This is a country we call an allie..

[SaburoS]

Naw, won't happen.

[lazs2]

subaru... notice something about those pics... they are mostly of men... when women are shown.. they look like ancient crone bag ladies.     They are bundled up like they have some rare skin disease and must avoid contact with the sun.

Not too many swimsuit pics.. not a lot of bars and such shown..  not a lot of movie houses and such.

lazs

[MiloMorai]

To bad some American women don't cover up.

[Stang]

WTF Milo, lawl.

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by Neubob
I know you're just trying to draw a loose parallel, but come on...

The Russians fought and died, not so much for the alliance as for their own survival. They gave up more than most can imagine, and earned the respect they got--or failed to get. Much of their population, not to mention landscape, was forever altered in those few years.

When have the Saudis been up against the wall like that, and when did they sacrifice and commit themselves in a comparable manner? Allowing the US to stage an invasion from their soil and making a token effort to assist in what was already such a lopsided fight hardly counts.

Stalin killed Soviets then you can imagine!

[Tiger]

Originally posted by SaburoS
Absolutely. Of all our allies, they really do come closest to hating us. 75% of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. I do believe all of the 9/11 terrorists were Sunni.

100% of the Terrorists that blew up the OKC federal building were from the US... does that mean we should lump all Americans into the same pot???

[SaburoS]

Originally posted by Tiger
100% of the Terrorists that blew up the OKC federal building were from the US... does that mean we should lump all Americans into the same pot???

No Tiger.
I was making the case we seem to be lumping the Shia (Iran) as the enemy. They are not. Of the one to one and a half billion muslims, only a fraction of a fraction are radical. Just like Americans via Fed building explosion or abortion clinic bombings.

[FBplmmr]

Originally posted by SaburoS
Absolutely. Of all our allies, they really do come closest to hating us. 75% of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. I do believe all of the 9/11 terrorists were Sunni.

I do not want anyone to take this out of context though. Between the Sunni or Shia, the Shia generally have a more benevolent atmosphere towards their women.

Here are some images of Iran that I found.

Ok If I start some type cult-like group or gang and I live in say ..Florida, would it not be reasonable to assume that many or most of my followers would be from Florida?

Later when I move my 'church/treehouse' if I still have my roots in Florida its still likely that people will discover me through Florida, especially if I am a somewhat secret organization.

[Saxman]

Incidentally, I've read a sizable part of the REAL Sharia laws, and what's being practiced now by Saudi Arabia and was was formerly instituted by the Taliban isn't even a strict and ultra-conservative INTERPRETATION, this is something else ENTIRELY unrelated.

A literal reading of Sharia still gives considerable rights to women. The Taliban, Saudis and many other ultra-conservative Islamic governments actually take the rights and protections guaranteed by Sharia AWAY.

[AKIron]

Too bad we have such an appetite for oil. I'd like nothing better than to leave these people to their lunacy.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,311947,00.html

KABUL, Afghanistan —  A teenage boy who was teaching English at a local school was dragged into the street and executed by Taliban militants, the provincial police chief reported.

[SirLoin]

I wonder what rights women had in Iraq under Saddam's rule?...And Saudi Arabia is an allied nation?

Religion is killing this planet...i do believe in a great "creator" though..Your mother...and these "great creators" are treated like dirt/vermin in Islamic states to suppress them from having a voice and effecting change.

so you can see why MAN invented God(not the other way around)


if you want to worship something,give your mother some flowers on YOUR birthday.

[lazs2]

I don't believe that religion... freely entered into and seperate from the government is evil at all.

I believe that it is a good thing.   when it is bad is when it is part of the government... when it's laws are the law of the land.

It gets worse as the religion gets more fundamentalist and rooted into the cruelty of the dark ages.

You don't want religious police holding down someone on the street and cutting out their tongue because they blashphemed for instance.

lazs

[Saxman]

Religion is an individual choice, and an individual belief. I wholly disagree with the concept of organized religion for precisely that reason: Inevitably, a few or even one will attempt to impose their personal view of God on the others.

Or to quote Noranti: Religions are fine, lofty ideals. Religious followers, that's another matter.

[lazs2]

It may be "inevitable" but.. we need freedom of religion.  The way it needs to work tho is that the government needs to have a strong bill of rights that no religion can take precidence over.

To say that you are against organized religion is like saying you are against air.  meaningless.    People have the right to organize in their religion.   they have the right to congregate.  they do not have the right to hold you down and cut out your tongue because they don't like what you said.   you have the right to free speech that trumps that.

lazs