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How is the overthrow of a secular prime minister of a Shiite country related to an attack by Sunni religious fanatics?
by jonyt 10y ago
How is the overthrow of a secular prime minister of a Shiite country related to an attack by Sunni religious fanatics?
- noelwelsh 10y agoI don't think you're asking in good faith, so I won't spend much time on this, but in case I'm wrong here's a quote from Wikipedia: "According to former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer, who led the CIA's hunt for Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader was motivated by a belief that U.S. foreign policy has oppressed, killed, or otherwise harmed Muslims in the Middle East,[56] condensed in the phrase, "They hate us for what we do, not who we are."" You can also look at the intellectual legacy of Ayatollah Khomeini (who succeeded the Shah who succeeded Mohammad Mosaddegh) and how that ties into al Qaeda's ideology.
- jonyt 10y agoBin Laden lists a rather long litany of grievances stretching all the way back to the crusades. He also blames the US for East Timor's independence[0], not a very terrible crime unless you believe in Islamic supremacy. Are you seriously suggesting that bin Laden would not have become a racist mass murderer had the US not helped overthrow the Iranian government? [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_and_ideology_of_Osama_bin_Laden#East_Timor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beliefs_and_ideology_of_Osama_...
- noelwelsh 10y agoNo, that's not what I'm suggesting. I'm suggesting the events in Iran and the ideology of Ayatollah Khomeini are some of the many influences on his ideology. I think this would be obvious to anyone arguing in good faith, so I'm out of this conversation.