DBq
DBQ
Victoria Guyse, John McCormick, Chase Leon, Cole Milord
10/3/14
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-reading Questions (answer before proceeding to DBQs):
Is extremism ever justified to spread religious belief and/or exercise retribution for the past?
No, because you never should overdo a subject it would never benefit you. To me this is because you are forcing your opinions to harshly and not allowing others to see things from your perspective. The more you push your ideas the more of a chance you will lose the fight because that person will be very bothered by your actions and completely shut down your ideas.
How might the wars of today, post-9/11, be Holy Wars that mirror the struggles of the middle ages?
Their religious belief, the muslim people believe and justify their actions under religious interpretation. The same interpretation used in the church during the middle ages both then and now are to be justified by their religious beliefs and their interpretation on it. Which leads to all the violence and disagreement that flows in our world today.
~From 632 onward through the middle ages, Islam continued to spread as a religion around the Mediterranean, taking instruction from their prophet Muhammed under newly established “caliphates” (ruling groups). The Islamic Seljuk Turks, in the 11th century, began to move into the holiest sites for Jews and Christians (like Jerusalem, the birthplace of Christ) and claim them for their own. This prompted Pope Urban II, in 1095, to call for the the first crusade to repel the Turks from the Christian Holy Lands.~
Document 1- They Bore the Sign of the Cross
Ekkehard of Aura, a German monk and historian, wrote about the reaction of Christians across Western Europe to the speech given by Pope Urban II:
“After Urban had aroused the spirits of all by the promise of forgiveness to those who undertook the expedition with single-hearted devotion, toward one hundred thousand men were appointed to the immediate service of God from Aquitaine and Normandy, England, Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Gascony, France, Flanders, Lorraine, and from other Christian peoples, whose names I no longer retain. It was truly an army of “crusaders,” for they bore the sign of the cross on their garments as a reminder that they should mortify {severely discipline} the flesh, and in the hope that they would in this way triumph over the enemies of the cross of Christ, as it had once come to pass in the case of the great Constantine. Thus, through the marvelous and unexampled working of divine dispensation {release}, all these members of Christ, so different in speech, origin, and nationality, were suddenly brought together as one body through their love of Christ.”
SOURCE: Ekkehard’s Hierosolymita, a history, 1099
According to Ekkehard, what was the response all over Europe to the speech by Pope Urban II?
Based on the written quote that originated from Pope Urban II many seemed to feel that the “crusaders” somehow united those around them religiously by the way they had the cross on their garments. He believes that this represented that the crusaders were fighting against evil and fighting for the love of christ. As a soldier they have medals that represent their authority and the location of the medal represents their power or belief. In other words the cross being located on their clothing it was a badge or display to alert others of their religion.
What was surprising or amazing about this event?
What surprised me about this scenario is that I never had taken to consideration how important or how such a big role religion played in the middle ages. It not only controlled the daily decisions that these people made but it also affected the way they acted. As mentioned in the quote people strongly believed that in a way due to the crusaders they had a much more closer connection to their savior, God. Also they believed that they had the hand of god who made them believe they were right and justified.
~After the first Crusade, Jerusalem was restored to Christian and Jewish control; however, Saladin and his faithful Islamist followers vowed to retake control of the city for Muhammed. All three religions saw Jerusalem as the city given them by God.~
Document 2 - The Muslim Response
“If God blesses us by enabling us to drive his enemies out of Jerusalem, how fortunate and happy we would be! For Jerusalem has been controlled by the enemy for ninety-one years, during which time God has received nothing from us here in the way of adoration. At the same time, the zeal {devotion} of the Muslim rulers to deliver it languished {weakened}. Time passed, and so did many different generations, while the Franks succeeded in rooting themselves strongly there. Now God has reserved the merit of its recovery for one house, the house of the sons of Ayyub [Saladin’s family], in order to unite all hearts in
appreciation of its members.”
SOURCE: The Islamic leader Saladin’s speech urging his people to retake Jerusalem, 1187.
What reasons did Saladin give for retaking Jerusalem?
