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#2 (permalink) Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:04 pm Prejudices |
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Hi Alan,
Seems like those in charge were under a certain type of pressure and as a result they overreacted. Or rather reacted to something they thought was a thread when indeed there was no danger at all. I think it's all down to the media and how you perceive what is happening around you. We get information from different sources and often it's just plain arrogance or lack of interest that makes us create an opinion.
Why on earth do people think that if somebody speaks Arabic they must be dangerous? Why are airline officials not even capable of distinguishing between Arabic and another language? Why do I have to be dressed in shorts in a T-shirt if I want to use a certain airline? _________________ Test Of English for International Communication TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary |
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Torsten Learning Coach

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 10867 Location: EU
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#3 (permalink) Tue Aug 22, 2006 12:39 pm What do you think of this? |
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This is a big debate in the United States right now. Due to political correctness, airport authorities have been selecting people randomly for complete security checks. This means that even an 85-year-old Irish Catholic grandmother can be detained for a thorough search.
Most people think this is a ridiculous waste of time, because so far there has been no case of an 85-year-old Irish Catholic grandmother hijacking a plane and flying it into a skyscraper, blowing up a passenger train, shooting people at an Israeli airline ticket counter or murdering elderly Jews in a social club. So far, all people who have tried to do these things in the United States has been young Muslim men from the Middle East.
So here's the predicament: Just because you are Muslim and speak Arabic, it doesn't mean you're a terrorist, and you're probably not. However, nearly all the terrorist attacks have been carried out by Arabic-speaking Muslims.
Most people believe, therefore, that Arabic-speaking Muslims, and anyone who looks like them, should come under more scrutiny than 85-year-old Irish Catholic grandmothers. In fact, in the US media recently I read a commentary from a man who is half Pakistani who said, "I want myself, and anyone who looks like me thoroughly searched before we get on an airplane." He does not feel offended if they detain him, and he'd rather be inconvenienced and "discriminated against" than blown up.
The Muslim community as a whole could do a lot to calm people down if they clearly and categorically condemned terrorism, but they don't. Their statements generally sound like, "This attack was a great tragedy and we do not support it, BUT..." followed by a defense of the terrorist attack. In the same sentence, they first condemn terrorism, and then they support it. I don't blame people for being nervous. |
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Jamie (K) I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 24 Feb 2006 Posts: 5645 Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
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#4 (permalink) Mon Aug 28, 2006 20:33 pm What do you think of this? |
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this is complicate topic, since all the terrorist attacks have been carried out by Arabic-speaking Muslims, because you are Muslim and speak Arabic, and you know it is airplane, it is hard to alive if terrorist attacks happen, Muslims who did terrorist attacks influenced all the muslims, even you are not terrorist, but who know, if you are, hundreds peoples will die, so Most people believe that Arabic-speaking Muslims, and anyone who looks like them, should come under more scrutiny |
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Nami I'm new here and I like it ;-)
Joined: 19 Jul 2006 Posts: 40 Location: USA
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#5 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 6:54 am ;-) |
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Hi Alan
I won't give you my opinion , but I will give you some articles from " some international newspapers" ..
[articles removed]
Herc |
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Hercules I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 339 Location: Syria
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#6 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:41 am Posting articles on the forum |
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Dear Hercules,
Please understand that I had to remove the three newspaper articles you had copied and published here. Our forum is a place where you can exchange thoughts and ideas. If you want to communicate with other forum members and tell your opinion on any subject, you are free to do so. Posting long winded articles you have copied from Internet newspapers is a different story.
We want to know what you think. So if YOU have something to say then please let us know. You can also comment on a newspaper article you have read. You can even post part of an article here as long as you share your own thoughts on that article.
Thanks for your understanding, Torsten _________________ Test Of English for International Communication TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary |
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Torsten Learning Coach

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 10867 Location: EU
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#7 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:14 am You made me laugh |
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Hi Torsten
Even you ??? :shock:
[articles removed] ???!!!!!!!!!!?????? :shock: :shock: :?: :!:
You made me laugh ..my friend :lol: :lol: Are you a dictator ?? I don't think that .. :D
So, to avoid your ununderstanding doing , I don't think I should tell you that those authors were an Amrican or an European and those articles were published on Amrican websites or on European websites , so you might keep them .. and If you want be honest ..you must remove Alan's article too ... or any articles is/was published there .. :wink:
Anyway ,and in the the outspoken font
THIS IS YOUR WEBSITE not our... :(
and of course you are free to do anything " removing or keeping " harmonious with your ideas and that you like to hear or read .. Thanks for your reading,
Herc |
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Hercules I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 339 Location: Syria
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#8 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:54 am Copying newspaper articles |
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Hercules, do you see a difference in copying and posting 3 full length articles and sharing your own opinion? If everybody copies and posts newspaper articles on our forum what will be the value of our forum? Imagine going to a seminar where every participant reads newspaper articles.
Again, we are interested in what you have to say. You are not the author of those newspaper articles, are you? Alan was only referring to an article, he didn't copy and post 3 full length newspaper articles without any comments.
I'm sure you understand that there must be a limit as to how much text one can copy and post in their forum messages. Imagine somebody copying and posting an entire book.
Herc, please understand that I didn't remove your post. I removed three newspaper articles that you cannot claim are yours simply because you didn't write them. You found and copied them. I also did not remove them because of their contents. I removed them because you didn't write them. I respect your thoughts and I also respect the opinions of the authors of those articles. However, I don't think it's a good idea to use other people's ideas and publish them as your own. You are capable of thinking for yourself. Have an opinion and share it with us. Don't just copy other people. _________________ Test Of English for International Communication TOEIC Preparation & TOEIC Vocabulary |
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Torsten Learning Coach

