Posted on 02/21/2006 6:35:23 PM PST by jdm
You haven't heard of the ummah?
Think again.
umm, err, ahhh, because men from various middle eastern countries conspired to attack us and killed 3,000 of our civilians and shattered our economy, and because we responded by invading an important middle eastern country that was part of the problem, and because we are about to invade two more middle eastern countries, and because they've hated Christians and Westerners for 1,400 years, Mr. President?
Do I get an "A" for raising my hand?
Re: the government.
So, I looked it up. This is from Wikepedia so I can't be 100% sure of it's total accuracy, but it's unflattering enough to be believeable.
Entry under: The Federal System :
The Supreme Council consists of the individual rulers of the seven emirates. The President and Vice-President are elected by the Supreme Council every five years. Although unofficial, the Presidency is de facto hereditary to the Al-Nahyan clan of Abu Dhabi and the Premiership is hereditary to the Al-Maktoom clan of Dubai. The Supreme Council also elects the Council of Ministers, while an appointed 40-member Federal National Council, drawn from all the emirates, reviews proposed laws. There is a federal court system; all emirates except Dubai and Ras al-Khaimah have joined the federal system; all emirates have secular and Islamic law for civil, criminal, and high courts. [end]
It don't sound very democratic to me.
Bush lost me on this one. he is on his own. Absolute crap.
This is a good opportunity to ensure freedom of religion (read: safety for Christianity and those wanting to explore Christianity) in the United Arab Emirates.
If there are persecutions of religions in the UAE, then Congress is justified in halting any business with Dubai. But then that would mean shutting down business with Communist China as well (even if Beijing shows mock support of religion via a state-run "Catholic" church).
Baptism is the aim of this mission just as Viking settling in Ireland were required to be Baptized as well as Viking Normans who were given Normandy by the French. Though they didn't quite understand the Sacraments, God's Spirit worked to unify peoples through such a freedom of Charity. Baptism won't stop Arabs from their tradition of praying while facing Mecca five times a day, so they shouldn't be afraid of a little water on the head. The Vikings did it, the Arabs can be open to it too.
If the UAE resists freedom of religion, then the American people are right to, and even required to, deny foreign entry into our free market when capital investments and security are in the balance.
Daimler owns Chrysler
Honda owns American Honda
The Netherlands owns American Cruise Ships
Saudi Airlines flies into the U.S.
.... and so on ... and so on
Document the funding of terrorism by the UAE today.
Put up or take your little dream and stick it...
How about 3000 dead people - for starters!
Are you playing the violin while typing this stuff? You might get some drunk on a park bench to believe that the UAE will be "squashed" if we refuse them this job, but probably no one on FR will buy it.
The UAE are the wealthiest per capita middle eastern nation, and the second wealthiest overall. They will simply smile, take their 6.5 billion dollars and go invest it in some other American concern, (but hopefully one that won't involve our national security).
I'm going to post this here and then I am going to repeat it on another port related thread. And, note to the mods, then I'm going to stop.
I doubt the outcry over this would have been so intense had it come before the cartoon jihad. I have found, and I think others have found, the willful incitement to murderous violence over a bunch of stupid cartoons, world wide, very disturbing.
We cannot deny that the "Muslim World" sees itself as one thing, that spans borders, languages, races, etc., much as the Catholic Church does, more as the Catholic Church used to, centuries ago. There has been no full throated denunciation of this violence, there has been what one now expects to get from the Muslim world, the good old "yes, but". Now, Dubai may be "better" than all this, or they may just be determined to "act as if" they are better, because one must not forget the Muslim dictate that it is permissible to lie to an infidel when needed.
This entire USA port situation is an opportunity then, for the elites, and the putative enlightened, of the Muslim world to "own" and "confront" our problems with their culture. Their culture of violence that has killed so many people, and continues to kill so many people around the world. Perhaps this is an opportunity for them to denounce it. Or at least to realize that this is why we hate them.
Bu!!$#it. How many of our middle eastern/muslim "allies" have kicked us in the teeth by not allowing us to base our filthy infidel airforce on their holy soil for the Iraq war? I recall at least two, Saudi and Turkey. And how many of our middle eastern/islamic "allies" have been burning down our embassies and attacking Western hotels and interests over the cartoons? Do Jordan and Turkey come to mind?
If disallowing a commercial port takeover for national security reasons "offends" their sensibilites" SCREW THEM. Besides, they will just take their 6.5 billion dollars and buy some other American concern anyway, (but hopefully not one that could involve national security).
Nearly 60 percent of Dubai residents are Muslims, while Christians accounts for 14.72 percent of the total population and the remaining 26.12 percent being followers of other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism.
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