Quote:I know it's alot easier to just say "Islam" and "they hate us for our freedom".  It puts us in a much easier rationalization for our war on "those people".

 

But if I remember correctly, the hatred for America by those in the middle east that have attacked us over there and here on 9/11 were based on our involvement in the affairs on the middle east.  

 

Now you may say, well Bin Ladin was defending the muslims of the middle east.  So therefore it is a religous war.  I would disagree.  I think the term muslim is used in this situation in terms of an an ethnic similarity in order to bring more people over to his side.  

 

You cannot deny that the USA has had alot of influence in the middle east.  This influence can be seen as an occupation to the Al Queda/ISIS crowd.  But just because they say they are fighting for Islam, doesn't make it a true religious war.  To me, "Islam" is a recruiting tactic.  They are trying to gather fighters to thier cause, the easiest way to do this is to use religion. 

 

Think about this:  If Islam was the problem, why are we not at war with almost every nation in the middle east?  Perhaps, it's not Islam.  Perhaps it's these war mongers that are co-opting the religion to pursuade those that are easily influenced into fighting.

 

I think that's all pretty true.  I don't think they hate us for our freedom.   They hate us because we are there, and we have a history of exploiting the region for our own financial gain.  They hate us because we take sides in their regional wars.   They hate us because we are propping up Israel, which they see as a colony of foreigners planted in their midst, who bomb and kill Arab women and children without any penalty.  They hate us because we send explicit sex into their homes via the internet.    There are so many reasons why they hate us.   Mostly, I think they hate us because no matter what happens, there we are, stirring the pot, protecting our own interests.  

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