Muslim..Out Reachthe crusadesNo.. it should never be taught Marty, but it still is what they think happened, and it does still affect the way the middle east feels about many issues.. including jihad.
All I am suggesting is that sometimes, we can go on the offensive. Use the arguements against Christianity, and turn them around. Add surprise, so that before an arguement is raised, we acknowledge it could be.
Scorpion made comments about the acts of the nazi's and muslims, and rightly so in the case of those who perpetrated those events. This was published this week in yahoo.. you might find it interesting reading.
RIYADH (AFP) - Saudi Arabia said it has seized about 300 explosives belts and nearly 24 tonnes of explosive materials in its hunt for terror suspects, and aired confessions by "members of terror cells."
An interior ministry statement said the seizures by security forces over the past six months also included more than 300 rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and launchers and more than 430 hand grenades, some locally made and others produced abroad.
The same statement, quoted by the state news agency SPA, carried "recorded remarks" of seven men described as "members of terror cells" about the circumstances of their involvement in terrorist activities.
The men were subsequently shown on state television making their remarks, although their faces were deliberately blurred.
The statement said security forces had also seized 1,020 weapons such as Kalashnikov assault rifles, guns and automatic rifles, more than 352,300 rounds of ammunition and 674 detonators "for use in 350 bombings".
Communications equipment, timers and equipment to set up truck bombs were also seized.
Security forces "were able to thwart many criminal terrorist operations that were in the final phases of planning," the statement said.
Saudi authorities arrested hundreds of suspected Islamist extremists in the wake of three simultaneous attacks on expatriate housing complexes in the Saudi capital last May 12 that killed 35 people, including eight Americans.
But suicide bombers suspected of links with the Al-Qaeda terror network struck again on November 8, setting off a car bomb in another Riyadh expatriate housing complex and killing 17 people, mostly Arabs.
The ministry statement said security forces had detained "a large number" of people used as "terror tools," without giving specific numbers, as well as other suspects.
The statement said investigations had shown that those who had carried out attacks espoused "deviant ideas" and were egged on by extremists who distorted the teachings of Islam and took advantage of their "ignorance and young age."
Some had admitted their mistakes and surrendered, which means that "not everyone should be lumped in the same basket," it said.
"They (inciters) take advantage of the ignorance of youths ... and distort (Islamic) texts," inciting them to commit acts of terror such as "slaughtering the king or bombing the Americans" in exchange for "paradise," said one of the men shown on television and cited in the ministry statement.
"We hear the tapes of Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)," said another in a reference to the Saudi-born chief of Al-Qaeda, who was stripped of his citizenship a decade ago.
Describing how they had been brainwashed, the men also cited the influence of "mujahedeen" who fought in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and "fatwas," or religious edicts, appearing on the Internet.
Some said the indoctrination included "takfeer," or branding other Muslims as heretics.
"He spoke of jihad (holy war) and supporting Muslims ... He initially did not speak of takfeer ... but he ultimately branded the (Saudi) state as heretical," said one of the men in reference to the unnamed person who incited him to resort to violence.
Other purported confessions mentioned a camp at an undisclosed site where militants were trained in the use of "light weapons," such as machine-guns, and another camp in the holy city of Mecca where militants underwent training in "dismantling, assembling and firing" weapons.
"Saudi youth can only be influenced through religion, for two reasons: the lack of (true) religious knowledge in the Saudi street in general, and the failure of ulema (religious scholars) to tackle this issue head on," said one.
Saudi Arabia has said a number of times that it uncovered terror cells and seized weapons since launching a massive crackdown on militants last year.
It has also published names of wanted suspects and security forces have repeatedly clashed with gunmen.
I would say, our own christian history speaks of the same delusion.. that in the name of Jesus, many have gone on their own personal crusades and when we point out the truth to others of what their fellow believers are doing, we have to at least acknowledge to ourselves, if not publically, that the same charge could be pointed our way.
In His love
Carol
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