Islam was not always (and many would say is not today) a violent religion. There was once a tradition of itjihad, or an intellectual enlightenment or scholarly warfare. In times past, this intellectual conflict was given preeminence over violent physical jihad.

Unfortunately, much changed when the Christian crusades took place, and later, during the Spanish Inquisition, a great deal of resentment was planted amongst some Muslims, a resentment which would eventually fester into the Barbary Wars between the United States and the Muslim states of northern Africa, and of course, the continuing conflicts of today. Many Muslims, however, feel that their religion is still a religion of peace.

...

Islam was not always (and many would say is not today) a violent religion. There was once a tradition of itjihad, or an intellectual enlightenment or scholarly warfare. In times past, this intellectual conflict was given preeminence over violent physical jihad.

Unfortunately, much changed when the Christian crusades took place, and later, during the Spanish Inquisition, a great deal of resentment was planted amongst some Muslims, a resentment which would eventually fester into the Barbary Wars between the United States and the Muslim states of northern Africa, and of course, the continuing conflicts of today. Many Muslims, however, feel that their religion is still a religion of peace.

The book "Jefferson's War" is a very good read; highly recommend it.

Also, great clip! Reminds us that Muslims are just people like us, trying to live their lives as best they can, just like we are.

Now, all I have to do is win the lottery so I can go sightseeing over there...

Well, yeah ... except you got half a million mullahs leading "Death To America!" chants every week for the last 50 years and a president who wants to wipe Israel off the map (Yes he did say that! Yes he... stop ... stop it ... yes he did and you know it.)

Oh, and they are actively killing our troops in Iraq. Your predictable response to that is that we shouldn't be there in the first place. I sigh and say that's irrelevant and that we'll leave as soon as it's stable, which ain't gonna happen while they're fighting a proxy war.

Here are some more images:
http://www.iranfocus.com/uploads/img436468522a5f9.jpg
http://ginacobb.typepad.com/gina_cobb/images/iran_president_hourglass.jpg
http://www...

Well, yeah ... except you got half a million mullahs leading "Death To America!" chants every week for the last 50 years and a president who wants to wipe Israel off the map (Yes he did say that! Yes he... stop ... stop it ... yes he did and you know it.)

Oh, and they are actively killing our troops in Iraq. Your predictable response to that is that we shouldn't be there in the first place. I sigh and say that's irrelevant and that we'll leave as soon as it's stable, which ain't gonna happen while they're fighting a proxy war.

Here are some more images:
http://www.iranfocus.com/uploads/img436468522a5f9.jpg
http://ginacobb.typepad.com/gina_cobb/images/iran_president_hourglass.jpg
http://www.cfpeople.org/military/031503/1047569162.4160782416.jpg

Half a million....

50 years....

I think you exaggerate a bit, don;t you think...

As for the mural, we seen that to many times to count. I guess you see what you want to see....

Besides, can Iran "wipe Israel of the map" (even if thats what it's Presidents said, who by the way is not the commander of the armed forces in Iran). The answer is not. Can Israel do that to Iran (although I am not saying that is their intent), the answer is yes.

As for actively killing American troops, consdering that :

a) Americans have seize Iranian diplomatic personnel with little or no provocation;

b) Both Iraq and Afghanistan are launchpads for attacks into Iran;

and

c) The U.S. actively armed, equipp...

Half a million....

50 years....

I think you exaggerate a bit, don;t you think...

As for the mural, we seen that to many times to count. I guess you see what you want to see....

Besides, can Iran "wipe Israel of the map" (even if thats what it's Presidents said, who by the way is not the commander of the armed forces in Iran). The answer is not. Can Israel do that to Iran (although I am not saying that is their intent), the answer is yes.

As for actively killing American troops, consdering that :

a) Americans have seize Iranian diplomatic personnel with little or no provocation;

b) Both Iraq and Afghanistan are launchpads for attacks into Iran;

and

c) The U.S. actively armed, equipped and financed Iraq on a deadly war that lasted all of 8 years

it seems to me that there more than a tit for tat here. I mean the U.S. didn't launch a ground invasion of China in 1951 or threatened to attack China or Russia in 1965-72 or vice versa for the Russians in 1979-1989.

As for a simplistic view, I believe it is you who suffers from that. The above post gives depth to the subject, your comments subtract from it.

These pictures are a reflection of what Iran is ..... but in one small way. Unfortunately, I have seen too many other pictures of student protestors in Iran being killed, reporters disappearing and then ending up then in the prisons, women being arrested because of "dress code violations", homosexuals being publicly executed, minorities from the Kurds in the north to the arabs in the south being persecuted, corruption and abuse of power from the mullocracy that run the country (they make the U.S. Congress and Gov't patsy's in comparison), the creation of organizations such as the "Revolutionary Guards" that are always present in Universities, public locations ...etc., conferences that deny t...

