U.S. on dangerous course, expert warns

The Globe and Mail ^ | August 6, 2004 | MICHAEL VALPY

[Straight Vermonter]

GENEVA PARK, ONT. -- Misbegotten U.S. foreign policy is pushing Islamic fundamentalists closer and closer to the use of weapons of mass destruction, warns British historian Karen Armstrong, one of the world's foremost authorities on religion.

OBL and the boys would never hurt anyone if not for this war on terror, right Ms Armstrong?-SV

"Now more and more small groups will have the capability of destruction that were formerly the prerogative of the nation-state," she said yesterday.

How is it that fighting a war to stop the spread of these weapons is supposed to have caused them to get these weapons?-SV

"The prospects are extremely serious," she added. "And this is just the beginning. Certainly we're stuck with this conflict for this generation. Even to call it terrorism is a mistake. This is war, and they [the U.S. and its allies] are going about the wrong way of ending it."

Ms. Armstrong, an academic specialist on Islam and fundamentalism who several times has addressed members of the U.S. Congress, was keynote speaker last night at the opening of the annual Couchiching thinkers conference north of Toronto.

Being an expert on the ravings of a desert dwelling pedophile does not make you an expert at waging war.-SV

This year's theme is "God's Back with a Vengeance: Religion, Pluralism and the Secular State." In a lengthy interview, she spoke of how U.S. President George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden parody each other with their talk of black and white, good and evil.

Moral relativism at its most extreme.-SV

Ms. Armstrong said that, throughout history, when religious fundamentalist movements have been attacked they have become more extreme. "The way we're going -- and Britain is just as culpable as the United States -- we're alienating Muslims who were initially horrified by Sept. 11 and we're strengthening al-Qaeda, which has definitely been strengthened by the Iraq war and its awful aftermath."

horrified?-SV

The reason religious fundamentalism exists, she said, is because it is the natural byproduct that follows establishment of a secular, liberal society.

The emancipation of women, she said, has fuelled fundamentalism in all major religions. "We've been the worst religion [Christianity] in the world for integrating sexuality and gender with the sacred.

As evidenced by all of the female Imams issuing Fatwahs against educated women like yourself, right Ms Armstrong?

She said the war against Islamic terrorism -- or, more accurately, she said, against Arab Islamic terrorism -- will only be won by a fundamental change to U.S. policy. "No. 1 is finding a just solution to the Palestinian conflict," the images of which, she said, have "become iconic to Arab Muslims.

Like these images, Ms Armstrong?

"No. 2 is to stop supporting appalling rulers in the region like the Saudis . . . like Saddam himself who was supported by the West," she said.

And the third step is to recognize that many people "just want to be more religious in some way or another. . . . The trick is to create conditions which will make sure that it's good healthy religion and not distorted bad religion.

"Religion is like any other human activity, like cooking, it can be disgusting, and the litmus test of any religiosity right across the board in all the major world religions is that it must result in practically expressed compassion."

"In a society where warfare and violence becomes endemic, religion gets sucked into that. Religion comes from where our dreams come from, and our dreams become disturbed, everything about us becomes disturbed in times of war and destruction."

[Straight Vermonter]

You can educate a fool but she is still a fool.

[alpha-8-25-02]

GOOD MORNING,
first you need a barf,no a huge barf alert.
it is too early for this trash.
secondly,this only proves the addage"you can educate a idiot,however they will still be a idiot"

[alpha-8-25-02]

GOOD MORNING,
first you need a barf,no a huge barf alert.
it is too early for this trash.
secondly,this only proves the addage"you can educate a idiot,however they will still be a idiot"

[endthematrix]

"Even to call it terrorism is a mistake. This is war, and they [the U.S. and its allies] are going about the wrong way of ending it"

Well at least she understands it's (Jihad) war. Let's just give up and lose. That will end it. "U.S. on dangerous course, expert warns" No Sh*t!

[endthematrix]

"it is too early for this trash."

For others, it's very, very late.