Joined: 25 Sep 2003 Posts: 10867 Location: EU
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#9 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:32 am What do you think of this? |
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Hi Herc
Could I make a suggestion?
Why not write a comment and/or your opinion about the articles and then post the link(s)?
It seems to me that would be a good solution. What do you think?
Amy |
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Yankee I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 16 Apr 2006 Posts: 8265 Location: USA
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#10 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:42 am Articles |
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Hi Herc,
Since I started this thing off I think I need to make a comment. I quoted the paper and date of my extract which was purely descriptive and I wanted to know what people thought. I had no axe to grind, no point to make, no view to express - I merely wanted to elicit people's reactions. It seems Amy's suggestion is a very sound one that reference by link should be made to a newspaper article, for the poster to comment on it and for anyone interested to read it for themselves. After all we want this particular forum to be a talking shop.
Alan _________________ English as a Foreign Language You can read my EFL story A day in the life of a policeman |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 9908 Location: UK
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#11 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:44 am What do you think of this? |
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| Quote: |
Herc, please understand that I didn't remove your post. I removed three newspaper articles that you cannot claim are yours simply because you didn't write them. You found and copied them. I also did not remove them because of their contents. I removed them because you didn't write them. I respect your thoughts and I also respect the opinions of the authors of those articles. However, I don't think it's a good idea to use other people's ideas and publish them as your own. You are capable of thinking for yourself. Have an opinion and share it with us. Don't just copy other people.
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:shock: :shock:
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| I won't give you my opinion , but I will give you some articles from " some international newspapers" .. |
I never ever said that I wrote them , and you know that Torsten .. Why did you say that ??? :!: :?: could you tell me why ???? :?: :!:
??????????????
and I sent below that articles the links of them to be honest ..
So , after your latest post , I'm sure that there are some hidden reasons that you don't want all members here know them , and that reasons push you to remove that three newspaper articles .. SO! Why did you remove them ??
I'm so disappointed :cry:
Herc |
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Hercules I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 339 Location: Syria
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#12 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:01 pm What do you think of this? |
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Hi Alan & Amy ..
you are great teachers
and you are right ..but be sure that I didn't want to share or create this storm ...
Thank you , and I wish you good luck at your life ..
Herc |
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Hercules I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 339 Location: Syria
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#13 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 12:19 pm What do you think of this? |
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Hi Hercules,
Please don't be disappointed, my friend. As I have read most of your posts, they are quite interesting :D . Really, I'm very curious about your opinions concerning those.
Have a nice day! _________________ If you want to change the world, be one of the change. |
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Rosalisa I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Posts: 313 Location: Cambodia
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#14 (permalink) Tue Aug 29, 2006 17:16 pm What do you think of this? |
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Hi, Herc
I shocked too. Why!!! When Alan wrote what he wants. The all don't do anything. :!:
Alan: your quote was very unwelcoming for Moslems and Arabs.
Of course I can do the same thing but I said to all members (We are big family and this web is our home).
Torsten
| Quote: |
| Please understand that I had to remove the three newspaper articles you had copied and published here |
Alan said
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| I took this from today's copy of The Independent a national newspaper in the UK. |
Did you think the article wrote by Alan???
Torsten
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| you are free to do so... |
You must say too: So I removed your article :lol
by the way, this what do you want Alan:
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August 14, 2006 The UK Terror plot: what's really going on? By Craig Murray I have been reading very carefully through all the Sunday newspapers to try and analyse the truth from all the scores of pages claiming to detail the so-called bomb plot. Unlike the great herd of so-called security experts doing the media analysis, I have the advantage of having had the very highest security clearances myself, having done a huge amount of professional intelligence analysis, and having been inside the spin machine.
So this, I believe, is the true story.
None of the alleged terrorists had made a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Many did not even have passports, which given the efficiency of the UK Passport Agency would mean they couldn't be a plane bomber for quite some time.
In the absence of bombs and airline tickets, and in many cases passports, it could be pretty difficult to convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt that individuals intended to go through with suicide bombings, whatever rash stuff they may have bragged in internet chat rooms...........
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Torsten, I swear that just a part of article and do you know what my opinion!!!....
All that talk is babble (A...'s article) :!:
Why are we writing unwelcome words? But we can write words which make us friends and lovers...
Torsten, do you remove my post too.
Thanks for your understanding (I afraid you won't understand me).
Mba _________________ Right is always stronger than iniquity. |
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Dark Magician I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 490 Location: Middle east
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#15 (permalink) Wed Aug 30, 2006 10:37 am What I think of this |
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Hi
I can understand the reason why texts of so long articles (regardless the subject) posted to the forum with no personal comments had been removed by moderators.
I don’t understand why the links itselves have been also removed.
Generally, what I want to say is: We all are from different countries and cultures and we all know quite well that the situation in the world sometimes (or permanently) is quite… hot – when there is not the only truth… So, as I think, we ALL have to understand clearly that this is not a political board, but a language learning forum, where too active conversations on politics always bring a great danger and risk to destroy forum's relationships... :(
That’s just my thought.
Tamara _________________ It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water… |
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Tamara I'm a Communicator ;-)

Joined: 25 May 2006 Posts: 1577 Location: UK
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| When and where should we dicuss politics? | America and terrorists? |