When the arab world as a whole is crying that they are engaged in a holy war against us, I BELIEVE THEM
The Arab world (Moslem world --- Iranians, Afghans and Pakistanis are not Arab) are not crying that they are engaged in a holy war. You are watching TV news and thinking those who perform for the cameras are representative. A minority (we can debate the size) is doing so, but they are a minority, and a very violent one, who threaten and intimidate their neighbors and own governments as much or more than they threaten us. Just as the majority of American women do not look like Bay Watch, and the majority of American men are not like the Sopranos, the majority of Moslems are not blood thirsty mad men bent on conquest. Switch off the TV for a while and take propaganda articles like this one with a grain of salt. The majority of Arab peoples do not want war and are willing to have friendly relations with the West.
Our challenge is to defeat the radical elements and those governments that support them, without alienating those who would be friendly. It can be done with cool heads and a steely resolve. Thank God we have those qualities in our current leadership.
And just where are you getting this information from? I get mine from Gallup:
| Two-thirds of Pakistanis support Afghanistan over US: poll AFP Islamabad, September 19 More than two-thirds of people in Pakistan think their government should side with Afghanistan rather than the United States if Washington attacks the neighbouring country, a Gallup poll said Wednesday. The survey is another sign of the risk President Pervez Musharraf has taken in offering Pakistan's full support for the United States war on terrorism following last week's devastating attacks in New York and Washington. Gallup said the snap poll of 500 people showed 85 per cent believed a US strike against Afghanistan, where terror suspect Osama bin Laden lives under the wing of the ruling Taliban militia, was imminent. While 32 per cent of people supported Musharraf's decision to lend Pakistan's support to the United States, 62 per cent opposed it. Only seven per cent said Pakistan should side with the United States if Washington attacks Afghanistan, while 27 per cent advised neutrality and 63 per cent said it should side with Afghanistan. "The survey findings show that Pakistanis make a sharp distinction between the right to seek extradition and the right to make military strikes," Gallup said in a statement. "It is interesting to note that in 27 out of 29 countries where this global survey was carried out by Gallup International, majorities opposed military strike." Pakistan has seen days of vocal protests from religious groups against possible US attacks on Afghanistan and Pakistan's promised cooperation. By the way this article has been removed from the Hindustan Times website and you can't find this poll on the Gallup website either.
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The majority of Arab peoples do not want war and are willing to have friendly relations with the West.The question is, when push comes to shove, and they must take a side, which side will they take?