Cyprus-Forum.com

[Leonidas]

I believe it was all planned out.It is the interest of certain groups from both east and west for hostility to grow.
Was something like "Hey lets publish this so the world can see how crazy these Islamists really are"
Certain people knew exactly what they were doing and what reaction it would of had.

Another conspiracy theory
You people are amazing

[maewing]

Yes, I'm not sure that there was some master plan from someplace If that is the case, why has the Islamic leadership (whatever that is) taken the bait so incredibly well?

It's hard to get a barometer on non-Islamic public opinion anyway. I would have thought that after 911 and the numerous other idiotic things done by these adherents there would be massive backlash against Islamic ideas. However, in the States and in a few European countries (like Britain) there seems to be a PR campaign to make Islam seem more appealing and "friendly"--despite its true history--and it is becoming a popular religion for many lost younger people to join. Even here in Hong Kong, the public schools are now going to use history books (clearly embellish history by) showing the peaceful side of Islam. I don't like George Bush, but I don't dislike him to the point of supporting and, God-forbid, joining a violent and sedicious religion.

[Michael]

I believe it was all planned out.It is the interest of certain groups from both east and west for hostility to grow.
Was something like "Hey lets publish this so the world can see how crazy these Islamists really are"
Certain people knew exactly what they were doing and what reaction it would of had.

Another conspiracy theory
You people are amazing

You have swallowed this American dream, lock stock and barrel! You poor thing, what does a man profit....

[Leonidas]

I believe it was all planned out.It is the interest of certain groups from both east and west for hostility to grow.
Was something like "Hey lets publish this so the world can see how crazy these Islamists really are"
Certain people knew exactly what they were doing and what reaction it would of had.

Another conspiracy theory
You people are amazing

You have swallowed this American dream, lock stock and barrel! You poor thing, what does a man profit....

Let me put it to you this way Michael. You WISH you where living the American dream. Dream on.

[lysi]

If you insult islam like that stupid danish newspaper did then what do you expect ? at least the muslims get of there arse to protest at an injustice not like the greek cypriots who never do anything.

[Michael]

I believe it was all planned out.It is the interest of certain groups from both east and west for hostility to grow.
Was something like "Hey lets publish this so the world can see how crazy these Islamists really are"
Certain people knew exactly what they were doing and what reaction it would of had.

Another conspiracy theory
You people are amazing

You have swallowed this American dream, lock stock and barrel! You poor thing, what does a man profit....

Let me put it to you this way Michael. You WISH you where living the American dream. Dream on.

I can live anywhere I wish. Whereas poor old you seemed to have been dumped there and are to frighten to go anywhere, lest they don’t let you back in.

[maewing]

lysi, and what exactly have these protests accomplished? Have they replaced one ounce of Islamic dignity supposedly tarnished by these cartoons? I submit that behaving this way has done far more to shed light on the false image of a peaceful Islam than any cartoon could have ever done. You should see the protestors as compatriots to the cartoonists! Think about it, their (or your) prophet was shown with a bomb as a turban indicating a violent underpinning at Islam's roots. These protests by Muslims have been violent at their root--leading to mass murders. Nothing done or said by the Islamic camp has suggested anything but this. Do you disagree?

Who is insulting Islam? Do you disagree that personal Jihad is violent? That is not an insult but a statement of fact--unless you think war and peace are the same thing. Moreover, if I attacked every person who insulted me (that is, told me the truth about myself), half of this forum's contributors would have death threats on their heads

[tcklim]

I'm actually going to have to agree with maewing on this one.... not on his anti-turkish views, but on the fact that the protests have only beefed up the image of a violent islam and not otherwise. Having visited many Middle-Eastern countries and lived in one, I know it's not the majority..... but in the eyes of the world, the violence that ensued does nothing to protray a peaceful religion

[TheCabbie]

I think the Muslim world is a lot more organised behind the scenes than we in the West think, I find it impossible to believe that these riots were spontaneous reactions to the cartoons, which had been published months before.

I also get the feeling that we are being pressured by the Muslims into allowing them to dictate how we we run our societies, they use our "Christian" value of appeasement against us in order to strengthen their position both in our societies and in the world. In the west practically every country has in the last few years taken on legislation protecting the rights of religious and racial groups, I've not heard of this happening in any Islamic country.
It's clever as they seem to have us kissing their asses at every opportunity, we seem to have to think through every action we make and consider it's impact on the Islamic world before we make it, this gives them far more influence on world affairs than their social/economic/human rights/military positions should allow.

Sorry if this sounds like another conspiracy theory but I really have believed for many years (yes some of us thought about these things pre 9/11) that eventually there will be a clash of "civilisations" and the West is being softened up before the battle commences.

[maewing]

Hi tcklim,

Just to clarify, I am not anti-Turkish (at all) but anti-Turkish occupation and many of my reasons for this follow what TheCabbie just eloquently wrote. Unfortunately, no Islamic country has a solid track record for tolerance or freedom--though Muslims demand it for themselves in every country where they have representation. You can insert almost everything I have said about Turkey or the Turkish with the word "Muslim" or "Islamic" since it is this intolerant adherence (not their ethnicity or "race" to use a poor term) which, in my view, is the problem.

My fear is that this ontolerance would spread in Cyprus if the gateway was opened to Muslims freely occupying the island with the force of Turkish military behind them. If you lived in a Muslim country, tcklim, then you know that in most of them (where they completely flattened the ancient churches, such as Arabia) most Churches have to worship in "compounds" designated for them and can, at any time, have their property and their rights to worship confiscated. No one should have to live in that situation.

I agree with TheCabbie that more people within Muslim countries know what is going on than we believe in the West. Pakistan is a perfect example. There Musharaff has been able to turn in hundreds of Al Qaeda operatives by going house to house and finding them. Why has that not happened anywhere else (though we know these guys are all over the Middle East, Asia and Chechnya)? I believe it is because in every other Muslim country (apart from perhaps the Emirates) the leadership sympathizes with the terrorists at least to a certain degree. They feel torn between their political duties to the world and their sectarian duties to other Muslims and fear social backlash. They also know, as I have said, that the violent actions of the terrorists are completely consistent with the religion itself--so the terrorists are doing "nothing wrong".