Saladin was known for the trade they made with merchants and unarmed christian pilgrims, to take these pilgrimages into Jerusalem during the time it remained under Muslim control. He was known as the person who won the fight against Richard the lionheart. Saladin was the leader of Egypt and Syria that lead the Islamic forces against the third crusade of the Europeans in the “Holy Land.” He was a Kurdish origin and his family members at the peak ruled over Iraq, Hejaz, Yemen, Syria, and Egypt.
What arguments does he use to inspire his listeners (the Muslim people)?
He mentions the ruler and how they have been ruling for 91 years. In 1187, he made the people believe that they were equal and he was determined to win back Jerusalem from the Christians.
~As you can see from the map above, there were three more crusades emanating from Europe and attempting to drive out the Turks and Muslims from the Middle East. Many regard the Crusades as largely a failure, as the Muslim and Turkish rule was not vanquished in the region. Some scholars point to the Crusades as being part of what thrust Europe out of Medieval Times and into the Renaissance.
But, now, moving forward to today, we will see that this religious struggle has been reexamined and perhaps rekindled…~
...September 16th, 2001: following the attacks on New York and Washington, George W. Bush mentions launching a “crusade” on the Muslim attackers...
Document 3 - Fast-forward to Today
In recent months, the radical fringes within Christianity and Islam seem to have launched a modern-day crusade, a slander-to-vanquish battle where the mass media appears to have taken over from the sword as a weapon of choice. In an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes last year, the Rev. Jerry Falwell called the prophet Muhammad a "terrorist" and "a man of war." Falwell's comments capped a TV season that saw televangelist Pat Robertson call the prophet a "robber and a brigand" and the Rev. Franklin Graham (son of the Rev. Billy Graham) denounce Islam as a "very evil and wicked religion."
On the other side, underground cassette tapes of vitriolic Friday sermons delivered by mullahs across the Muslim world are available from Cairo to Quetta. And from post-9/11 hideouts, al Qaeda continues to release taped messages promising a fight against the "infidels." "They have taken their rabbis and their monks for gods beside Allah, and also the Messiah son of Mary," said bin Laden in a audiotape released last November. He was expanding on an earlier warning issued before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that the West had "divided the world into two regions — one of faith and another of infidelity, from which we hope God will protect us."
Certainly the choruses of commentaries emerging from several Christian evangelists over the past few months have been vitriolic and personally targeted at Mohammed, while Muslim extremists have steered clear of attacking Jesus, since he is also considered a prophet in the Koran.
By all accounts, jihad, or struggle, has been a particularly contentious term, with many Muslims interpreting it to mean a struggle to defend one's faith and ideals. Some experts say the fundamentalist interpretation of jihad as the duty of Muslims to fight to rid the Islamic world of a corrupting Western influence or of autocratic Muslim leaders received a modern shot in the arm when the Egyptian founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al-Banna, used the concept of jihad as a holy war to try ending the foreign occupation of Muslim lands. The Muslim Brotherhood is widely believed to have spawned the al Qaeda network. But while the Koran is open to interpretation, el Fadl admits that the intellectual climate in the Islamic world tends to be inhospitable to dissent. "I do agree that in the contemporary age, dissent in Islam has become difficult, to say the least," says the UCLA professor, who says he has received threats over his writings and seen the cancellation of planned publications of Arabic translations of several of his books.
SOURCE: Leela Jacinto, ABC News, Jan 2014
What are some accusations that Christians and Muslims make toward each other?
Christians and Muslims both do not agree on the same scriptures. For example, Muslims refer to the Qur`an and Christians follow the bible. Both have a god and a book however, those guidelines lead them in different directions and these poeple are very faithful. Infidels are seen as a threat or enemy of the religion if you do not believe in what they do then they will kill you because it is stated in their holy book (Islamic).
What are the differences in interpretation of jihad that the author points out?
The differences when looking toward a jihad is seen as a struggle and almost a fight when attempting to protect or stand up for one`s faith. It mainly focuses on trying to stop the chances of the Islamic World becoming corrupt . In other words it is a religious war against your enemy whom does not believe in what you believe. A person whom is engaged in jihad is called a mijahid, the plural of which is mujahideen.
