to Lisa...

Submitted by Taj Ashaheed (United States), Apr 17, 2006 at 01:19

first, sorry for the delayed response to your last post - I just noticed it...

second, I do appreciate your sincerity, and even if I disagree with some of your conclusions and assumptions, I find your courtesy just as meaningful as any argument.

the issue regarding Iraq is not one of "blame" as much as what can be seen as hypocrisy and even deception...that we attacked Iraq is not surprising, however the methods used to justify such are certainly cause for valid criticism...

I don't find it valid to conclude that Iraq was a response to "terrorism"...we lost nearly 4000 people at WTC (including Muslims) but it can hardly be rationally asserted that an adequate response would be the collateral loss of life of multitudes of thousands of people who had nothing to do with 9/11 (this is easy however when they are not seen as people)...

i don't think 9/11 warranted the use of deliberately fudged information (which we like to humorously call "intelligence) to justify the removal of a government/leader not even remotely involved...

all in all, the Iraq beat-down is just one bad apple in a barrel of such that represents our foreign interests - which, IMO, is a matter of bad politics, not bad religion...

i certainly appreciate your imploring regards research/reading, etc. but I would have to say that you should not be so quick to assume that such hasn't been or isn't already being done - but i digress...i think i would conclude by stating that good medicine (ie your advice) is not always that which is prescribed - it's (also) what's taken...

Peace be unto you as well

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