2013, 09:31:32 AM
Quote from: besilarius on June 16, 2013, 11:13:34 AM
Part of the issue is safeguarding the Kingdom of Jordan.  They are one of our best allies in the region, and have good relations with Israel.
Right now they are awash in refugees, and if the fighting in Syria spills over, the state of Jordan could be overwhelmed.  They have no oil and the army is small.  Good but small.

I worked with a Jordanian battalion when I was in Haiti in 2010.  They were good disciplined soldiers, better than the Brazillians we were working with.  I seem to recall Jordan has always been a force of moderation among the Arab states.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Mr. Bigglesworth on June 19, 2013, 04:29:34 PM
Then lets get the UN to put Syria under Jordanian control.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Airborne Rifles on June 19, 2013, 04:35:18 PM
I don't know how the Jordanians would feel about that...
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Staggerwing on June 19, 2013, 07:43:32 PM
Quote from: Mr. Bigglesworth on June 19, 2013, 04:29:34 PM
Then lets get the UN to put Syria under Jordanian control.

Quote from: Airborne Rifles on June 19, 2013, 04:35:18 PM
I don't know how the Jordanians would feel about that...

Yeah, talk about being handed a moldy turd and being told it was really a delicious eclair in disguise...  ???
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Centurion40 on June 20, 2013, 11:19:30 AM
The Jordanian experience with Palestine in the 1950s, 60s and 70s (Black September, anyone?) would be enough to sour them on any plans to resurrect their Greater Syria Plan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_September_in_Jordan
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Centurion40 on June 20, 2013, 11:24:44 AM
Quote from: Airborne Rifles on June 19, 2013, 09:31:32 AM
Quote from: besilarius on June 16, 2013, 11:13:34 AM
Part of the issue is safeguarding the Kingdom of Jordan.  They are one of our best allies in the region, and have good relations with Israel.
Right now they are awash in refugees, and if the fighting in Syria spills over, the state of Jordan could be overwhelmed.  They have no oil and the army is small.  Good but small.

I worked with a Jordanian battalion when I was in Haiti in 2010.  They were good disciplined soldiers, better than the Brazillians we were working with.  I seem to recall Jordan has always been a force of moderation among the Arab states.

Good to know about the Jordanian troops.  FYI, it's only been in the past couple of decades that Jordan has been a moderating force.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 20, 2013, 03:22:34 PM
IIRC they were kind of strong armed into the Yom Kippur War.
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: Windigo on June 20, 2013, 03:24:51 PM
everyone like an easy win  ::)
Title: Re: Syria and Muslim sectarianism
Post by: GDS_Starfury on June 20, 2013, 03:32:52 PM
it was more along the lines of Syria saying join in or we're invading you.