Document 4 - ISIS/ISIL reading of the Koran and Jihad
The leader [of ISIS] specifically called for lone-wolf attacks in the United States and France -- two countries that have been conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.
The U.S. State Department had no comment to CNN when asked about the message Sunday night.
"Hinder those who want to harm your brothers," the ISIS spokesman said. "The best thing you can do is to strive to your best and kill any disbeliever, whether he be French, American or from any of their allies."
Civilians should not be exempt from brutality, he said. "Do not ask for anyone's advice and do not seek anyone's verdict. Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military, for they have the same ruling. Both of them are disbelievers. Both of them are considered to be waging war."
"Oh Americans, and oh Europeans, the Islamic State did not initiate a war against you, as your governments and media try to make you believe," the ISIS spokesman added. "It is you who started the transgression against us, and thus you deserve blame and you will pay a great price."
He gave specifics on how to attack Westerners: "Rig the roads with explosives for them. Attack their bases. Raid their homes. Cut off their heads. Do not let them feel secure. Hunt them wherever they may be. Turn their worldly life into fear and fire. Remove their families from their homes and thereafter blow up their homes."
Al Qaeda has called for similar attacks in the past. But given ISIS' radical support base, which believes ISIS leaders are the rightful sovereign leaders of all Muslims worldwide, the ISIS pronouncement carries more weight.
SOURCE: Josh Levs and Holly Yan, CNN http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/22/world/meast/isis-threatens-west/
What is ISIS’s directive to its believers regarding their fight? They are the senior / largest terrorist group because they are the ones that promote their religious belief and are known to be very aggressive. They want their entire land to be their way and under their religion. If you are to oppose what they desire they will simply kill you just for wanting or believing in another religion.
ISIS’s directive to its believers regarding their fight is for god / Allah or it’s for taking over land. When they want to take over the land they won’t stop for anything because they do it for god and they don’t want to disrespect god so they do what they need to do to please god / Allah. So there real directive is to do it for Allah.
How does the ISIS spokesman relate the current war to past struggles between the west and Islam? The spokesman relates the current war to history because as we mentioned before, religion. If you were an ally you would automatically be executed due to them not immediately following what terrorists or rulers expect of them. Since west and Islam never quite had a good relationship due to this conflict involving religion ISIS in this piece of text mentions the different plans they have for killing us.
The spokesmen relates to the past by saying they will rig the roads with explosives and attacking and raiding homes. Like they did in the west. If you were to ally with them they wouldn’t execute them because they are transitioning into your religion and they want as much people as possible like they did back in the crusades.
Document 5 - President Obama’s view of Muslims as peaceable
“I have made it clear that America will not base our entire foreign policy on reacting to terrorism. Instead, we’ve waged a focused campaign against al Qaeda and its associated forces -- taking out their leaders, denying them the safe havens they rely on. At the same time, we have reaffirmed again and again that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. Islam teaches peace. Muslims the world over aspire to live with dignity and a sense of justice. And when it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them, there is only us -- because millions of Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country.
So we reject any suggestion of a clash of civilizations. Belief in permanent religious war is the misguided refuge of extremists who cannot build or create anything, and therefore peddle only fanaticism and hate. And it is no exaggeration to say that humanity’s future depends on us uniting against those who would divide us along the fault lines of tribe or sect, race or religion.
But this is not simply a matter of words. Collectively, we must take concrete steps to address the danger posed by religiously motivated fanatics, and the trends that fuel their recruitment. Moreover, this campaign against extremism goes beyond a narrow security challenge. For while we’ve degraded methodically core al Qaeda and supported a transition to a sovereign Afghan government, extremist ideology has shifted to other places -- particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, where a quarter of young people have no job, where food and water could grow scarce, where corruption is rampant and sectarian conflicts have become increasingly hard to contain.
No God condones this terror. No grievance justifies these actions. There can be no reasoning -- no negotiation -- with this brand of evil. The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. So the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death.”
