Posted on 12/13/2009 9:18:07 PM PST by Free ThinkerNY
The Rt Rev Stephen Venner called for a more sympathetic approach to the Islamic fundamentalists that recognises their humanity.
The Church of Englands Bishop to the Forces warned that it will be harder to reach a peaceful solution to the war if the Afghan insurgents are portrayed too negatively.
His comments came as the Prime Minister visited Afghanistan and warned that the Taliban was fighting a "guerilla war" aimed at causing "maximum damage". Gordon Brown said soldiers were discovering improvised explosive devices every two hours.
Mr Brown stayed overnight in the Allied base in the southern city of Kandahar, the first British Prime Minister to spend the night in a war zone since Winston Churchill. His visit came days after the death of Lance Corporal Adam Drane, the 100th member of the British forces to die in Afghanistan this year. His death brought the total number of British service personnel who have died since the start of operations in 2001 to 237.
Bishop Venner stressed his admiration for the sacrifices made by the British forces fighting in Afghanistan but also urged the need for a reassessment of how the Taliban are viewed.
Weve been too simplistic in our attitude towards the Taliban, said Bishop Venner, who was recently commissioned in his new role by Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Theres a large number of things that the Taliban say and stand for which none of us in the west could approve, but simply to say therefore that everything they do is bad is not helping the situation because its not honest really.
The Taliban can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Of course if you need more Taliban videos to watch; just head over to youtube or archive.org
"The Taliban can perhaps be admired for their conviction to their faith and their sense of loyalty to each other."
The Rt Rev Stephen Venner, YOU HAVE WON:
-the IDIOT OF THE YEAR award.
-the STUCK ON STUPID OF THE YEAR award.
If you really said the statement in post no. 1 and repeated in post no. 22; you sir, richly deserve these awards.
If you did not make that statement; I will gladly revoke your awards.
Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2238161/posts
Taliban hand over body of beheaded Polish man
Telegraph (U.K.) ^ | April 26, 2009
Posted on April 26, 2009 9:58:33 AM PDT by Schnucki
Taliban militants on Sunday handed over to Pakistani officials the body of a Polish man who was beheaded in February after being held by the hardliners for months, officials said.
Geologist Piotr Stanczak, 42, was working in Pakistan for a Polish oil and natural gas exploration company when he was seized in the volatile northwest of the country last September. His abductors killed his driver and his bodyguard.
His decapitation on February 7 which was filmed by his captors and was the first of a Pole by Islamic militants provoked a furious reaction from Warsaw, which slammed Islamabad’s “apathy” over tackling terrorism.
Stanczak’s body was handed over to officials in the town of Razmak, located about 40 miles south of Miranshah, the main town in the restive North Waziristan tribal district bordering Afghanistan, an official said.
It came as Pakistan launched a new offensive against militants in the Swat Valley.
“Taliban handed over the body of the Polish engineer to the local administration,” a security official said.
The official said the body was flown out of the area by helicopter but would not disclose the destination for security reasons.
In Islamabad, a Polish diplomat said that the embassy was awaiting further details about the recovery of Stanczak’s body.
Poland had offered a one-million-zloty (£197,000) reward for information leading to the capture of Taliban militants who beheaded Stanczak.
Warsaw had also requested US assistance to help capture Stanczak’s killers.
Poland is a close ally of Washington and has sent hundreds of troops to Pakistan’s neighbour Afghanistan to battle the Taliban there as part of a Nato force.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Before you rip the Bishop too much, he’s not alone in noting this. Peter Kreeft, a conservative Catholic professor at Boston College, has noted many times that in a standard of devotion to their faith, Muslims are more often than not better and more faithful people than Western Christians. Look at America and Europe. Can we really deny that? They’re not the ones changing their holy book with the times to suit their convenience. They’re not the ones going “Oh God gave me the gift of homosexuality”. That doesn’t change the horrible crimes that groups like Al Qaeda have done, but I don’t think you can deny that the average Muslim... especially in the Middle East... is completely devoted to their faith.
Let’s not forget the Taliban hate Christians, Jews and barbershops.
#
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2396212/posts
PAKISTANI CHRISTIAN ON RUN FROM TALIBAN DEATH THREAT
COMPASSDirect.org - COMPASS News ^ | November 27, 2009 | N/A
Posted on November 29, 2009 1:48:56 AM PST by Cindy
“Pakistani Christian on Run from Taliban Death Threat
Islamic extremist sermonizing leads to altercation at barbershop in South Waziristan.”
SNIPPET: “LAHORE, Pakistan, November 27 (CDN) A young Christian man is in hiding in Pakistan from Taliban militants who seek to kill him for blasphemy because he defended his faith.
In February Jehanzaib Asher, 22, was working in a barbershop his family jointly owns with his cousin in Wana, South Waziristan a Taliban stronghold in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in Pakistans northwest when the Islamic militants showed up to try to convert him to Islam.”
SNIPPET: “He told Compass that he only defended Christianity and did not comment on Islam.”
