Opinion Talk

By candide

January 10, 2006 03:24 AM | Link to this

Yes, education would help, but it’s not going to happen. For peace, the truth about Islam would have to be taught — that it is a primitive semitic form of self-delusion. Education would help here too: the truth about Christianity, that it is a primitive semitic form of self-delusion, only slightly modernized over time. Lots of educations is needed to wean us all off religion, the cause of most of our woes.

By Glen Lillquist

January 10, 2006 09:29 AM | Link to this

W.B.Yeats said it all: Education is not the filling of a pail, but the kindling of a fire.”

By Van

January 10, 2006 09:50 AM | Link to this

Education is always the route to a better life. The Arab world has given us great advancements, the concept of zero was not know to the ancient Romans.

On the down side, they are tuaght that if you are not a believer, then you are less than nothing. Tolerance of other faiths is not part of their upbringing.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in a January 5th speech “We don’t shy away from declaring that Islam is ready to rule the world.”. So much for live and let live.

Real peace will only come about when the islamic religius leaders declare that everyone has the right to worship as they please and conversion by the sword is not the way.

By Dan

January 10, 2006 10:09 AM | Link to this

Religion itself is not the problem. It is the tyrants who use it to their advantage. Religion in large part has been responsible for education and the written word through much of recorded history. Not to mention their role as inventors and champions of social type programs that actually help the poor and get them on their feet. (as opposed to todays goverment programs that reward idleness) Dictators communists and feudal societies always discouraged education and religion, the better to increase the reliance of people on the government. I’m not a religious person by any means but is overwhelmingly clear that secular societies have largely failed miserably at the cost of millions of lives lost due to poverty and hunger

By kimberly

January 10, 2006 11:09 AM | Link to this

Why? Ignorance, prejudice, and blind religious zeal isn’t working for them? It’s working GREAT here!

By Carlton Wyatt

January 10, 2006 11:11 AM | Link to this

“Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.” - Denis Diderot (1713-1784)

By RWH

January 10, 2006 12:31 PM | Link to this

Education in no way is the answer to the Arab world. Its people are fighting merely for one thing; to have its world convert to the way they want them. To the Arabs, it not acceptable to be in other religions. Bloodshed has been running red for decades..no end is in sight. Death to them is their way of life…if you consider that life to them in a world where they live. Only the people of Arab countries know what they need and must do … we can comment on this and that; we have not experienced their lives in their world.

By John Mulholland

January 10, 2006 09:34 PM | Link to this

Young and Leonard have cited an aspect of modern Arab cultures that is extremely important and often overlooked. It is well to remember that the Golden Age of the Abbasid Empire was stimulated by the now defunct Mutazalite school of Islamic interpretation of the Koran. It certainly wasn’t free thinking as we, today, would interpret it but by encourageing doubt they opened the door to creativity that, sadly, has never been replicated in the Arab World since. How to encourage creative and free thinking in a way that is acceptable to contemporary Koranic interpretation is a key challenge throughout the Islamic world, and especially the Arab world.

By Mae A. Kendall

January 10, 2006 11:46 PM | Link to this

Title of the article by Ambassador Young and Graham Leonard could well have read: “Obstacles facing the world can be cleared through education: Because, if the all world’s peoples - everywhere - were taught, from early childhood, about all of the blessings, creative powers, possibilities for success, love, intellectual empowerment and peace, we would all live in a glorious world in the absence and pursuit of greed, hatred, and power- hungriness.

One of the most lasting useful, far-reaching educational, intellectual, ethical and cultural benefits in my entire educational sojourn was my undergraduate study, at New York University, of: The Major Religions and Cultures of The World.

How much better prepared would our children be to become trained for lives of “citizens of the Worlds?” They could grow up wanting, seeking, and understanding how to build lives of success; to more comfortably address the increasing challenges which they will inevitably face in a rapidly expanding, multi and intercultural, global society.

How insane is it; how inhumane; how anti-diplomatic; how ignorant; how inconsiderate for human beings to keep killing; destroying, and laying waste the dreams and lives of children, mothers, fathers.and families? Not to mention historically significant and irreplaceable treasures of arts, architecture, and records - some of Biblical and historical importance.