[Dane]

- Misbegotten U.S. foreign policy is pushing Islamic fundamentalists closer and closer to the use of weapons of mass destruction, warns British historian Karen Armstrong, one of the world's foremost authorities on religion.

I see that this Brit graduated from the Neville Chamberlain school of appeasement.

[johniegrad]

Couchiching thinkers conference

ROFL.

Just the same old rehash of leftist tripe seasoned with a little international righteous indignation from a country of minimal influence.

[beyond the sea]

I don't listen too much to a woman who does not seem to understand one thing......... these sick fundamentalists value their death more than our lives. They believe they get rewards in death by destroying our (evil) society!

Karen Armstrong is a fool.

I do believe there are other ways we can try to influence the "good" Muslims so that they would more aggressively go after "the bad" in their countries, but Ms. Armstong......... get a grip.

[dawn53]

The reason religious fundamentalism exists, she said, is because it is the natural byproduct that follows establishment of a secular, liberal society. The emancipation of women, she said, has fuelled fundamentalism in all major religions. "We've been the worst religion [Christianity] in the world for integrating sexuality and gender with the sacred.

Hysterical! Thanks for the laugh.

[weegee]

But I thought they didn't have WMDs...

[conservative in nyc]

Karen Armstrong? You mean the Jihadi-sympathizing fool who implicitly mocked President Reagan as a non-heroic B-list actor, part of the cult of celebrity, in this Guardian op-ed shortly after his death?

The Karen Armstrong who ended the same op-ed with the following pearl of wisdom:

Our democratically elected politicians, who reflect the mores of society, sometimes behave like celebrities. Some of them have actually been celebrities. They should recall the myth of the hero. In this time of unprecedented danger, heroic leadership must question old certainties and chauvinisms. Instead of pursuing cold war policies, governments must find new solutions. Like celebrity, national prosperity cannot be an end in itself. In a global world, our best security lies in a creative and courageous altruism.

Yeah, she's a fool.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

Yet another person educated past the point of common sense...

[beyond the sea]

"Religion is like any other human activity, like cooking, it can be disgusting

Barf Alert ........ where's the haggis? Haggis is made with a sheep's stomach as a casing. It is filled with oats, onions, spices and the other edible organs that are cooked first and then chopped up. These are called "pluck," -- things plucked from the sheep carcass -- and include the "lights," or lungs. Smells like the religion of peace!

[alpha-8-25-02]

good morning,
from cny!

[DB]

"The reason religious fundamentalism exists, she said, is because it is the natural byproduct that follows establishment of a secular, liberal society."

Real genius... These people never have had "secular, liberal society"...

[familyop]

"Misbegotten U.S. foreign policy is pushing Islamic fundamentalists closer and closer to the use of weapons of mass destruction, warns British historian Karen Armstrong, one of the world's foremost authorities on religion."

Her kind can't seem to get over their stupid old Mandate defeat and other British blunders in the Middle East. They had their chance to carry the responsibility, and they failed.

...some experts, eh? They should feel like fools and have some shame, but they're blinded by their jealous neo-paganism. Papa Bush is administering our winning of unprecedented victories that they couldn't achieve.

[anoldafvet]

Is there any truth to the rumor that Kerry has hired her to be a foreign policy adivsor to replace Sandy Burgler?

[libertylover]

"Now more and more small groups will have the capability of destruction that were formerly the prerogative of the nation-state," she said yesterday."

Quite. Which is why it's so important to take the fight to the terrorists and not just sit back, John Kerry-style, and wait for it to happen again.

[Tom Bombadil]

one of the world's foremost authorities on religion.

NOT

She seems to think that if we were weenies then the world trade center towers would still be standing. What garbage. I'm sorry I just ate breakfast.

[myself6]

Translation:

If the terrorists use WMD's it Bush's fault.


hmmmmmm... ok......


On a related note. Bush made one of the routers in my network go down the other day. Anyone know how I can get him to replace it? I tried contacting the White House about that flat tire too, but they wont seem to admit any responsibility for it.