Fundamentalism (General)

by Walter, Friday, October 31, 2008, 13:40 (5865 days ago) @ dhw

I've only just become aware of your interesting website, so it may be that someone else has already made the points I would like to make. You say the fundamentalists are out to impose their values on us, and we I the west have been doing the same for centuries, beginning with the crusades and finishing with Iraq. I agree about the crusades, but I dont think its been quite the same after that. The terrorists are motivated by religous fanaticism, whereas the west, and especially Britain and America, are motivated by greed. Iraq was not invaded to spread Christianity, even if Bush and Blair do call themselves Christians. They want the oil. In former times the British grabbed bits of Africa and Asia so they could exploit them. The missionaries were just an excuse to give their greed a religious respectability. The Muslim suicide bombers must really believe they will go to paradise because they are defending the true faith. I think the British and American imperialists are driven by more earthy motives. - In the review, you mentioned the Arab-Israel conflict. The west is always preaching about democracy, but in January 2006 Hamas won a democratic election and the west not only refused to recognize their goverment but actively worked to bring it down. I'm not anti-Jewish, but I don't see how Israel can ever hope for peace if it goes on oppressing the Palestinians and the west refuses to put pressure on them to negotiate with the people they are oppressing. If a democratically elected government represnting the majority is forced out of power, what other course do they have open to them except terrorism?