Dust In The Wind

I am sorry... So many political posts. But not to worry, I will change it up for you after this.

Here we go again. The GodFather, has this post, The Trade-Off, on his blog and he asked me to respond. So here are my answers!

Shlemazl, thanks for the link that is supposed to enlighten us but well as a logical person who deals with statistical measures a lot and what people in my profession call statistical sampling, I guess 53 votes out of which 51 requires the disarming of Hizbullah is not a measure... Basically because it is a minor part of the population... It is less than 1% of the Lebanese population... It is an amount again people in my profession call insignificant or immaterial signifying that it is not representive of the entire population....

I agree. Of course a statistic on some forum does not represent the Lebanese population. However, by the same criteria you, and I, criticize shlemazl's answer, we should also criticize your own.

I will cut it short for you here.. I have inquired from the Lebanese people around me, Muslims and Christians, students of mine and people I work with, a number that can be estimated above 50 maybe even 60. I don't have an exact count and out of all these I got one vote againts Hezbollah... I thought I would tell you about the opinion of the Lebanese before we go on deciding for them...

This, too, does not prove anything whatsoever. First, it's a small sample just like shlemazl's statistic. Second, these are Lebanese people in Dubai as you explained. How can we say that the opinions of 60 Lebanese in Dubai reflect, or even indicate, the position of the Lebanese as a whole?

Mech. Crowds:I know I have been aggressive with you as I started reading your first opinions... It just hurts to see that a fellow countryman is brainwashed, Americanized, Westernized, I have many terms for that...

All that for me? You sound frustrated, but labels are not arguments!

And Mech Crowds I have a few questions I wish you could give me an answer to:

- Who appointed the US a judge to the entire world?

Nobody. Unfortunately, these are the rules of our world. If you have power, you can somewhat dictate what others do. I am sure this was the case with the Roman Empire, Greek, and even the Muslim Empire.

- Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) was considered a horrible man when he started preaching Islam except by the few people who actually believed in him. So was he a terrorist because the bigger powers in Mecca were against him?

No.

- What kind of peace could be built in Palestine if a government like Israel rules a land that belongs to someone else and if you try to reply me with the usual, "This is an old story" and those kind of comments please tell me if this will be an old story to you fifty years from now if that is the case with Egypt?

Are you sitting down? 'Cause this might be a little disturbing for you. Prove to me that this land belongs to the Palestinians! Why do you call it their land? Let's be objective for a second and forget that the Palestinians might look like us more than the Jews do. That is how we can be fair... neutral. The thing is you can't prove it's a Palestinian land and you can't prove it's Israeli. However, Israel, I believe, is ready to give up some land for peace, but the Palestinians want the whole thing. I say let's find a way to divide this land between the two.

- If you are right why do some Jews inside Israel consider that the land is Palestinian and if they wanna live there they should live as Palestinian Jews and not Israelis?

I don't understand the question! If I'm right about what?

- And well if you are right why do some jews outside Israel call the Israelis terrorists and try their best to negate the fact that Israel as a country represents Judaism but instead consider it representative of Zionists who have nothing to do with Judaism?

Again, right about what? When a group of people believe in something, it is no indication that that thing is true. This is not an argument for anything!

- And if all these people are right and you agree with me on all that do you want the Palestinians to work for peace?

Of course, the Palestinians should work hard for peace, instead of suicide bombings against civilians.

Well I would love to make a comment on this last question... Peace my friend can only be made when I have my land and you have yours and we agree not to fuck with each other... If I walk into your home and kill members of your family and treat the rest like a slave and then bring my family to reside in I would be stupid to expect you to call me for peace and don't convince me you would....

Peace does not work that way.. We as muslims are encouraged to be peaceful but not when our lands are taken.. Not when someone kills our women and children.... And when a muslim does that on our guard we have to stop him and bring him back to the true and right path and not allow Israel or the USA to do that and applaud for it....

Here are a few hints:
-There were no 'Muslims' 1500 years go, but there were Jews. Why do you call it 'muslim' land?
-Terrorists are killing our women and children, what are we doing about that?

Why would Israel give land if it knows that the violence will continue no matter what?

If we are gonna talk about Islam and about what it allows and what it does not allow then here is something that would interest you man... In the age in which the moguls attacked the Arab countries and even the non-arab Islamic countries there had been a fight between the muslims and each other and in order not to mix up names I will just say that the governer of Syria asked for the help of the French Crusaders to help him fight the Caliph in Baghdad and the opinion of Al Ezz Ibn Abd-ElSalam (The biggest Islamic figure and teacher in Egypt back then) was that it is a betrayal of religion and a huge sin to ask a non-muslim to help you fight a muslim even if he was at fault....

That depends if you view the terrorists as 'muslims' or not. Are the people bombing cafes, markets, and mosques in Iraq Muslims? The people bombing resorts in Egypt? The people bombing busses in Israel? The people that destroyed the WTC? If you think so, you can have this discussion with someone else, not me.

Pinky and the Brain.. You said that Hezbollah does not represent Islam... Although I do not agree with you I will make it as simple as this.... If they do not then applauding Israel for fighting them just gets us to one conclusion: We do not represent Islam either....

Again, same issue as before... I said very early on with my response to Raven that this is the core of our difference.

Mechanical Crowds.. You seem like you have learnt to be an activist from the West and well deploying that in the peace arena would be very good... But for God's sakes, understand what peace stands for... It is a concept and not a word... Unless all parties abide by conditions that lead to peace don't ask them to get there and don't applaud the enemy and act like you think they are just there for Hezbollah... Cause that I think is what I refer to as being brain washed....

So why is Israel there? Do you think Israel wants more land? That would not a be a smart move and would bring more blood shed, and they know that. They want stability. Yes, they are just there for Hezbollah. Calling me brainwashed is not an argument.

Ghandi did not get the British out of his land by terrorism.