These pictures are a reflection of what Iran is ..... but in one small way. Unfortunately, I have seen too many other pictures of student protestors in Iran being killed, reporters disappearing and then ending up then in the prisons, women being arrested because of "dress code violations", homosexuals being publicly executed, minorities from the Kurds in the north to the arabs in the south being persecuted, corruption and abuse of power from the mullocracy that run the country (they make the U.S. Congress and Gov't patsy's in comparison), the creation of organizations such as the "Revolutionary Guards" that are always present in Universities, public locations ...etc., conferences that deny the holocaust and also call for the active destruction (i.e. genocide) of Israel ..... well you get the idea.

I guess the true test to know what is the truth is ...... if a person had a choice to live in Iran or live where you are living now ...... where would you rather be?

The things you show are far more normative of Iran than Ahmadinejad is. People just want to raise their kids and get on with life. War is between politicians, not between peoples - at least in this case.
The world would be a better place if everyone had the opportunity to learn from the rich heritage of Iran.
Let's say it yet again: Ahmadinejad's popular support there is about the same as Bush's here; A. is not the Commander-in-Chief of the army, and has no power to take the nation to war; the real powers behind the scenes have shown no interest in picking fights - indeed, Iran hasn't started a war in over a century; there is no evidence that Iran is building a nuclear weapon - none, zero...

The things you show are far more normative of Iran than Ahmadinejad is. People just want to raise their kids and get on with life. War is between politicians, not between peoples - at least in this case.
The world would be a better place if everyone had the opportunity to learn from the rich heritage of Iran.
Let's say it yet again: Ahmadinejad's popular support there is about the same as Bush's here; A. is not the Commander-in-Chief of the army, and has no power to take the nation to war; the real powers behind the scenes have shown no interest in picking fights - indeed, Iran hasn't started a war in over a century; there is no evidence that Iran is building a nuclear weapon - none, zero, zip, nada.
Neoconservatism WANTS war with Iran, and is pulling out all the propaganda half-truths it can conjure to get the US riled enough to do it. Don't fall for it!

This is a great clip, with a great reaction. But why? Just ordinary pictures of obviously non-whites living there lives. If the title didn't mention Iran, would they get a second look?

Is it because the great free western media doesn't do Iran? We can't go murdering them tomorrow if we humanize them today? Do you think that they know as little about you as you do of them? What more have you learnt of the TRUTH since their president visited your country.

Note well who it was that were upset about his meeting regular Americans. They are the same ones that have lost you the respect of an Arab world that loved before you bought into the Zionist model so unjustly.

I know little of the man, bu...

This is a great clip, with a great reaction. But why? Just ordinary pictures of obviously non-whites living there lives. If the title didn't mention Iran, would they get a second look?

Is it because the great free western media doesn't do Iran? We can't go murdering them tomorrow if we humanize them today? Do you think that they know as little about you as you do of them? What more have you learnt of the TRUTH since their president visited your country.

Note well who it was that were upset about his meeting regular Americans. They are the same ones that have lost you the respect of an Arab world that loved before you bought into the Zionist model so unjustly.

I know little of the man, but I greatly admire his guts in facing a semi-hostile gathering after being insulted by his host,and then giving a reasonably good account of himself. History may remember his visit to New York for the correct reasons while forgetting the rabid reaction of a certain section that still dominate American foreign policy, despite Iraq.

Note well who it was that were upset about his meeting regular Americans. They are the same ones that have lost you the respect of an Arab world that loved before you bought into the Zionist model so unjustly.

I know little of the man, but I greatly admire his guts in facing a semi-hostile gathering after being insulted by his host,and then giving a reasonably good account of himself. History may remember his visit to New York for the correct reasons while forgetting the rabid reaction of a certain section that still dominate American foreign policy, despite Iraq.

Sorry Ratilfar, But the comment I posted was in response to the spinmaster Righthand. And it certainly IS re...

Note well who it was that were upset about his meeting regular Americans. They are the same ones that have lost you the respect of an Arab world that loved before you bought into the Zionist model so unjustly.

I know little of the man, but I greatly admire his guts in facing a semi-hostile gathering after being insulted by his host,and then giving a reasonably good account of himself. History may remember his visit to New York for the correct reasons while forgetting the rabid reaction of a certain section that still dominate American foreign policy, despite Iraq.

Sorry Ratilfar, But the comment I posted was in response to the spinmaster Righthand. And it certainly IS relevant to this clip, as it shows the other side the Iranian students and people are facing right NOW. People can try to deny it but it won't make it go away, ever.