One last thing, LucyJ (re: No. 12): all across the Western world, in every advanced society, there are Arabs and Muslims who live in predominantly no-Muslim communities, and do perfectly well accepting Western standards -- even Western standards for women and the young -- and prosper. And are still Arabs, and mostly Muslim (some Arabs are Christian), and proud of their heritage, but not fanatics and not a threat to others and not slaveowners and no interested in denying others' their natural rights. (Rights, I would add, that are God-given, and thereby Sacrosanct; intrinsic to being human, inalienable.)
Since so many Arabs and Muslims do just fine under Western systems, I find it an unacceptable and indeed silly argument that "something" fundamentally "prevents" an Arab or a Muslim from enjoying a democratic society and a system based on tolerance and self-determination, rather than cant, extremism and enshrined "tradition" (often a very murky "tradition" at that).
As I have stated, the sheer numbers of unemployed out there pretty much ensures that given the chance, plenty of well-meaning, educated, fluent in Arabic young men and women will turn up if the opportunity arises to come help rebuild & develop Libya, and make it an example to the world of what it means to be young, pro-Western, pro-European, pro-American -- pro-womankind -- pro-youth and pro-freedom -- and at the same time, still Muslim, and still Arab.
I know, from decades teaching and as the daughter and granddaughter of many generations of teachers, actually, that the difference between the fanatic and the enlightened person is just a single thing: the books you are given to read, and the languages you learn, between the ages of 3 and 30.
In other words, education. Books, as well as computers; classical music, as well as pop; dance, as well as sports. That's the difference.
Something a little broader than just religious observance, or for that matter, Marxist doctrine.
Maybe if Q had received his education in Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro or Sydney, instead of the USSR, he would not not have turned into such a monster, would not have embraced a life of criminality and the subjugation of others to his own narcissism, but would have been, instead, some fun-loving travel agent with a quiet existence in Beirut, for example.
The world could be a very different place if people attended good schools and studied the humanities more often, and less of the rigid ideologies and doctrines.
All God ever asked of people was for them to be kind to each other. But when the criminal element gets the upper hand, law enforcement does indeed have to act, and Justice is to be served, the criminal put away, so that decent people can have their normal lives again.
Since so many Arabs and Muslims do just fine under Western systems, I find it an unacceptable and indeed silly argument that "something" fundamentally "prevents" an Arab or a Muslim from enjoying a democratic society and a system based on tolerance and self-determination, rather than cant, extremism and enshrined "tradition" (often a very murky "tradition" at that).
As I have stated, the sheer numbers of unemployed out there pretty much ensures that given the chance, plenty of well-meaning, educated, fluent in Arabic young men and women will turn up if the opportunity arises to come help rebuild & develop Libya, and make it an example to the world of what it means to be young, pro-Western, pro-European, pro-American -- pro-womankind -- pro-youth and pro-freedom -- and at the same time, still Muslim, and still Arab.
I know, from decades teaching and as the daughter and granddaughter of many generations of teachers, actually, that the difference between the fanatic and the enlightened person is just a single thing: the books you are given to read, and the languages you learn, between the ages of 3 and 30.
In other words, education. Books, as well as computers; classical music, as well as pop; dance, as well as sports. That's the difference.
Something a little broader than just religious observance, or for that matter, Marxist doctrine.
Maybe if Q had received his education in Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro or Sydney, instead of the USSR, he would not not have turned into such a monster, would not have embraced a life of criminality and the subjugation of others to his own narcissism, but would have been, instead, some fun-loving travel agent with a quiet existence in Beirut, for example.
The world could be a very different place if people attended good schools and studied the humanities more often, and less of the rigid ideologies and doctrines.
All God ever asked of people was for them to be kind to each other. But when the criminal element gets the upper hand, law enforcement does indeed have to act, and Justice is to be served, the criminal put away, so that decent people can have their normal lives again.