Quote:
Originally posted by Ustwo
Um no, he was raised under Khomeini, thats not being raised western. He told me some fun stories about that, and about when Khomeini died and he didn't hear about it and came to school wearing a red shirt (instead of black). He was beat up on the streets for it. His family was quite western to start with, as are/were a great many Iranians. Anyways if you think somehow you will teach these kids from birth 'western ways' without kidnapping them from their parents at gunpoint you are dreaming. I'm sorry but I don't think you really have a clue here other then what sounds good on paper.
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Obviously you know more about your personal anecdote than I do. What it sounds like to me is that he suceeded despite adversity, where many others (the people in his youth who beat him up after Khomeini's death, those other muslims who cornered him here in the states) failed. As for the children, and my kidnapping them at gunpoint
most children in the more extreme madrasahs are either orphans or abandoned by their parents. So if you choke off funding for these madrasahs, and redirect it toward real schools, you're shifting the balance, and destroying the pool of future al queda recruits.
As for who doesn't have a clue:
My arguments: increased westernized education, increased foreign aid, increased trade, decreased support for corrupt governments.
Your (apparently sole) argument: "Screw 'em"
Looking back at what led up to 9/11 can you say with a straight face that engagement isn't the answer? Your initial suggestion, while satisfying to those eager for a quick fix, doesn't actually make us any safer, if anything it makes us less safe.