What is at the Root of US / Islamic Tension?

Given recent world events, I have to wonder, what is really at the root of US / Islamic tension and distrust today?

Is it the long-running alliance between the US and Israel? Would the US have to break its ties with Israel to be trusted by Muslims?

Is the Islamic religion inherently incompatible with the US as a world superpower? If so, how is it that so many Muslims live peacefully and happily in the US?

Is it that Islam tends toward a theocratic state, while the US is steadfastly secular? Can theocracies and secular states peacefully co-exist in the world? Can Islam thrive within the boundaries of a strictly secular state, as Christianity has in the US?

Or is it this characterization of the problem entirely incorrect? If that's the case, how can people be made to see the true nature of the issue?

I wonder if the chronic nature of this conflict indicates that any current attempts at peace are treating the symptoms, not the source, of the conflict. What is the source?

Originally posted by Saltman
Is it the long-running alliance between the US and Israel? Would the US have to break its ties with Israel to be trusted by Muslims?

Personally I believe that the answer is political(economical?), not religious. After all Saudi Arabia is an ally of the States, 100% Muslim.

Edit to add: Basically it's about money and POWER.

[edit on 24-2-2006 by intrepid]

If you were really interested in the subject you'd discover that the US and "Islamic/Arabic" states have been butting heads for quite some time. I'll refer you to the Triploitan War, where Barbary Coast pirates had been harassing US Frigates and trade ships for years, and forcing the US to pay tribute for safe passage. Well, the US finally decided enough was enough when the pirates had captured the frigate USS Philadelphia in 1803, and had taken its entire crew prisoner. This triggered the first ever instance of US Military personnel on foreign soil, and with the US victory at the port of Derna, firmly established the United States as a capable military power. Peace soon followed in 1805.

While this is hardly the root of tension today, it's just interesting to really know how long the US relationship with Islamic nations has really been.

If you didn't know, the Barbary Coast pirate problem/Tripolitan War took place in/about modern day Libya.

[edit on 24/2/06 by Conquistadork]

[edit on 24/2/06 by Conquistadork]

Originally posted by Saltman
Given recent world events, I have to wonder, what is really at the root of US / Islamic tension and distrust today?

Is it the long-running alliance between the US and Israel? Would the US have to break its ties with Israel to be trusted by Muslims?

Is the Islamic religion inherently incompatible with the US as a world superpower? If so, how is it that so many Muslims live peacefully and happily in the US?

Is it that Islam tends toward a theocratic state, while the US is steadfastly secular? Can theocracies and secular states peacefully co-exist in the world? Can Islam thrive within the boundaries of a strictly secular state, as Christianity has in the US?

Or is it this characterization of the problem entirely incorrect? If that's the case, how can people be made to see the true nature of the issue?

I wonder if the chronic nature of this conflict indicates that any current attempts at peace are treating the symptoms, not the source, of the conflict. What is the source?

the real problem is OIL this has turned it into a religous conflict. muslims dont like non-muslim armies/millitries on there soil becuase its against there religon and also insulting. while since arabs have oil america feels it needs to have a presence in that region becuase of the strategic need for oil. this is whats causing the bulk of the conflict even bin ladin himself has said his goal is too remove american/western millitries out of muslim countries and to stop american influence on arab governments.

also he double standards and god like status america and the west have given to the jews in israel vs the animal like status the arabs are given by the america/west.

From what I learnt from history is that American-Islamic tension has its roots from a religious stand point and it has evolve throughout history into one of economic control.

Well here's the three main issues :

1) Opposing Viewpoint : Religions are a strong pillar in one's life and these kinds of people make their decisions about life based on their religious belief. Muslims and Christians have been in each other's throats for centuries and honestly, much have changed but the mind set is still there. While most Christians undergo renaissance and industrialized into modern man, a whole lot of Muslims (most of them in the Middle East) were "retarded" in education. Consequently, it led to them holding on dearly to principle of anti-Christianity because that's all that they know.

2) U.S support for Israel : Israel played a major role in adding fuel to the anti-America fire that was building in the Middle East. Most Arab/Muslim countries does not want to recognize Israel as a nation but rather as a occupying force that has imperialist plans--Zionism. If I'm not wrong only three Arab/Muslim countries officially recognize Israel's existence. That being said, anti-Zionism is a real and present threat that we must debug from Arab mentality. Since U.S supports Israel, they too have become a target in the Arab crosshair.

3) Oil Supremacy : This may not be a strong point but still, Arab states see American influence in the Middle East as an excuse to have a foot hole or, if possible, a hand in deciding how the oil is going to be used. U.S need to control the oil and by doing so they will most probably and definitely have control of the world's economy.

