Posted on Jan 17, 2015
Not all Muslims are terrorists; but all terrorists are Muslim?
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It has been said more times than I care to count, but is it true? Not even remotely close....
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/14/are-all-terrorists-muslims-it-s-not-even-close.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/01/14/are-all-terrorists-muslims-it-s-not-even-close.html
Religion
Terrorism
Social Media
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 22
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I would say the article's author is bending the truth to suit his thesis. Is it the media that crashed those planes on 9/11 2001? Nope. It was Islamic terrorists. We can tiptoe around it, but there's no denying the fact that, for example, ISIS is a brutal Islamic terrorist organization. Comparing nut jobs like those terrorists (and their ilk) to Jewish settlers is not intellectually honest.
This statement, for example, attempts (I assume) to compare murderers in the USA to terrorists. I think we would all agree there's a difference:
"And as a 2014 study by University of North Carolina found, since the 9/11 attacks, Muslim-linked terrorism has claimed the lives of 37 Americans. In that same time period, more than 190,000 Americans were murdered."
This statement, for example, attempts (I assume) to compare murderers in the USA to terrorists. I think we would all agree there's a difference:
"And as a 2014 study by University of North Carolina found, since the 9/11 attacks, Muslim-linked terrorism has claimed the lives of 37 Americans. In that same time period, more than 190,000 Americans were murdered."
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TSgt Joshua Copeland
My best guess here is that for the State Dept numbers they are citing, they are considering drug cartels, gangs and separatist as terrorist. That wouldn't be wrong. The IRA is a terrorist org.
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COL Ted Mc
CW5 (Join to see) Mr. Montgomery; I tend to both agree and disagree with you. There is a bit of conflation of "murderers" and "terrorists" in the article, but the fact remains that the ODDS ON you being killed by a "murderer" are higher than those for you being killed by a "terrorist".
As far as "equating" a group of murderous sociopaths with a group of murderous nut jobs or with a group of "Jewish settlers", it isn't the identity of the members of the group that counts it is the METHODS which are used that counts.
"Terrorism" is neither an ideology or a philosophy - it is a method/tactic and, regardless of ethnic/national/religious/political background those who use that method/tactic are "terrorists". (Unless, of course, you agree with what they are trying to do in which case they are "freedom fighters".)
As far as "equating" a group of murderous sociopaths with a group of murderous nut jobs or with a group of "Jewish settlers", it isn't the identity of the members of the group that counts it is the METHODS which are used that counts.
"Terrorism" is neither an ideology or a philosophy - it is a method/tactic and, regardless of ethnic/national/religious/political background those who use that method/tactic are "terrorists". (Unless, of course, you agree with what they are trying to do in which case they are "freedom fighters".)
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SSgt (Join to see)
SSG P, B Those who say terrorists are not terrorists are obtuse idiots. They know good and well it is terrorism and largely Muslim but lying comes easy to the Emperor's court of Jesters.
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There is a direct and immediate connection between violence and the act of political coercion. When we think of this, we can realize that religion isn't a factor to defining terrorism; it's just another interchangeable variable. Think of the Weather Underground, Red Army Faction, Aum Shinrikyo, Continuity Irish Republican Army. It only happens to be Islamic which is our current and international trend as Capt Richard I P. pointed out.
The organization must engage in terrorist activity as defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or terrorism as defined in theForeign Relations Authorization Act. And our State Department has a list which (by the way) is updated as status has shown to change. Some groups are NEVER going to be down delisted; NEVER EVER EVER!!
It would be naive for us to wage a religious war in the 21st Century. It's like a race war (as some of our domestic terrorist organizations are formulating). To fight against all Muslims is exactly what Abu Bakr el-Baghdady wants to happen. Short answer: no, not all terrorists are Muslim.
The organization must engage in terrorist activity as defined in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) or terrorism as defined in theForeign Relations Authorization Act. And our State Department has a list which (by the way) is updated as status has shown to change. Some groups are NEVER going to be down delisted; NEVER EVER EVER!!
It would be naive for us to wage a religious war in the 21st Century. It's like a race war (as some of our domestic terrorist organizations are formulating). To fight against all Muslims is exactly what Abu Bakr el-Baghdady wants to happen. Short answer: no, not all terrorists are Muslim.
