US Military Taught to be "Anti-Islamic?"

[Marauder06]

So al Jazeera is up in arms about purported "anti-Islam" classes taught to the US military.

As the Pentagon reviews all military classes following the disclosure of one that advocated "total war" against Muslims, the news website Al-Jazeera reported Saturday that it had received materials from a similar course and that both were put together by the same group, a nonprofit that offers classes and workshops to military and government officials.

Attached is a document reported to be one of the classes in question.

Here is a link to one of the people named in the article, Stephen Coughlin.

What do you think about the class, the article, and the idea espoused in the article that the US military is being taught to be "anti-Islamic?

 

[IT101]

Normally al Jazeera does some pretty good, relatively unbiased reporting, but this accusation is simply sensationalism created from not understanding the material, much as many Americans misunderstood how SOPA and PIPA worked.

The author clearly points out the definition for many types of levels of fervor towards Islam, especially pointing out how people misunderstand and misuse these common buzz words. He also creates a hypothetical situation, following the exploitation of our complacency in prosecuting the fundamentalists, in which we are required to go on the defensive before moving back to the offense.

Most notable is the explanation of how, when this situation arises, we must look past the protection afforded to religions if our life is on the line.

I'm not much of a between-the-lines kind of person and it is 12:49 in the morn my time, but I fail to see how this directly persecutes Islam in general- it simply states we mustn't be roped in by the bounds of being politically correct all the time.

 

[SpitfireV]

Interesting. Page 7 is the crux of it though, which on a personal level I disagree with.

I have to ask, though, why after 10 years of fighting Jihadis, does the US mil need someone from the outside to teach them about radical Islam?

 

[AWP]

As an admin on this board: I can't wait to referee this thread...

As a user: This is a religious war and if we aren't willing or able to address the threat then any victory is at best a short-term gain.

 

[TH15]

I thought the article was spot on.

The only "issue" I had with the PDF was AQ being takfiri. I am currently reading UBL's biography by Michael Scheuer and he provides exact quotes from bin Laden condemning the takfiri mentality- unless perhaps we're talking about the Shias ;) . Bin Laden himself was also the target for assassination by certain takfiri groups.

My own personal thoughts are:

• We naturally develop animosity towards whomever our enemy is in this country. Whether it was the Germans, Russians, Japanese, or Muslims- that's just how it is.
• If understanding the true nature of Islam is deemed anti-Islamic by someone/anyone, so be it. I think the problem is that not enough people truly understand what Islam is overseas and not in America. (Going by what I've read in books & on this board. No personal experience here.)
• I think someone is trying to make something out of this. Or this is just some politically correct bullshit. Oh, you get upset when we look deeper into a specific religion who claims to be the religion of peace and we find violence/hate/etc.? Please..
• I love how that poll showed that 40 something percent of Jordanians thought that attacks on Israeli citizens weren't terrorism. But 90% thought violence on Palestinians constituted terrorism. Pretty telling.

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

So does this mean I can’t tell soldiers who may possibly be captured and need to E&E to grab the Quran sitting on the prayer blanket, because you never know when you may need some ass wipes or fire kindling?:-"

I wish the Army would develop a program that requires every soldier to study all the contradiction within the Quran, so that they can properly point them out to every Haji they come into contact with.

Oh an Al jazeera can suckit, I hope those Islamic biased, terrorism instigating, war crime fabricating bastards all burn in internal hell.

I agree with you free, this has been a religious war and sooner or later someone in charge of something is just going to have to agree with our enemy when they say exactly that “Jihad on the infidel” yeah, well we did not start it, but we will damn sure finish it......eh....well.....maybe.

FUCK YEAH!

 

[HOLLiS]

Religious war? Marx, "religion is a opiate of the people." Other words it is a tool. A tool to control mobs of people. The mob was never or was ever bright.

The real war is against oppression.

 

[Diamondback 2/2]

The real war is against oppression.

