Anything but justice ?
Reader comment on article: [Saudi Arabia:] Not Friend or Foe

Submitted by Khaled, Nov 26, 2002 at 10:58

I found this board by a coincidence. I am an Egyptian moslem currently living in Egypt and previously living in Europe (The UK, Austria etc).

I was totally shocked by some of the opinions expressed here by commenters. I was aware that Americans have a rather narrow view of the world, narrowed further by the media, but I didn't know the extent of this narrowness.

I hardly know where to start correcting misconceptions on this board...

(1) Moslems/arabs do NOT, by a long shot, hate Americans. If anything, they LIKE Americans. Ironically, it is the Europeans that don't like Americans. We do deeply dislike your goverment, media, Zionist lobby etc but never the people of America. If any of you know of any American that has recently been to the middle east please ask them how he/she found their visit? Terrorists are terrorists, we are not responsible for them or what they believe in.

This is a part of the world that has been at the worst end of American politcs for the best part of 60 years and not once have our people hated yours, when terrorists from our end stirke at you once you HATE us? Makes one wonder.

(2) This IS a war on islam not terrorists, this war started a long time ago. In recent times it started again around 1840. In more recent times it started the moment the berlin wall came down. Your miltary industry needs a villian to sell weapons, your media needs a villian to sell its news, hollywood needs a villian to sell its movies. It's a fact of life not missed by those who used it.

(3) We have been fighting El Qaeda here for almost 20 years DESPITE American and British efforts.

(4) The Taliban were a bunch of totally misinformed students whose practices had nothing to do with Islam.

(5) Despite the efforts to dismiss it by American politicians, the problem IS Israel. However, if they deny that this is the problem then won't have to do anything about it which suits them perfectly.

Let me just add this comment, we are NOT your enemy, don't make us your enemy through ignorance. 60 years of opression, a total lack of fear and a very strong commitment to our faith will make us a very difficult foe.

If anyone has valid and sincere questions about Islam, or about the problems and true situation here, I would be more than glad to answer them.

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