Children, all over the world need opportunities to embrace a future world of possibilities; a world where humankind behave with more civility; with more love for each other; with more quests for multicultural discourse on the intellectual, cultural, and appreciation for life and futuristic thinking and doing in a wonderful, vibrant, plentiful UNIVERSE!

By Kevin

January 11, 2006 05:33 AM | Link to this

Education will not work because the U.S. citizens think they are well-educated but still let beliefs trump science. Alas, the ignorant debate between Evolution science vs. “Inteligent Design” belief.

The U.S. does not have to teach people in the Middle Eastern countries anyway. We just need them to buy into the prevailing dogma in the U.S. The almighty dollar did a great job defeating communism after all.

By Lyrazel

January 11, 2006 07:22 AM | Link to this

Yes, education would help Americans understand the Arab world more than it does but is our educational system in less of a crisis than theirs? Are Georgia teachers capable of teaching about anything except where the Middle East is on a map? Is Arabic even taught in GA public schools? English is obviously taught over there, but is our educational system better to call theirs: fraud? It’s been obvious for a long time most Americans know almost nothing except what is told to us by politicians and news reporters about how wrong people in the Middle East/Arabs are in defending values, society and culture (even if there are more cultures than just Arabs and Jews, Americans only say the 2). Their literature is wrong, they dress wrong, they believe wrong, their educational system is so wrong because they choose faith over facts (uh, anyone for intelligent design debates?) they shout Anti-American chants and thats so wrong! While Americans tolerate religious bias in government and crackpots like Pat Robertson quoting verse and chapter of the bible to condemn Arabs, Jews and anyone not giving donations as evil, Arabs doing it to their own folks must be evil. Americans dont like our PR & Morality being thrown back in our face and we dont like silly foreigners keeping their faith, language or customs when ours is so much better. Maybe with proper education our next slew of politicians will realize the Make The World Obey America Plan is doomed to failure….

By Van

January 11, 2006 10:26 AM | Link to this

Lyrazel, Don’t know where you are coming from, but I don’t think it is in this world. I do not see any attempts by our forces in Iraq to change their culture or values at all.

In this country, anyone can worship or not as they choose.

In some muslim countries, that is not so. In Saudi Arabia you cannot bring a christian bible into the country.

Recently, A British airline(British Midland International) banned its staff from taking Bibles and wearing crucifixes or St. Christopher medals on flights to Saudi Arabia to avoid offending the country’s Muslims.

Why is this intolerance in place?

Why are christian arabs (Lebanon 39% christian) persecuted? Why are converts from islam to christanity persecuted? Why are the displaced Jordanians(palestinians) demanding the right of return, but the displaced jews( kicked out of arab lands) are not allowed the same demand?

This country is very tolerant, we allow people like you, Lyrazel, and Pat Robertson.

By Dan

January 11, 2006 10:59 AM | Link to this

Uh Lyrazel They are talking about educating the Arabs, you know those people systematically repressed by their government in order to be led to do their dirty work. You are looking at the world through a very strange prism

By Brian Curtis

January 11, 2006 11:36 AM | Link to this

I, for one, feel ENORMOUSLY grateful that as a non-Christian, I’m only treated as a second-class citizen rather than beaten and burned at the stake.

Bless, O Christian Masters. (rolling eyes)

Yes, a good spot of education would do wonders to remove the idiocy of fundamentalism … but don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s only needed in Moslem-dominated nations.

By Court

January 11, 2006 01:37 PM | Link to this

It looks way too late for education - war’s on the horizen with Arabs and Muslim’s in what will eventually be a nuclear armed Islamic block that extends from N. Africa, S. Asia (excluding India and few other countries), to the Fillipines. Education will be crucial in being able to keep the USA from disruptive Islamic infestation. France may be lost already to a century of chaos with these Islamic loons. Eventually, laws will be necessary to educate people that Islam isn’t a good thing, and a contrary pernicious influence to the welfare of the Constitution, American law, and ideals.