Or at least it should be...but I agree, thats what I was fighting for (freeing the Iraqi people from Sadam and his hintchmen, and keeping America safe) well even if the politics was something else.

 

[JohnnyBoyUSMC]

People in the media (most never having served) don't seem to get a few key points. For one, war isn't always as cut and clean as you would like. Imagine if the internet of CNN was around during WW2, people would have been having a shit storm with some of the things that went down! Second, they also don't realize that part of fighting against a enemy (whether naturally or just a bi-product of how things are) is a certain level of dehumanizing that enemy in order to get the job done. I agree with FreeFalling, as much as we may not want to label it as such, this is a religious war. Not because it's a Christian vs. Islam sort of conflict, but because those that are our enemies are Islamic extremists that justify the horrible shit they do in the name of their religion.

 

[surgicalcric]

I learned to be Anti-Islamic on 9.11; nothing the Army does could match or add to the disdain I have for the religion and those who would have us believe it is a religion of peace.

 

[JohnnyBoyUSMC]

I learned to be Anti-Islamic on 9.11; nothing the Army does could match or add to the disdain I have for the religion and those who would have us believe it is a religion of peace.

Yea you can't really match anything with that, think it did that to us all. These days though plenty of crazy religious people make me worried about my country, just like watching "Jesus Camp" made me afraid of evangelical's

 

[surgicalcric]

... These days though plenty of crazy religious people make me worried about my country, just like watching "Jesus Camp" made me afraid of evangelical's

I will worry about Christianity when the minority hijack that religion to the point they can kill innocent people without being condemned for doing so by the majority of His followers.

 

[policemedic]

I didn't see anything wrong with the presentation. I especially agreed with the author when he said that it is essential to understand how our enemy views himself and that our interpretation of what he thinks he is and how he will fight and what he's willing to do is just plain worthless and dangerous.

 

[JohnnyBoyUSMC]

I will worry about Christianity when the minority hijack that religion to the point they can kill innocent people without being condemned for doing so by the majority of His followers.

true, hence why I'll always prefer people who can think and decide for themselves always over people of any religion who blindly follow.

 

[HOLLiS]

true, hence why I'll always prefer people who can think and decide for themselves always over people of any religion who blindly follow.

I would expand the definition of religion to include philosophy and politics and then I would completely agree with you. People who deliberately harm other people do it, generally for other reasons than the ones they say. Religion, politics, etc are all excuse. They are sociopaths or worse.

 

[Mac_NZ]

When you go to war with someone there is always going to be an aspect of dehumanisation be it their race, religion etc.

I don't think that Islamic militants do what they do because they are all sociopaths, I think they do it because they genuinely believe in what they are doing. Sadly I think one day soon it is going to come down who believes the most and is prepared to fight for it, us in our way of life or they in the perversion of their religion that their leaders instill in them.

 

[JohnnyBoyUSMC]

Religion and politics are always messy and complicated, and more so when you mix them in with war. Personally, the things I put faith in are the men I call brothers at my side, my training, my family, and myself. A straight shooting weapon and air support doesn't hurt either ;)

 

[Mad boomer]

Al Jazeera, isn't that a ABC or NBC affiliate? I was instructed to respect Islam, understand it and acknowledge it in a open minded way at SWC. I'm convinced that the Islamic belief system is not tolerant nor accepting of other faiths no matter what it is regardless. The Koran in my opinion provides for a way of life, a belief system, a judicial system and a government. Peaceful co-existence is impossible in a truly Islamic majority society. A true believer is bound by his sacred faith and mandated to take action at the point that advantage exists. Not an extremist, not a terrorist and not a nut case. A true believer is compelled to act as required. These are not terrorists, not crazy people, and not unfeeling or caring people but believers which makes them even more dangerous and sinister. They are Saracen warriors. Theirs is the righteous cause of true religion to their minds. Hence the culture clash will last and extend until the end of man. As we lower our guard, embrace these people and open the ramparts we endanger our way of life to our folly.

Knights Templar...