SOURCE: www.whitehouse.gov
What is Obama’s sense of Islam as a religion, in the United States and worldwide?
Obama`s sence of Islam as a religion in the United States and worldwide is base on people who were born here but were muslim should stay here and shouldn’t be judged as bad people. But Obama does support the acts of evil that they condon there and will not work with a network of death.
What is Obama’s view of these modern day extremists, and how does he say the west must respond?
Obama said recently “He” underestimated ISIS and will be taking measures to correct the issue. He has sent minor aid to Syria including air support and naval tomahawk strikes, although he has not had any boots on the ground and has said that, he would like to avoid that.
So, what are your views on the conflict today? What is your CLAIM?
Is the battle that Muslim extremists like ISIL/ISIS wage today a direct result of the teachings of Muhammad and the early Muslims? Is it justified?
I don’t think so, Usually the terrorist groups like ISIS are the first to “Strike.” Most christians before 9/11 didn’t hold a grudge against Islam. After 9/11 many americans all believed that Islam was based of terror. To reinforce this, groups like ISIS radical muslims keep emerging. Which keep christians believing all of Islam is bad.
Are the wars of today (Afghanistan, Iraq, and now ISIS in Syria and Iraq) another “crusade” against Islam? Do you think it will work?
I don’t think It is a “crusade” I believe it’s more the fight against anti - freedom ISIS has said many times they want to “destroy america.” I think America and other countries and just fighting for freedom. Yes yes it will work, America is way more powerful than ISIS and if America wanted to they could destroy ISIS. Do I think America will? No only if there is in attack on American soil which is orchestrated by ISIS would America send an occupation force to “crusade” against ISIS.
What should the response be to the Islamic State’s extremist attacks?
The U.S should take military action against ISIS they continue to threaten and kill Americans. They say they dont fear the U.S, so we should give them something to fear. In my personal opinion an occupation force to deal with the issue. Complete with fixed wing and tank support.
Victoria Guyse, John McCormick, Chase Leon, Cole Milord
10/3/14
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-reading Questions (answer before proceeding to DBQs):
Is extremism ever justified to spread religious belief and/or exercise retribution for the past?
No, because you never should overdo a subject it would never benefit you. To me this is because you are forcing your opinions to harshly and not allowing others to see things from your perspective. The more you push your ideas the more of a chance you will lose the fight because that person will be very bothered by your actions and completely shut down your ideas.
How might the wars of today, post-9/11, be Holy Wars that mirror the struggles of the middle ages?
Their religious belief, the muslim people believe and justify their actions under religious interpretation. The same interpretation used in the church during the middle ages both then and now are to be justified by their religious beliefs and their interpretation on it. Which leads to all the violence and disagreement that flows in our world today.
~From 632 onward through the middle ages, Islam continued to spread as a religion around the Mediterranean, taking instruction from their prophet Muhammed under newly established “caliphates” (ruling groups). The Islamic Seljuk Turks, in the 11th century, began to move into the holiest sites for Jews and Christians (like Jerusalem, the birthplace of Christ) and claim them for their own. This prompted Pope Urban II, in 1095, to call for the the first crusade to repel the Turks from the Christian Holy Lands.~
Document 1- They Bore the Sign of the Cross
Ekkehard of Aura, a German monk and historian, wrote about the reaction of Christians across Western Europe to the speech given by Pope Urban II:
“After Urban had aroused the spirits of all by the promise of forgiveness to those who undertook the expedition with single-hearted devotion, toward one hundred thousand men were appointed to the immediate service of God from Aquitaine and Normandy, England, Scotland, Ireland, Brittany, Galicia, Gascony, France, Flanders, Lorraine, and from other Christian peoples, whose names I no longer retain. It was truly an army of “crusaders,” for they bore the sign of the cross on their garments as a reminder that they should mortify {severely discipline} the flesh, and in the hope that they would in this way triumph over the enemies of the cross of Christ, as it had once come to pass in the case of the great Constantine. Thus, through the marvelous and unexampled working of divine dispensation {release}, all these members of Christ, so different in speech, origin, and nationality, were suddenly brought together as one body through their love of Christ.”
