Quote Originally Posted by Brandon Friedman View Post
I'm not going to get sucked into broad-brushing a billion Muslims here. That's absurd. Of course we don't respect men who abuse women or who practice honor killings. But when you walk into a city like, say, Baghdad with the mentality and preconception that the inhabitants are a bunch of wife-beating, 11th century savages, then you're setting yourself up for failure.
I live amongst Arabs, albeit where they are a minority (20%). Rub shoulders with them everyday, and buy my bread and coffee from them, and talk to them once in a while - usually about football ..Eyuh!. Good folks.. mostly.

The secret to peaceful co-existence is mostly good behaviour.

Quote Originally Posted by marct View Post
Hmm, I'm not sure about the first - 'tis a little too optimistic for me.
Me too. Yes, you probably have to beat it into Rifleman F*cknuts, and Cpl Doomweeby, via 3 hours of lectures and make it very plain that any transgression will result in sever penalties, but I am strongly against the "they have a point," justification of beliefs that run contrary the values of the organisation you might be in.

Wilf, I had no idea that you hated 19th century British culture so much !
I am a product of it! I am a walking talking 1899 public School boy! My wife get irritated when I call here countrymen "The natives," and complains that it is very patronising the use the same tone of voice with the locals, that she has heard me use, when talking to pets!
Poor girl is a foreigner, so can't understand!