Interview on Arabic TV, Guest blasts Muslims

Well, I think it's great that the Arab world is seeing the other side of things on television, though I highly doubt it is given much credit by them. In any case, this woman goes a bit overboard IMO, but I believe her basic idea is correct.

Link to video

What do you think of this?

Is her idea that it is not a clash of civilizations we are experiencing, but rather a clash of the progressive modern era and a barbaric antiquated era?

Is that the basis for the Islamic terror we see today?

I say yes.

And before anyone puts words in my mouth, no, that does NOT mean that ALL Muslims subscribe to this old, barbaic mentallity.

whoa! im sure a fatwa will be issued against her if it already hasnt been. Thats how they deal with people like her that force them to reexamine their beliefs and ideals...nice find.

Yeah. At the end of that video when the religious dude starts calling her a heretic and what not, I was laughing, and then realized that in the Muslim world, they will actually kill you for saying things like that. It really puts this whole interview into perspetive.

I only hope more muslims listen to her ideas instead of calling for her death.

That is a great video. That woman is right on the money. That looks like downtown Los Angeles in the background of the video. I hope that is where she is, at least she's safe here!

Where is the conspiracy here? Sorry, but I don't see the relevance of this topic to the issue of political conspiracies.

Absolutely this is as much if not more a clash of the progressive and the antiquitated IMO. Many aspects within Islam and the Islamic world have failed to catch up with and adjust to modern ideals and opinions and clings to a medieval outlook. In one sense Islam is undergoing the growing pains of a very moody and insecure teenager. I still don't buy into the idea though that all the blame is encumbant on the muslim world, the west must share some of that too.

Great video, i'm really pleased to hear someone speaking like that to them, more people need to do that rather than worry about offending them. I think we should be giving them more of a spanking like we would a child.
It would take courage to do that.
The best the other guy could come up with was 'are you a heretic' lol
That just reeks of the middle ages, which strengthens her argument more anyway.

She certainly didn't mince her words did she? What TV station broadcast that video? Whoever it was, they deserve some serious credit for not conforming to current politically correct thinking. Good find.

Turning to your question of is she right about a clash between the things she says, I would have to say yes--mostly. When was the last time some great new discovery came out of the area where all the trouble seems to originate? (Except of course for the people of Israel). Is this situation because of religious beliefs--probably not? Is it because of ignorance--probably yes. Is it because of poverty and lack of opportunity to get a good education--to a large degree.

I've been kicking around this old world for a long time and I've been to a great number of different countries and been exposed to a multitude of diverse cultures, traditions, languages, beliefs, etc. All around the world though people are mostly the same. Oh sure, they look different, talk different and so on, but underneath that they are all basically friendly, curious, concerned individuals who want to live in peace with their neighbors, provide for their families health, well being, education and so on. If they are approached with respect and friendship they generally respond in kind. Sometimes it takes a bit to get over the different stereotypes we erect in our own minds due to things we've read, or seen on TV, or been told, or what have you, but once you get past that (and it generally doesn't take long) you find they are pretty much just like yourself.

However, another thing I've noticed is that ignorance and poverty seem to go together and where you find them you also seem to find groups of people who prey on those things to fulfill their own needs. Sometimes the predators are religious, sometimes they are business/corporate people, sometimes they are governmental types, etc. The predation can be very localized or very widespread, but if you find poverty, you'll find ignorance and if you find those two things you'll find predation of the population by greedy people & groups.

What specific set of circumstances fuels the bloodshed & violence in the Mid-East seems to change regularly, but the underlying poverty, ignorance and cast of greedy people & groups are always there.

[edit on 2-3-2006 by Astronomer68]

Originally posted by heelstone
Where is the conspiracy here? Sorry, but I don't see the relevance of this topic to the issue of political conspiracies.

Would you stop crying if I had put it in "War On Terrorism"? Or how about if I had added this question to the original post:

"Is there a conspiracy by Islamic leadership to keep it's people in an antiquated belief system?:

Originally posted by Astronomer68
What TV station broadcast that video?

To be honest, I do not know. I came across the link on another message board.

However, another thing I've noticed is that ignorance and poverty seem to go together and where you find them you also seem to find groups of people who prey on those things to fulfill their own needs. Sometimes the predators are religious, sometimes they are business/corporate people, sometimes they are governmental types, etc. The predation can be very localized or very widespread, but if you find poverty, you'll find ignorance and if you find those two things you'll find predation of the population by greedy people & groups.

I completely agree with you on this.

The one thing I cant get around though is the level of organized violence that Islam seems to be capable of triggering with seemingly no tangable gain for those that commit it. I mean, all over the world theer are poor people, but most of the violence is self contained; it doesn't spill out of it's own violent circle all that often, and is almost never international.

[edit on 2-3-2006 by American Mad Man]

Well, that's the thing about religious predation--it is organized to the nth degree, complete with it's own priesthood and everything. Can you imagine a modern Mid-East and a Muslim televangalist on TV doing his thing. He could whip up a real bloodbath with just one show. I suppose we should all be thankful our terrorist friends don't have that kind of communications capability and their audience by & large doesn't even own a TV.

[edit on 2-3-2006 by Astronomer68]

Originally posted by A_Widows_Son
That is a great video. That woman is right on the money. That looks like downtown Los Angeles in the background of the video. I hope that is where she is, at least she's safe here!

Downtown L.A. it is! You can see the area on Windows Live Local.

We are talking "fingers in ears" "shouting at the top of your voice" and then having her killed as a heretic, type discussion I think in Islam.

Originally posted by XphilesPhan
I only hope more muslims listen to her ideas instead of calling for her death.

Originally posted by Astronomer68
She certainly didn't mince her words did she? What TV station broadcast that video? Whoever it was, they deserve some serious credit for not conforming to current politically correct thinking. Good find.

It was broadcast on Al-Jazeera.
Memri has a transcript of it here:

Memri - Arab-American Psychologist Wafa Sultan

[What TV station broadcast that video?

Al jazeera on 21 Feb 06

Great find but how do we know she's not just giving us her final four picks and the old guy tells her Gonzaga over UCLA, you're a crazy woman?

Too bad she's not Muslim. What she says would hold a lot more weight in the Muslim world because now she's an outsider. It just makes her look somewhat like a traitor I'm sure. Might as well be Bob Barker sitting there.

The only one that can turn things around in the muslim world is a muslim. One strong enough to take on the tyranical imams.

Those who like to 'blame the west' for their part in 'misunderstandings', too often seem to forget that all Islamics haven't just recently crawled out of some desert cave or tent.

The West as been full of very powerfull Muslims, dealing with Westerners, since way back before those 'crusades' most like to only remember POST the Islamic assults that motivated them.

These too many, 'Islamic propaganda intellectuals', should have been working to build understanding (of and for all they claim to respect) for generations, rather than demand 'extra sensativity' from the West now, if understanding was their desire instead 'injustice fueled conversertions'.

Sorry, but being "Politically 'Correct' " doesn't hold a candle to being honest.

Originally posted by notbuynit
Too bad she's not Muslim. What she says would hold a lot more weight in the Muslim world because now she's an outsider. It just makes her look somewhat like a traitor I'm sure. Might as well be Bob Barker sitting there.

The only one that can turn things around in the muslim world is a muslim. One strong enough to take on the tyranical imams.

Agreed on all accounts.

However, the fact that she is at least an Arab is a good start.

Look the Arabs are free to believe whatever they want, how come I have a right to tell them what to think?

Only liberals would do that, tell somebody how to think while demanding total freedom for themselves.

If we want their oil then just buy it from them, we don't have to take over 3 countries in a row to build a pipeline over their dead bodies.