SNIPPET: “The cousins barbershops in Wana have been closed after the encounter with the Taliban. Zaib Masih said that two relatives have government jobs as janitors, and the two families are surviving on their meager salaries.
Since the closing of their barbershops, Zaib Masih said, the families have living hand-to-mouth barely able to have two meals a day.
South Waziristan is the headquarters of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Taliban umbrella group fighting the government, and is a hub of Arab and Uzbek Islamic militants. In mid-October the Pakistani Army launched an offensive after the Taliban managed to take the armys general headquarters in Rawalpindi.”
(Excerpt) Read more at compassdirect.org ...
I’m not Catholic, so not familiar with the Bishop.
Does he also “admire” the Taliban like the Bishop allegedly said?
Let’s not forget muslim lurkers; that the Taliban is big on killing other muslims, too.
One example here:
Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2400820/posts
Suicide bombers assault mosque in Rawalpindi, kill 40
LONG WAR JOURNAL.org ^ | December 4, 2009 8:26 AM | by Bill Roggio
Posted on December 5, 2009 1:22:49 AM PST by Cindy
SNIPPET: “The Taliban have struck again in the heart of Pakistan’s military garrison city of Rawalpindi. A Taliban suicide assault team estimated at between three to five men entered a mosque in the city and opened fire on the worshippers and detonated their vests, killing 40 and wounding 83 more. The attack killed two senior generals and wounded another.
Two of the members of the suicide assault team have been killed. The assault team was not interested in taking hostages or negotiations, according to the Pakistani military.
“They exploded bombs inside the mosque,” Major General Athar Abbas, the top military spokesman told AFP. “They opened fire on the worshippers... There is no hostage situation. Two terrorists have been killed.”
The blasts caused parts of the roof of the mosque to collapse.
The attack took place in a mosque that is used by Army officers on a day when the mosque is sure to be filled; Friday is the Muslim day of prayer.
“There were about 200 or 300 worshippers in the hall,” an eyewitness told AFP. “Army officials mostly offer their Friday prayers in this mosque.”
Major General Bilal Omar Khan, who had served as the commander of the Pakistani Rangers, Brigadier Abdul Rauf, the son of the Peshawar Corps commander, and two lieutenant colonels were killed in the attack, according to Samaa and Geo News. Many children of active military officers were killed and wounded in the bombing. General Mohammad Yousuf, the retired former Vice Chief of Army Staff, was also wounded.
The Taliban and allied terror groups have struck at the military and police forces in Pakistan’s major cities...”
Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/12/suicide_bombers_assa.php#ixzz0Ynw4oM9c
(Excerpt) Read more at longwarjournal.org ...
While I understand where hes coming from I think hes going to need to do alitte better at pointing out their better qualities.
Thank you for answering my specific question.
As for your Christianity as you describe it; I’m not one of those — I’m a real Christian — a Christ follower.
If you want to debate that with anyone, take it to another thread, please.
This is just a thread regarding the “admiration” of “the Taliban.”
Again, thanks for answering my question.
More Taliban-related beheading videos:
www.liveleak.com/view?i=995_1234146947
hk.video.yahoo.com/video/video.html?id=1330905&p=.
stepping back to 2008...
http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/americas/Lady-condemns-Taliban-attack/Article1-351382.aspx
“First Lady Bush condemns Taliban acid attack on schoolgirls”
Afghanistan, November 14, 2008
First Published: 10:49 IST(14/11/2008)
Last Updated: 16:28 IST(14/11/2008)
Print
SNIPPET: “First Lady Laura Bush condemned on Thursday a recent assault on Afghani schoolgirls, describing the act as “cowardly and shameful.”
On Wednesday adult male attackers used a water pistol to spray acid at schoolgirls in Afghanistan’s southern city of Kandahar, hurting 15 of them, three seriously.
“My heart goes out to the victims and their families as they recover from this cruel attack,” said Bush in a statement.
Kandahar and other large Afghan cities have suffered from a surge of assassinations and bombings by the radical Islamist Taliban movement.
Bush commended Afghani women and girls for thriving in a country where just nine years ago, under Taliban rule that lasted between 1996 and 2001, women were denied many basic rights, includingf trading.”
So you’re saying the Taliban is bad?
All that demonstrates is that bishops can be imbeciles too.
There's nothing admirable about the uncontrollable mindless urge to constantly blow up, kill, maim, and destroy as a reaction to abstract "disrespects..."
Christian Apostasy = Rise of Islam
Will the last one out of the Anglican Church kindly turn out the lights?
This whacky bishop is to the Taliban what Timothy Treadwell was to Grizzly bears.
I say parachute him into the middle of Taliban country and let him live what he preaches.
reverend vennor, using the same criteria of feeling(because I’m fairly certain there is little that could pass for thought happening within your skull), joseph stalin had a strong work ethic and loved his mother making him an admirable man.
You sir, are an idiot and an embarrassment to your church.
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