Mix this brew and you get a whole load of problems.

I believe the root of tensions was something called......what was it now....thinking here.......damn it starts with a 9 or september.....ermmm..damn I just cant get it!

OH! 9/11!


Dont forget who started the war please....

before this they could of set up 90 'caliphates' and we wouldnt of cared....

Originally posted by XphilesPhan
I believe the root of tensions was something called......what was it now....thinking here.......damn it starts with a 9 or september.....ermmm..damn I just cant get it!

OH! 9/11!

Dont forget who started the war please....

before this they could of set up 90 'caliphates' and we wouldnt of cared....

what are you talking about america has been in the middle east killing people since 1940 almost 60 years before 9/11/2001 attacks even happened.

america and britain overthrew the leaders of iran and replaced then with a dictator the Shah almost 40 years before 9/11/2001 atatcks.

america assiniated people in the middle east decades before 9/11.

america and britain gave palestinian land to the european jews against the wishes of the native arabs in 1947 decades before 9/11/2001 attacks even happened.

america britian have been manipulating the geo-politics of the region for almost 60 years (britian has been there since 1900) killing,manipulatin,modifyed,altering and attacking the region for there own goals and becuase of this millions of people have been killed. i thinks its safe to say we started the war against the muslims and arabs and now they are fighting back and it has nothing to do with there religon look at northen ireland they have white people who are chritians when britian meddeled around in there buisness they started to use terrorism including pipe bomb attacks, car bombs and sucide bombs(they used to kidnap people families from rival christian sects and force the father to carry out suicide bombs against british targets) sound familiar to anybody everywhere britain and america go everybody wants to kill them vietnam,middle-east,ireland etc...

Originally posted by Heartagram
1) Opposing Viewpoint : Religions are a strong pillar in one's life and these kinds of people make their decisions about life based on their religious belief. Muslims and Christians have been in each other's throats for centuries and honestly, much have changed but the mind set is still there. While most Christians undergo renaissance and industrialized into modern man, a whole lot of Muslims (most of them in the Middle East) were "retarded" in education. Consequently, it led to them holding on dearly to principle of anti-Christianity because that's all that they know.

muslims are not anti-christian but christians are anti-muslim. christians do not recognise arabs as human beings and never have they dont care about muslims and are happy to loot and plunder there natural resources for there own benifits. muslims have never had hatred for christians this is just a recent phenomina which has occured in the last few decades after brutal humilation from british and american control and occupation of muslim countries and western support for corrupt dictators.

Originally posted by Heartagram
2) U.S support for Israel : Israel played a major role in adding fuel to the anti-America fire that was building in the Middle East. Most Arab/Muslim countries does not want to recognize Israel as a nation but rather as a occupying force that has imperialist plans--Zionism. If I'm not wrong only three Arab/Muslim countries officially recognize Israel's existence. That being said, anti-Zionism is a real and present threat that we must debug from Arab mentality. Since U.S supports Israel, they too have become a target in the Arab crosshair.

there is abolutly nothing wrong with anti-zionism and its a legitimate right for palestinians and arabs to oppose it.

the real threat is not anti-zionism but zionism itself where caucasion white skinned european jews belive they hav a right to build a homeland in the middleast in palestine and they somehow are more intitled to that land then the native brown-skin middle eastern arab palestinain just becuase they are jews. thats the real problem with the situation.

no european jew, persian jew, indian jew, latin american jew, african jew is entitled to even 1 grain of sand of historic palestine(west bank,gaza,israel) middle-east becuase its not his/her land. the land belongs to native palestinains.

zionism is the real cause of problems between jews and arabs where jews think land belongs to them not becuase of a certificate or deed which proves they own the land but becuase they belive there race entitles them to the land.

look at this United Nations cenus which shows who owned what piece of land thish was done 1945 2 years before israel was created :

domino.un.org...

jews where never a majority in any area of palestine(west bank, israel, gaza)

Good questions, Saltman, and the answer is found in a combination of the reasons you give, imo. But basically it boils down to the western need for oil.

Our presence there has made billionaires of some people who aren't that far removed from their nomadic and herding past. But it has also built up resentment among some fanatical religious types; thus the conflicts.

I think the measure is, would we be there if we didn't need their oil? No. Look at Africa - we aren't in there. The same goes for Israel. Would we be their staunchest ally if not for the oil? No. Countries don't have friends; they have interests, and right now it is in our best interest to have Israel as a nuclear ally in the mideast.