SOURCE: Ekkehard’s Hierosolymita, a history, 1099
According to Ekkehard, what was the response all over Europe to the speech by Pope Urban II?
Based on the written quote that originated from Pope Urban II many seemed to feel that the “crusaders” somehow united those around them religiously by the way they had the cross on their garments. He believes that this represented that the crusaders were fighting against evil and fighting for the love of christ. As a soldier they have medals that represent their authority and the location of the medal represents their power or belief. In other words the cross being located on their clothing it was a badge or display to alert others of their religion.
What was surprising or amazing about this event?
What surprised me about this scenario is that I never had taken to consideration how important or how such a big role religion played in the middle ages. It not only controlled the daily decisions that these people made but it also affected the way they acted. As mentioned in the quote people strongly believed that in a way due to the crusaders they had a much more closer connection to their savior, God. Also they believed that they had the hand of god who made them believe they were right and justified.
~After the first Crusade, Jerusalem was restored to Christian and Jewish control; however, Saladin and his faithful Islamist followers vowed to retake control of the city for Muhammed. All three religions saw Jerusalem as the city given them by God.~
Document 2 - The Muslim Response
“If God blesses us by enabling us to drive his enemies out of Jerusalem, how fortunate and happy we would be! For Jerusalem has been controlled by the enemy for ninety-one years, during which time God has received nothing from us here in the way of adoration. At the same time, the zeal {devotion} of the Muslim rulers to deliver it languished {weakened}. Time passed, and so did many different generations, while the Franks succeeded in rooting themselves strongly there. Now God has reserved the merit of its recovery for one house, the house of the sons of Ayyub [Saladin’s family], in order to unite all hearts in
appreciation of its members.”
SOURCE: The Islamic leader Saladin’s speech urging his people to retake Jerusalem, 1187.
What reasons did Saladin give for retaking Jerusalem?
Saladin was known for the trade they made with merchants and unarmed christian pilgrims, to take these pilgrimages into Jerusalem during the time it remained under Muslim control. He was known as the person who won the fight against Richard the lionheart. Saladin was the leader of Egypt and Syria that lead the Islamic forces against the third crusade of the Europeans in the “Holy Land.” He was a Kurdish origin and his family members at the peak ruled over Iraq, Hejaz, Yemen, Syria, and Egypt.
What arguments does he use to inspire his listeners (the Muslim people)?
He mentions the ruler and how they have been ruling for 91 years. In 1187, he made the people believe that they were equal and he was determined to win back Jerusalem from the Christians.
~As you can see from the map above, there were three more crusades emanating from Europe and attempting to drive out the Turks and Muslims from the Middle East. Many regard the Crusades as largely a failure, as the Muslim and Turkish rule was not vanquished in the region. Some scholars point to the Crusades as being part of what thrust Europe out of Medieval Times and into the Renaissance.
But, now, moving forward to today, we will see that this religious struggle has been reexamined and perhaps rekindled…~
...September 16th, 2001: following the attacks on New York and Washington, George W. Bush mentions launching a “crusade” on the Muslim attackers...
Document 3 - Fast-forward to Today
In recent months, the radical fringes within Christianity and Islam seem to have launched a modern-day crusade, a slander-to-vanquish battle where the mass media appears to have taken over from the sword as a weapon of choice. In an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes last year, the Rev. Jerry Falwell called the prophet Muhammad a "terrorist" and "a man of war." Falwell's comments capped a TV season that saw televangelist Pat Robertson call the prophet a "robber and a brigand" and the Rev. Franklin Graham (son of the Rev. Billy Graham) denounce Islam as a "very evil and wicked religion."
On the other side, underground cassette tapes of vitriolic Friday sermons delivered by mullahs across the Muslim world are available from Cairo to Quetta. And from post-9/11 hideouts, al Qaeda continues to release taped messages promising a fight against the "infidels." "They have taken their rabbis and their monks for gods beside Allah, and also the Messiah son of Mary," said bin Laden in a audiotape released last November. He was expanding on an earlier warning issued before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that the West had "divided the world into two regions — one of faith and another of infidelity, from which we hope God will protect us."