By Van

January 12, 2006 09:04 AM | Link to this

Brian Curtis, just how are you treated as a second-class citizen? Is there a secret mark on your driver’s license? Does your employeer separate you from the others? Are you limited to shopping only in the non-believers markets? The only place you are second class is in your own brain.

By Court

January 13, 2006 11:32 AM | Link to this

What is needed is education that the Islamic threat is real and that they can win. Perhaps our government needs this education most of all — not Arabs. Islam is pernicious and insidious but its mere availability is also its best selling point to ignorant but presently non-committed followers — Arabs have certainly taken advantage of this. Also, governmental laws that protect Islam and subsidize it, unknowingly give it credibility. One of the key failures in the West is the presumption religion isn’t crucial and can be regarded as a choice of candy upon a shelf, among hundreds of others, all equally sugary treats — and disregard the fact some are poisenous indeed!
Often, intelligent European peoples who choose secular lives, work hard without bigotry, will see to their horror their children swept into the fold of Islam or some ofther fanatical cult. It’s easy to forget the fervor young people can have for ANY religious system — if they don’t already have one. The USA and west generally has had official governmental incentives to downplay religious importance(education). Islam has opportuned this vacume — WITH EDUCATION. Was it a billion Arabs gave to a major US university just a few months back to push Islamic ‘understanding’? It needs to be acknowledged that the vast majority of people will gravitate toward one religion or another, however insane, inept or evil it might be. It’s a gene I’ll wager, but clearly a fact of life. The USA particularly, needs to address the breech in separation of church and state, where the government plays the ‘bank’ in religion. We can no longer afford to patronize and give credibility to this menace to mankind, Islam. Education indeed!

By Logical Dude

January 13, 2006 02:16 PM | Link to this

Dan,

I think they left the question open to interpretation whether the education is for the Arab world, or about the Arab world.

I think Education on all sides would benefit. Education about the perceived foes, as well as education about each belief system.

More one-on-one meetings with people of different cultures is a help. When people take vacation to a different area, they like to feel the local flavor.

If we get more Arabs (and Palestinians, and Iranians, and Afghanis, etc etc) to visit the US to meet Americans for themselves, and get more Americans to visit these areas, a better understanding of each other’s culture will happen, and perhaps some agreements can be reached, and maybe in the distant future, peace. (because the way things are going now, the near future is pretty much mucked up)

By Court

January 17, 2006 05:27 PM | Link to this

The key here is ‘education’ of just what the differences mean between the Islamic/ Arab and Western/Christian worlds. Let’s face it, something is very wrong in the presumption that familiarity with the ‘goodness’ of the West is all that’s needed to ‘educate’ Arabs into closing down ‘terrorism’ when all of the 9/11 killers were well-educated in Western culture, lived for years in the West, spoke English, were affluent at least by Arab standards. First, let’s educate people as to the negative results of the euphamism, ‘Terrorist’ and approach Islam for the source of the problem that must be dealt with.

By Dan

January 18, 2006 08:58 AM | Link to this

I don’t think that instilling familiarity with the “goodness” of west will educate arabs; I think educated arabs will recognize by themselves that the west is not the evil satan that they have been told and that their leaders are actually the ones causing the hardships. That is not to say our society is all positive, but it is more so than any other significant society in the world.

By Court

January 18, 2006 02:00 PM | Link to this

No, the Arab leaders are not causeing the general hostility toward the West, and it is among them we have our best allies. Islam has always been hostile toward the West regardless of any given leadership sice it is more than just religion but a law system(Sharia) and way of life. Perhaps Islamic people see the need to strive now for world power before their wealth in oil runs dry, but certainly Islam is the Arab worlds choice as a means to push for that power. In fact, were the Arabs to vote in a preferred leadership it’d likely be even more supportive of terrorism and violence than we already see from Islamic areas. Certainly polls show Hamas may win in a vote in Palistinian areas, Shiite fanatics are now ruling Iraqi politics, Radicals supportive of OBL would likely win in Pakistan, and we already see the product of democracy in Iran. It would be a waste of time to try and ‘educate’ the Islamic world to be peaceful.