Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy
Banned
Having trouble with the quote boxes? In case anyone's wondering, 3) and 4) are quotes from one of my posts.
Logical Middle East Borders
- Thread starter rowmaster
- Start date
Leo Caesius
Banned
No, I'm afraid you're quite wrong.
You have this strange idea that the Kurds are one united people. They are divided linguistically (Kurmanji and Sorani Kurdish are sufficiently different to be considered separate languages), religiously (into Sunni, Shiah, and various heterodox sects such as the Ahl-e Haqq and the Yazidis, not to mention the longstanding divide between Qadiri Sufis and Naqshbandi Sufis), politically (into conservatives who support the rule of religious leaders (mullahs and pirs) and the landowning class (aghas) and liberals, general Marxists, who oppose these things), and tribally. While the Kurds have suffered much at the hands of their neighbors, they have suffered just as much if not more at the hands of each other, as these factions are all too willing to sell one another up the river.
At the turn of the century, Palestine was ethnically homogeneous, too; until the people who had been booted out some time before showed up again.
You have this strange idea that the Kurds are one united people. They are divided linguistically (Kurmanji and Sorani Kurdish are sufficiently different to be considered separate languages), religiously (into Sunni, Shiah, and various heterodox sects such as the Ahl-e Haqq and the Yazidis, not to mention the longstanding divide between Qadiri Sufis and Naqshbandi Sufis), politically (into conservatives who support the rule of religious leaders (mullahs and pirs) and the landowning class (aghas) and liberals, general Marxists, who oppose these things), and tribally. While the Kurds have suffered much at the hands of their neighbors, they have suffered just as much if not more at the hands of each other, as these factions are all too willing to sell one another up the river.
Kurdish settlement in the lowlands of Northern Iraq and the Jezira region of Syria is a product of the 20th century, particularly the oil industry (which created jobs in areas like Kirkuk). Prior to the 50s or so, Kirkuk had a Turkoman majority; the city still has no Kurdish majority. Are you saying that we should boot them as well? The decidedly non-Kurdish Assyrian and Armenian communities in what you call Kurdistan date back at least two millennia if not more. Do you want to boot them out too?
At the turn of the century, Palestine was ethnically homogeneous, too; until the people who had been booted out some time before showed up again.gianluca790
Banned
say what?
Although I think Abdul may have been saying that European guilt over the holocaust played a fair part in acceptance of the Israeli state.[/quote]
You mean the creation of Isreal had nothing to do with punishing the Arabs for resisting the Crusaders in the Middle Ages, as well as creating a convenient target upon which the global plague of Anglo-European anti-Semitism can unleash its full fury? The creation of Israel serves the more Fundamentalist followers of Christ well, as well as providing fuel for their racist fantasies. The Liberal intellectuals that control policy in the democracies that make up the Western World have all become too blind to the truth, due to their all too rationalist, rationalized concerns, to see this fact. Not only does the creation of Israel subject the hated Jewish Christ-killers to endless bloody persecution, it allows Anglo-Europeans in the whole world to justify getting involved in the Middle East to protect our "Brothers of the Book" against persecution by the hated Arabs, who should have all been killed a long time ago, specifically in the Middle Ages. We get their oil, and feel good about doing a charitable thing at the same time. Everyone wins, except the hated Semites, both the Jews and the Arabs. I am surprised no one sees this, except me. I do not hate anyone, I just happen to have a clearer picture of the way things have been developing in the Middle East since the expulsion of the Jews and the destruction of the temple in 79 AD.
Although I think Abdul may have been saying that European guilt over the holocaust played a fair part in acceptance of the Israeli state.[/quote]
You mean the creation of Isreal had nothing to do with punishing the Arabs for resisting the Crusaders in the Middle Ages, as well as creating a convenient target upon which the global plague of Anglo-European anti-Semitism can unleash its full fury? The creation of Israel serves the more Fundamentalist followers of Christ well, as well as providing fuel for their racist fantasies. The Liberal intellectuals that control policy in the democracies that make up the Western World have all become too blind to the truth, due to their all too rationalist, rationalized concerns, to see this fact. Not only does the creation of Israel subject the hated Jewish Christ-killers to endless bloody persecution, it allows Anglo-Europeans in the whole world to justify getting involved in the Middle East to protect our "Brothers of the Book" against persecution by the hated Arabs, who should have all been killed a long time ago, specifically in the Middle Ages. We get their oil, and feel good about doing a charitable thing at the same time. Everyone wins, except the hated Semites, both the Jews and the Arabs. I am surprised no one sees this, except me. I do not hate anyone, I just happen to have a clearer picture of the way things have been developing in the Middle East since the expulsion of the Jews and the destruction of the temple in 79 AD.