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SSgt (Join to see)
Muslims must take care of this thing and stop trying to say that everyone else is too and it is not Muslim. I am getting so sick of this silliness.
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As you provided in the link, TSgt Joshua Copeland, not all terrorists are Muslim.
The fact that this article exists in the first place, demonstrates a few possibilities in our day-to-day reality:
1) Some journalist is out of material, and a deadline is approaching.
2) Perfect example of the media relying on outrage of the lowest common denominators in US society.
3) Every Muslim is actually determined to destroy America.
4) News article demonstrating how stupid Americans are.
I have four convicted child molesters living within a half-mile radius of my home. Those are my terrorists. Two of them attend the town's mega-million dollar Baptist church.
I will never buy into the "fact" that a particular religion deters members of a population from horrendous acts. And I will never accept that some religions actually encourage the infliction of pain and death on others on principle.
In other words, there's a whole lotta NOPE here, both with the article and the implications of it.
The fact that this article exists in the first place, demonstrates a few possibilities in our day-to-day reality:
1) Some journalist is out of material, and a deadline is approaching.
2) Perfect example of the media relying on outrage of the lowest common denominators in US society.
3) Every Muslim is actually determined to destroy America.
4) News article demonstrating how stupid Americans are.
I have four convicted child molesters living within a half-mile radius of my home. Those are my terrorists. Two of them attend the town's mega-million dollar Baptist church.
I will never buy into the "fact" that a particular religion deters members of a population from horrendous acts. And I will never accept that some religions actually encourage the infliction of pain and death on others on principle.
In other words, there's a whole lotta NOPE here, both with the article and the implications of it.
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SSgt (Join to see)
That beheading of a Muslim woman in a parking lot is what it is about with abuse of women in the Middle East. Muslim women are angry as they should be. When I posted an article by a Muslim lady that has fatimas against her, she keeps firing back. Most of the people who criticize Christians don't give a damn about that stuff.
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SFC (Join to see)
People at West Hemisphere often mix up Islam with radical Islam. There is a huge difference in ones. Radicals use religion as a leverage by twisting Q'uran and influencing people in the any way they want, and they have been pretty successful with it, especially amongst poor population, gaining their trust and support. We just have to learn to how filter them out and be proactive towards any hostile intents against our country and others in need.
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Author is missing the point of why islamic terrorism is different. Its not because they are muslim or the % of terrorist acts they perpetrate. Its because you can take a video camera into a LOT of muslim countries or enclaves and find people cheering for, praising, encouraging and justifying such acts. No one was praising the killing in Norway, no one is praising the other terrorist acts he names except the people who are members of those groups, ie a very small minority. But when a large portion of 1.5 billion people praise a terrorist act its a big deal. He is conflating issues so badly it puts into question what his real goal is.
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LtCol Dennis Ivan
New Poll of Muslim Countries Finds Large Support for Terrorists | Clarion Project
The country with the worst trend is Turkey. It is the only country where support for suicide bombings has increased.
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LtCol Dennis Ivan
I'll low ball it and call it 5%.. 5% of 1.5 billion is 75 million.... 75 million mostly support or sometimes support suicide bombing and have "favorable" views of hamas, hezbollah, al qaeda, and the taliban.... But hey, its just 75 million (very low ball).... But yeah, your random youtube videos are much more convincing than a pew research poll of muslim populations across the muslim world with thousands of responses.
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Capt Gregory Prickett
LtCol Dennis Ivan
ROTFL. You're going to cite Clarion? They are an advocate group, bent on escalating the fear of Islamic terrorists in the west. What are the names of their projects? "The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision For America," "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West," and "Iranium." Isn't this the same group that has Ryan Mauro as one of its "experts" - the same Mauro who was a self-declared national security expert at age 18?
Really?
No wonder you claimed non-theists were 0.1% of the world's population instead of the actual 16.3%. You're using crappy sources.
LOL. Good work major....
ROTFL. You're going to cite Clarion? They are an advocate group, bent on escalating the fear of Islamic terrorists in the west. What are the names of their projects? "The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision For America," "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West," and "Iranium." Isn't this the same group that has Ryan Mauro as one of its "experts" - the same Mauro who was a self-declared national security expert at age 18?