Certainly the choruses of commentaries emerging from several Christian evangelists over the past few months have been vitriolic and personally targeted at Mohammed, while Muslim extremists have steered clear of attacking Jesus, since he is also considered a prophet in the Koran.
By all accounts, jihad, or struggle, has been a particularly contentious term, with many Muslims interpreting it to mean a struggle to defend one's faith and ideals. Some experts say the fundamentalist interpretation of jihad as the duty of Muslims to fight to rid the Islamic world of a corrupting Western influence or of autocratic Muslim leaders received a modern shot in the arm when the Egyptian founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al-Banna, used the concept of jihad as a holy war to try ending the foreign occupation of Muslim lands. The Muslim Brotherhood is widely believed to have spawned the al Qaeda network. But while the Koran is open to interpretation, el Fadl admits that the intellectual climate in the Islamic world tends to be inhospitable to dissent. "I do agree that in the contemporary age, dissent in Islam has become difficult, to say the least," says the UCLA professor, who says he has received threats over his writings and seen the cancellation of planned publications of Arabic translations of several of his books.
SOURCE: Leela Jacinto, ABC News, Jan 2014
What are some accusations that Christians and Muslims make toward each other?
Christians and Muslims both do not agree on the same scriptures. For example, Muslims refer to the Qur`an and Christians follow the bible. Both have a god and a book however, those guidelines lead them in different directions and these poeple are very faithful. Infidels are seen as a threat or enemy of the religion if you do not believe in what they do then they will kill you because it is stated in their holy book (Islamic).
What are the differences in interpretation of jihad that the author points out?
The differences when looking toward a jihad is seen as a struggle and almost a fight when attempting to protect or stand up for one`s faith. It mainly focuses on trying to stop the chances of the Islamic World becoming corrupt . In other words it is a religious war against your enemy whom does not believe in what you believe. A person whom is engaged in jihad is called a mijahid, the plural of which is mujahideen.
Document 4 - ISIS/ISIL reading of the Koran and Jihad
The leader [of ISIS] specifically called for lone-wolf attacks in the United States and France -- two countries that have been conducting airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.
The U.S. State Department had no comment to CNN when asked about the message Sunday night.
"Hinder those who want to harm your brothers," the ISIS spokesman said. "The best thing you can do is to strive to your best and kill any disbeliever, whether he be French, American or from any of their allies."
Civilians should not be exempt from brutality, he said. "Do not ask for anyone's advice and do not seek anyone's verdict. Kill the disbeliever whether he is civilian or military, for they have the same ruling. Both of them are disbelievers. Both of them are considered to be waging war."
"Oh Americans, and oh Europeans, the Islamic State did not initiate a war against you, as your governments and media try to make you believe," the ISIS spokesman added. "It is you who started the transgression against us, and thus you deserve blame and you will pay a great price."
He gave specifics on how to attack Westerners: "Rig the roads with explosives for them. Attack their bases. Raid their homes. Cut off their heads. Do not let them feel secure. Hunt them wherever they may be. Turn their worldly life into fear and fire. Remove their families from their homes and thereafter blow up their homes."
Al Qaeda has called for similar attacks in the past. But given ISIS' radical support base, which believes ISIS leaders are the rightful sovereign leaders of all Muslims worldwide, the ISIS pronouncement carries more weight.
SOURCE: Josh Levs and Holly Yan, CNN http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/22/world/meast/isis-threatens-west/
What is ISIS’s directive to its believers regarding their fight? They are the senior / largest terrorist group because they are the ones that promote their religious belief and are known to be very aggressive. They want their entire land to be their way and under their religion. If you are to oppose what they desire they will simply kill you just for wanting or believing in another religion.
ISIS’s directive to its believers regarding their fight is for god / Allah or it’s for taking over land. When they want to take over the land they won’t stop for anything because they do it for god and they don’t want to disrespect god so they do what they need to do to please god / Allah. So there real directive is to do it for Allah.
