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riseagainstrocks · 04-21-2017, 08:15 AM

K, let's go through this one more time.

Muslims are not a homogeneous bloc. We have immigrants from every Muslim country on earth. And with maybe a dozen exceptions, these 3-4 MILLION Muslims are every bit as American as you and I.

If you're asking, 'should we import 100 million Muslims from say, Indonesia, and have them pick our government?', well no. Because Indonesia has a centuries old history of autocracy and military juntas. So the problem is one of political values not fully aligning with what we champion in the West.

If you're asking, 'should practicing Muslims get a vote in a democracy?' I'd point to Pakistan and India as prominent examples where they not only vote, but they regularly elect women and religious minorities to high office. Don't get me wrong, Pakistan has its problems, but as I've said again and again, THEY ARE POLITICAL. The tribal politics of Northern Waziristan, the support for Sunni (and sometimes Shia) militias in Iraq and Afghanistan - such as the Taliban and the Haqqani Network, the proxy skirmishes with Iran - political conflicts. India too has real social problems. There are ethnic splits, caste splits, and 300 odd million subsistence farmers. But these problems come back to man's tribal nature and, shockingly, the overwhelming majority live in peace with their neighbors despite their differences. It's almost like America, except hotter and with more food that upsets my stomach...

But please, feel free to skip every argument I've made in this thread and continue to expose your critical ignorance of the political realities in these countries.

04-21-2017, 08:15 AM	#198 (permalink)
riseagainstrocks Music Addict Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: DC Posts: 3,297	K, let's go through this one more time. Muslims are not a homogeneous bloc. We have immigrants from every Muslim country on earth. And with maybe a dozen exceptions, these 3-4 MILLION Muslims are every bit as American as you and I. If you're asking, 'should we import 100 million Muslims from say, Indonesia, and have them pick our government?', well no. Because Indonesia has a centuries old history of autocracy and military juntas. So the problem is one of political values not fully aligning with what we champion in the West. If you're asking, 'should practicing Muslims get a vote in a democracy?' I'd point to Pakistan and India as prominent examples where they not only vote, but they regularly elect women and religious minorities to high office. Don't get me wrong, Pakistan has its problems, but as I've said again and again, THEY ARE POLITICAL. The tribal politics of Northern Waziristan, the support for Sunni (and sometimes Shia) militias in Iraq and Afghanistan - such as the Taliban and the Haqqani Network, the proxy skirmishes with Iran - political conflicts. India too has real social problems. There are ethnic splits, caste splits, and 300 odd million subsistence farmers. But these problems come back to man's tribal nature and, shockingly, the overwhelming majority live in peace with their neighbors despite their differences. It's almost like America, except hotter and with more food that upsets my stomach... But please, feel free to skip every argument I've made in this thread and continue to expose your critical ignorance of the political realities in these countries. __________________ One note timeless, came out of nowhere... Last edited by riseagainstrocks; 04-21-2017 at 08:32 AM.