bushgang's new Iraqi talking point - suicide bombers not religious

[donsu]

http://shows.airamericaradio.com/ms/node/759



Religious Observance

(this articles notes 3 incidences recently were these word changes were used)

-snip-

(these 2 are from the info the Pentagon put out)

According to CNN.com's write-up, here's what the unnamed source said in a July 24 news release:

"'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the ISF and all of Iraq. They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified."

It's almost identical to language used in a July 13 Pentagon news release, following a bombing that targeted Iraqi children:

"'The terrorists are attacking the infrastructure, the children and all of Iraq,' said one Iraqi man who preferred not to be identified. 'They are enemies of humanity without religion or any sort of ethics. They have attacked my community today and I will now take the fight to the terrorists.' "

-snip-

Think that sounds too paranoid? Take a look at what Scott McClellan had to say during a recent White House press briefing:

"Q 'When terrorists commit acts, supposedly in the name of Allah, does President Bush think that's the same as the term "God"? What is your response on that?'
"MR. McCLELLAN: 'Those who carry out such attacks are not religious people.'"
-snip-
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why does this make me think of Karen Hughes

[FloridaPat]

1. Therefore, lying Christians who bomb innocent Iraqis for their oil

are not religious either.

But with the history of Christianity, killing those of other faiths is pretty much the norm. Maybe we can get Jesus's opinion on all this.

[PurityOfEssence]

2. Oh goody; let's kill all non-believers.

People who don't believe in an afterlife don't tend to willingly kill themselves for a cause. The real through-line with suicide bombers IS FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGION. It's so obvious that it's undeniable. Of course, to the idiots in the Junta and many of their supporters religion is good, so no ill can flow from it.

How can these assholes say something as preposterous as this with a straight face? I guess they think people just swallow propaganda whole these days.

The sheer hatred against non-believers evidenced by this is deeply ugly.

[Toots]

3. For once I agree with them

This terrorism that is happening throughout the world is not about religion. It is about the haves and the have nots. How the haves are treating the have nots and that is why America is so vulnerable. we treat the have nots like crap and keep them in poverty for covert reasons.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Unbelievable! I agree with something they said! Acts of terrorism

do not originate with religious beliefs in most cases. There was a report released on Truthout and the American Conservative by Robert Pape last week (http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/071405O.shtml) that concludes that suicide bombers act because of foreign occupation of their homelands.

[Igel]

5. Consider it psychological warfare.

If the men that are doing really do consider themselves religious, and they are culturally Arab, they would consider having their righteousness questioned to be a sticking point: if what they do is seen as bringing dishonor to Islam or their tribe/clan/family, that is motivation *not* to do it.

Consider calling them 'without religion' to be ritual insult, if you'd like.

On edit: That accounts, partly, for the Iraqi quotes, I think. But on reconsideration, there's also a "we must protect the image of Islam" on the part of the speakers, each for their own reason. So it's a question of speaker empathy, whether the statements are "other-" or "self-" centered.