How does the ISIS spokesman relate the current war to past struggles between the west and Islam? The spokesman relates the current war to history because as we mentioned before, religion. If you were an ally you would automatically be executed due to them not immediately following what terrorists or rulers expect of them. Since west and Islam never quite had a good relationship due to this conflict involving religion ISIS in this piece of text mentions the different plans they have for killing us.
The spokesmen relates to the past by saying they will rig the roads with explosives and attacking and raiding homes. Like they did in the west. If you were to ally with them they wouldn’t execute them because they are transitioning into your religion and they want as much people as possible like they did back in the crusades.
Document 5 - President Obama’s view of Muslims as peaceable
“I have made it clear that America will not base our entire foreign policy on reacting to terrorism. Instead, we’ve waged a focused campaign against al Qaeda and its associated forces -- taking out their leaders, denying them the safe havens they rely on. At the same time, we have reaffirmed again and again that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam. Islam teaches peace. Muslims the world over aspire to live with dignity and a sense of justice. And when it comes to America and Islam, there is no us and them, there is only us -- because millions of Muslim Americans are part of the fabric of our country.
So we reject any suggestion of a clash of civilizations. Belief in permanent religious war is the misguided refuge of extremists who cannot build or create anything, and therefore peddle only fanaticism and hate. And it is no exaggeration to say that humanity’s future depends on us uniting against those who would divide us along the fault lines of tribe or sect, race or religion.
But this is not simply a matter of words. Collectively, we must take concrete steps to address the danger posed by religiously motivated fanatics, and the trends that fuel their recruitment. Moreover, this campaign against extremism goes beyond a narrow security challenge. For while we’ve degraded methodically core al Qaeda and supported a transition to a sovereign Afghan government, extremist ideology has shifted to other places -- particularly in the Middle East and North Africa, where a quarter of young people have no job, where food and water could grow scarce, where corruption is rampant and sectarian conflicts have become increasingly hard to contain.
No God condones this terror. No grievance justifies these actions. There can be no reasoning -- no negotiation -- with this brand of evil. The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force. So the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death.”
SOURCE: www.whitehouse.gov
What is Obama’s sense of Islam as a religion, in the United States and worldwide?
Obama`s sence of Islam as a religion in the United States and worldwide is base on people who were born here but were muslim should stay here and shouldn’t be judged as bad people. But Obama does support the acts of evil that they condon there and will not work with a network of death.
What is Obama’s view of these modern day extremists, and how does he say the west must respond?
Obama said recently “He” underestimated ISIS and will be taking measures to correct the issue. He has sent minor aid to Syria including air support and naval tomahawk strikes, although he has not had any boots on the ground and has said that, he would like to avoid that.
So, what are your views on the conflict today? What is your CLAIM?
Is the battle that Muslim extremists like ISIL/ISIS wage today a direct result of the teachings of Muhammad and the early Muslims? Is it justified?
I don’t think so, Usually the terrorist groups like ISIS are the first to “Strike.” Most christians before 9/11 didn’t hold a grudge against Islam. After 9/11 many americans all believed that Islam was based of terror. To reinforce this, groups like ISIS radical muslims keep emerging. Which keep christians believing all of Islam is bad.
Are the wars of today (Afghanistan, Iraq, and now ISIS in Syria and Iraq) another “crusade” against Islam? Do you think it will work?
I don’t think It is a “crusade” I believe it’s more the fight against anti - freedom ISIS has said many times they want to “destroy america.” I think America and other countries and just fighting for freedom. Yes yes it will work, America is way more powerful than ISIS and if America wanted to they could destroy ISIS. Do I think America will? No only if there is in attack on American soil which is orchestrated by ISIS would America send an occupation force to “crusade” against ISIS.
What should the response be to the Islamic State’s extremist attacks?
The U.S should take military action against ISIS they continue to threaten and kill Americans. They say they dont fear the U.S, so we should give them something to fear. In my personal opinion an occupation force to deal with the issue. Complete with fixed wing and tank support.