A quote by W M Watt. Do you agree?

Question

I therefore certainly don’t think the West is locked into Jihad with Islam, though I suppose if the fundamentalists go too far they’ll have to be opposed. Iran’s comments about the “Great Satan” were aimed mostly at the United States: they were not made because the West was Christian. I think the West should try to overcome these strains between different religious groups. I do, however, think that the US is following a very dangerous policy in relation to the Middle East. The root of this trouble is that the US gives too much support to Israel. They allow them to have nuclear weapons and to do all sorts of things, some of which are contrary even to Jewish law. Jewish families occupy Arab houses without payment. That is stealing. I think that the US should be much firmer with Israel and put a lot of pressure on them, though this is difficult because of the strong Jewish lobby. Unless something is done there’ll be dangerous conflict in the Middle East. Such danger would be less likely to arise if all three Abrahamic faiths - Jews, Christians and Muslims - paid greater respect to what God teaches us about living together

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._Montgomery_Watt#Quotes
Just If you want to find out more about him.

Cmon people Answer

Why would I be called Anti Semetic if I say something against israel. I simply have nothing against jews. I am a muslim and one of my best friend is a jew. We dont agree on israel issue but we are friends.

Blindguardian that is the kind of thinking that i am talkign about. It is a crusade by people like you not so much of a jihad by middle easterns.

And people who are responisible for 9/11 were extreamists just like people who are responisble for iraq war are extreamists.

Answer 1

Your quote suggests that the Israelis have no rights to the land they occupy. In fact a majority of the land they now have was purchased from Ottoman Arabs who lived there before WW2. No one had a problem with the Jews until an Egyptian presidents decided to focus his countries hate on Israel and off of himself. That was the same reason for the invasion of the Falklands by the Argentineans. He galvanized the Middle East until the 7 Days War which doubled Israel’s land and created the current problematic situation. This whole situation was started by Muslim extremists and is continued today by the same mentality. How do you explain the quote for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, "We will wipe Israel and Zionism from the face of the earth". I also think you lack respect for the danger that radical Islam posses to the entire world. One WMD in radical Islam's hands will destroy a relative peace we currently enjoy.

We are in a holy war with radical Islam. This is a war we did not cause or declare but we are in. This "war on terror" has been forced upon us by radical Islam. So we can either be victims or take a stand. If terrorism EVER becomes a diplomatic tool we have LOST.

Question 1, If the US and Europe backed off the Israel/Palestinian situation what do you think would happen? Remember Radical Islam's goal is the elimination of Israel.

Question 2, If the US and Europe applied enough pressure to keep Israel on the map but backed off their current stance would terrorism stop? Remember Radical Islam's goal is the elimination of Israel.


I don't think your quote takes these issues into account! Ill check back to see if you respond.

Answer 2

Somewhat. It's true that until very recently only a few extremists fundamentalists wanted a jihad-like war against the West, and only a few fundamentalist Christians wanted war against Islam. But extremists on both sides seem to be leading the way now. If American citizens learn a few more facts about the middle east, perhaps the US will take a more reasoned approach. It's incredible to me that so many Americans are being led by the nose to believe that a "clash of civilizations" is inevitable, that Israel has always been in the right, and that Islam is a very different religion from Christianity while Judaism is not.

Answer 3

I think if the USA dropped its support of Israel completely that the middle eastern fundamentalists would still hate and threaten the west and the USA.
I agree with some of what this guy says but not all of it by any means.

If the USA dropped their support for Israel the first thing that would happen would be a push for the contested gaza and west bank areas and then they would try to do what the Palestinian charter had said their goal was to do 'to push Israel into the sea'.
Israel would of course fight back and people wail over the dying now... it would be far far more dying if that happened.

His hedging when he said that danger would be 'less likely' to arise if all three paid greater respect to what God teaches about living together... well that isnt so promising is it... if all three paid greater respect it would only be 'less likely'?

The USA does follow dangerous policies I admit. But I think teh root of the problem goes back to before the USA.

Answer 4

Have you ever lived in a war zone?
A country completely surrounded on all sides by countries sworn to destroy all thats in it. To live in fear every day of what bus ride will be the last or if the children in school will be okay and not bombed like the Palestinians did 4 years ago.
Or perhaps live in your basement wearing a gas mask for months at a time.

War is war, and since some of the arab nations don't keep their word in peace treaties, the war won't stop.
Don't worry about nukes in Israel bud, she has nothing to keep from you, it's country like Iran and Iraq that are hiding them, lets not forget the extremist that just might use them.

My point is I don't agree,
One of the reasons The United States and Israel are Allies is to keep those nations in check, The second reason is because Israel and the US have the greatest armies in the world, besides this was all pre destined anyway

Answer 5

You know what I think? I think that people are inherently and naturally violent. We have to curb that violent nature in order to survive and thrive within society. The very cooperation necessary to live in society is against our nature, and that is a big part of what religion is all about: setting up the rules to live by and, thus, be able to survive as a society. On the other hand, we are a naturally social beast, too. Which means, again, that we must cooperate to survive. Religion is also about setting up social strata and about inclusion, as well as exclusion. The ultimate goal IS peaceful coexistance, but this is against so much of our natures that we have MUCH to learn. I don't think it is natural for us to really use religion for ultimate peace...YET. We have a long way to go. I don't think that we are ready to accept all those differences - as a race. We are getting there, but then, that is the ultimate goal, isn't it? I certainly don't think that all the Jews could have accepted Jesus, nor that all Christians and Jews could have accepted Muhammed. And even if they had, they would have found some other reason to be devisive, BECAUSE we are not yet ready for that ultimate peace. Did I even make that clear? It kinda felt like rambling...and my opinion will probably change tomorrow. :)

Answer 6

The world would be a great place if the middle east crisis were that simple. Here is the simple truth and it is at the core of the problem, leaders (including our own) need someone to hate. If they use hatred they can stay in power. Toss in God told me to hate these people and you have a great recipe for sustained power. It has worked for all the history of mankind. In Ireland the Catholics and Protestants have been fighting for hundreds of years. They are the same damn religion, just different sects.

Yes, we would all be better off if we listened to what God teaches us about living together. How about "Thou Shall Not Kill" to start.

Answer 7

thank god. someone with sensible views on the middle east. israel isnt a heaping pile of rubble because of US intervention in wars that would have destroyed the country. they kill Palestinian "terrorists" that are simply trying to get back their land. all that "self determination" bullsh*t from the 1940's. self-determination my ***, they fought WWII so the people in european nations could decide what happened in their nations. then they kick Palestinians out of their country and put the jews there. not fair, then you wonder why the relations between the west and middle east are "strained". i say if you solve the israel-Palestine issue. u solve the whole middle eastern issue.

Answer 8

My comment? Rabid anti-Semitism is, unfortunately, all too common.