Really?
No wonder you claimed non-theists were 0.1% of the world's population instead of the actual 16.3%. You're using crappy sources.
LOL. Good work major....
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LtCol Dennis Ivan
Actually no. I'm citing Pew Research. The thing about research is, you could follow the link I provided like any HS student would or you could have followed through to the link to the Pew research article provided in the story which is where they got the numbers. Given you didn't even read the article, based on your response, I doubt you even saw it. But you are free to call Pew research a right wing organization. They do list the exact questions they ask and the sample size etc. Kinda hard to refute. Again, you can continue to display your maturity, or lack of it. It doesn't bother me, but it's becoming rather sad at this point.
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No not at all. Just look at abortion clinic bombings, the KKK (a terrorist organization by any definition of the phrase), or the Christian religion (Crusades, Inquisition, Slavery, Segregation, Apartheid, Opposition of Same-sex marriage, opposition of separate race marriage). Terrorism is exclusive to extremists in a society that refuses to consider extremist ideas as valid for discussion and discourse. For anyone who cares to actually investigate the primary reason for Muslim extremism in the Middle East has extremely little to do with religion and in fact almost exclusively has to do with economic status. Basically, people are more willing to commit acts of violence when they are poor, not when they are Muslim. Look at the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) in Africa, or people like Scott Roeder.
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LtCol Dennis Ivan
Thats not really true. People in extreme poverty are more willing to kill over small issues but they dont make up the ranks of the more extreme effective terrorists that you can point to.
The 9/11 bombers were middle class or better families. Ted Kacynsk was upper class. Extremism is a much more complicated dynamic than just economic position. It goes to family values, closeness of family, degree of isolation, age / maturity, proximity of influencers, and so on. A middle class kid in the US is just as vulnerable to become a terrorist for some extreme cause as a poor kid in the middle east. The westerners trying to travel to the middle east to support isis, the green terrorists burning down buildings, racial terrorists in the KKK or Black Panthers, are usually middle class.
The 9/11 bombers were middle class or better families. Ted Kacynsk was upper class. Extremism is a much more complicated dynamic than just economic position. It goes to family values, closeness of family, degree of isolation, age / maturity, proximity of influencers, and so on. A middle class kid in the US is just as vulnerable to become a terrorist for some extreme cause as a poor kid in the middle east. The westerners trying to travel to the middle east to support isis, the green terrorists burning down buildings, racial terrorists in the KKK or Black Panthers, are usually middle class.
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I don't think so.... while Muslim may be highest on the radar due to world activities, don't forget such groups as Neo-Nazi/white supremacy groups, Westburo Baptist, any one of a number of neighborhood gangs (Bloods, Crips, Mexican Mafia...the list goes on)... Any individual that tries to control people through fear and/or intimidation fits the bill for being a terrorist.
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Capt Richard I P.
Capt Gregory Prickett I'd say any useful definition of terrorism requires it to target civilians only.
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TSgt Joshua Copeland
Capt Richard I P., I have to respectfully disagree. I would say that if you have to qualify it beyond it's actual definition, I would go as far as to say actions taken by any person or parties against another person or parties that does not comply with the established international laws of war.
Targeting a recruiting office by a terrorist group is not the same as two groups of lawful combatants fighting within the rule of law. Just because both targets are military does not make them the same.
Targeting a recruiting office by a terrorist group is not the same as two groups of lawful combatants fighting within the rule of law. Just because both targets are military does not make them the same.
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Capt Richard I P.
TSgt Joshua Copeland Capt Gregory Prickett I think we just found RP's next great topic.
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-is-terrorism
https://www.rallypoint.com/answers/what-is-terrorism
What is Terrorism? | RallyPoint
Here on RP we've done a lot of talking about Terrorism, but it occurred to me we don't agree about what Terrorism is. Words have meaning, so we should probably hash this one out. It appears to be a pretty big task: Wikipedia says "There is neither an academic nor an international legal consensus regarding the definition of the term terrorism" So let's look at it. A lot of us here have been involved in a "Global War on Terror". What have we...
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