Engaging the Mosque

[Bob's World]

Rex,

I just stumbled into the rant. No way in response to your comments. Just triggered some old memories and current irritations as I was making what was intended to be a simple comment.

I guess complex issues don't really allow simple comments...

Bob

[Ken White]

Well, almost. Bob'sWorld said:

"Americans take an insanely conflicted position on Islam. On one hand we blame the 9/11 attacks and the GWOT in general on Islam ("Extremist Islamic Ideology is the strategic center of gravity"), on the other hand we bend over backward to accomodate our Western perceptions of Islam as we enter their lands to conduct military operations (policies on alcohol, mosques, etc)."

I read similar things in the papers and on the internet but I travel a fair amount and no one I actually talk to expresses such sentiments. Either direction. Unless they're repeating the media or some talking head (which contrary to said media and Hollywood, very few Americans actually do. Fortunately). Few are inclined to blame Islam for all things or to say that Islamist ideology is a or the center of gravity -- that, BTW, is a much overused and abused term; Center of Gravity, I mean -- nor do I run across many willing to give Islam a pass on some of their more inane mutterings.

Thus I'm not sure most Americans are particularly conflicted about Islam. Some are, no question but most, I don't think so. Thus that would appear to me to be a matter of context as in who expresses such sentiments or conflicts -- and why...

Rex said:

"Similarly, most Americans would be happy to invite a Muslim to their local church—but presumably would get rather more upset if it was (say) Iranian combat troops searching for American "resistance fighters."

Possibly. My guess would be about 5-10% would be truly upset on the religious angle, about the same amount would be angry over the military angle and another 40-60% would yell about it just for the heck of it and because it would be something to gripe about and perhaps garner some sympathy.

Like you, I've wandered in and out of mosques all over the ME with nary a problem. That leads me to believe that my guesstimate for annoyed Americans in your scenario is a fairly close match to the percentages of Muslims and their reasons for the protests over the 'violation of mosques' by infidels...

As you say, context is important...

[George L. Singleton]

Man, what an interesting, experience filled, and adroit discussion.

Islam today in Pakistan, and for that matter Afghanistan, is another world compared to when I served there 1963-1965. Simply said.

I went back on active duty (volunteered) from my reserve slot in USSOCOM, and was Assistant Deputy Commander for Airlift at Charleston AFB, for the short Desert Storm War.

At Charleston AFB, as compared to Dover AFB as noted by our paratrooper good contributor who was then enroute from KY via Dover to the theater of operations in Saudi, we allowed groups to come on base and give out Gideon Bibles.

Yes, in days of yore I, too, was many times TDY through Saudi. I recall one very upset USAF Major put onto a flight I was on enroute to Wheelus AFB, Libya, who had just been declared "personal non grata" and kicked out of Saudi for...displaying a Christmas tree he had airlifted in from Europe in the window of his Saudi staff house!

I reguarly used to go to the US Embassy Commissary in Karachi and sent downto our boys in Daharan bottles of booze in the mid 1960s, at a mere $1.00 a bottle, gladly paid by a poor First Lieutenant, me.

In return, occasionally, our flight crews (known initialy during my tour of duty as ALC, then renamed MAC) coming through/from Daharan would drop of unexpected, uninvited, but glad to have leather goods, one leather carry all bag lo these many years later I still use on the odd trip as a carry on bag.

There are at least 25 or 26 different Arabic interpretations of their Holy Quran, and thereby more disconnects and conflicting/contradictory/confusing statements/interpretations as mankind of that belief system can imagine. I read this fact on one of "their", i.e, Pukthun, blog site discussions last week.

[skiguy]

Man, what an
There are at least 25 or 26 different Arabic interpretations of their Holy Quran, and thereby more disconnects and conflicting/contradictory/confusing statements/interpretations as mankind of that belief system can imagine. I read this fact on one of "their", i.e, Pukthun, blog site discussions last week.

The same could be said about Christianity too.