Some people on this board like to talk about how the terrorists are a sign that Islam and the Arabs are attacks against Americans and the west. The attacks against the Nick Berg and the other American hostages have fed the anti Muslim sentiment. Well here is Pakistani worker and a Marine of arabic decent who are now hostages. Maybe some people will realize that most Muslims are good folk and these terrorists are the wackos. Normal people, not a particular culture, is the victim. Sadly some people just cant realize this.

 

From CNN:

Al-Jazeera: U.S. Marine taken hostage

Three Turks, one Pakistani also captured this weekend

Sunday, June 27, 2004 Posted: 11:03 PM EDT (0303 GMT)

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Arabic-language television network Al-Jazeera broadcast a videotape Sunday of a man who it said an Iraqi resistance group identified as a captured U.S. Marine.

 

A coalition spokesman in Baghdad confirmed that a Marine has been missing in Iraq since June 21, but stopped short of saying he might be a hostage.

 

The Pentagon and the coalition spokesman identified the missing Marine as Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun with the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, but the Pentagon said it could not confirm that he was the man shown in the video.

 

The videotape showed a man dressed in military fatigues wearing a blindfold. A person standing off-camera held a sword above the man's head. Al-Jazeera also showed what it said were Hassoun's identification papers.

 

A Pentagon official told CNN that Hassoun speaks Arabic. A coalition spokesman in Baghdad said Hassoun was of Lebanese descent, and the Pentagon official said he has relatives in Lebanon, possibly even a wife.

 

A speaker on the tape said the man was lured from his base and captured. Al-Jazeera said the group threatened to kill the man unless U.S. military authorities release Iraqi prisoners.

 

It was the third such message from apparent kidnappers in Iraq in the past two days.

 

Earlier Sunday, CNN reported that a Pakistani man working for a subcontractor of Kellogg Brown & Root had been taken hostage by insurgents who threatened to kill him unless the United States releases all prisoners.

 

In a videotape provided to CNN and other news channels by a journalist working in Baghdad, one of the hostage-takers threatened to behead the man in three days unless the United States releases all its prisoners.

 

The kidnapped man, wearing a Kellogg Brown & Root tag that identified him as Amjid Yousef, was surrounded by masked men brandishing AK-47 rifles and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

 

A KBR official confirmed to CNN that the identification number on the badge matched that of a subcontractor missing for several days. KBR is a subsidiary of the energy-services giant Halliburton Co.

 

CNN came into possession of the tape Saturday but delayed reporting its existence until it could check with KBR and the man's family could be notified.

 

The Pakistani's captors said they were following in the footsteps of the Islamic militant group Unification and Jihad, which is blamed in the killings of South Korean translator Kim Sun-il and American businessman Nicholas Berg.

 

Al-Jazeera broadcast a videotape Saturday in which Unification and Jihad militants said they had kidnapped three Turkish citizens and would behead them in 72 hours unless Turkey withdrew its companies from Iraq.

 

U.S. officials said they believe Unification and Jihad is linked to fugitive militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted terrorist in Iraq.

 

Turkey rejected the kidnappers' demands Sunday.

 

"Turkey has been fighting terrorist activity for more than 20 years," Turkish Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said. "They ask many things, they demand many things. We never consider them with seriousness."

 

The coalition renewed its call for tips leading to al-Zarqawi's capture and issued a reminder of the $10 million bounty on the Jordanian-born suspect, who the coalition says is linked to al Qaeda.

 

News of the Turkish kidnappings came just before President Bush arrived in Turkey for the NATO summit, where member nations will consider a request from Iraq to help train its fledgling security forces. (Full story)

Are you kidding me?

 

Im not scanning every post because that would be seriously annoying and a total waste of my time. But you cant seriously think Im making this up. The undertones are blatantly clear if not explicitley stated.

Dood, a Muslim working for the US would be considered worse than an American during the occupation. He'll be deemed a traitor. The terrorists don't consider just people with white skin the enemy, they deem those who do not conform to their way of life as such.

Yes, thats what I agree with. But when people indict the entire region or the entire faith, thats when I get annoyed. Im not defending the terrorists. Im point to signs of people who dont fit that convenient stereotype.

 

Its not just on this board. I work for a prosecutors office. Ive heard the BS there. "Its all the middle easterners, they support terrorism." Nobody seems to notice the ones who are not doing anything except living their lives or the ones who are activley even helping the US, and now sacrificing.

 

This might seem obvious to you rippyo, but there are some people who need silly example to feed their views. This is more an attack on the desire to stereotype.

Yes, thats what I agree with. But when people indict the entire region or the entire faith, thats when I get annoyed. Im not defending the terrorists. Im point to signs of people who dont fit that convenient stereotype.

 

Its not just on this board. I work for a prosecutors office. Ive heard the BS there. "Its all the middle easterners, they support terrorism." Nobody seems to notice the ones who are not doing anything except living their lives or the ones who are activley even helping the US, and now sacrificing.

 

This might seem obvious to you rippyo, but there are some people who need silly example to feed their views. This is more an attack on the desire to stereotype.

So what? They're idiots. You argue on what you know is the best knowledge, not what the ignorant think. Otherwise, you're just dealing in straw men.

Dood, a Muslim working for the US would be considered worse than an American during the occupation. He'll be deemed a traitor. The terrorists don't consider just people with white skin the enemy, they deem those who do not conform to their way of life as such.

you mean Saddam? Bin Ladin hated him more than the Americans

If you can't point to anything specific, even a SINGLE "memorable instance", I'm forced to conclude you just make this nonsense up.

 

I recall a post where CFdodgemarlin stated that Koran advocated terrorism.

the Quran talks about "jihad", but it doesn't support a terroristic jihad.