[Pharaohs Army]

@Eng
First off I'm grateful issues like these can be discussed rationally and based on substance. Rare nowadays. Thx

Regarding Piers Morgan, lol, I think you're right; it's not him... when I was writing my post I thought it was him at first... your opinion of him made me chuckle and I must agree.

But you're right, technically "who" said it is irrelevant, what's important is the message, and I can "see" the case being made, even though I think it misses the ball in some important respects.

About the liberal/conservative thing being a BS distraction- you're absolutely right which is why I prefaced with "at the risk of... simplified paradigm... etc.
The reason I "went there" is because often times (w/ respect to liberal v. conservative) there are some "matching up" with the mindsets/thoughts, on the top layer of this multi-layered issue. Poorly worded but I hope you get the drift.
I.e.
"i think you're overlooking inevitable causation: as if current affairs aren't directly correlative with years of aggressive foreign policy - some clandestine, others paraded as just. if i'm to buy into ISIS/ISIL (which I don't) i could look at the number of coups on middle eastern soil - backed by america/israel (in alleged preemptive defence of the latter) - displacing a group of war-torn young men who wander around with no real sense of purpose while their countries continue to get fucked -- eventually uniting under some shit brainstormed banner named after Osiris' wife and making big budget videos of them burning pilots alive. because that makes sense."

What I mean is, unlike some shallow conservatives who hate because of brown skin/ xenophobia/ irrational fear of Sharia Law in US, etc etc, I understand what you're saying. You are right; you're just vastly underestimating the role that their religion is playing in all of this. Many ISIS fighters LITERALLY believe that this "coming together of the Caliphate" is precipitating end-times and prophecies in the Koran. That's not opinion. It's what they say and believe.

Has U.S., Israeli (and earlier,British- read;Iran) foreign policy contributed enormously to some of these major global problems? Absolutely. No doubt. But these matters are not mutually exclusive. Far from it. Radical Islam plays a huge role AS WELL.
There are more Christian Palestinians than people realize, also persecuted by Israel. Have you heard of any Christian Suicide bombers over the last couple decades?
Have you ever heard of a Tibetan Buddhist(terribly persecuted by China over the decades) blowing himself up on a Chinese bus full of civilians?
Beliefs matter.
I'm not excusing Hypocritical/Terroristic/Violent foreign policies by the US and Israel. I'm saying That Alone cannot explain the terrible things going on in much of the Muslim world.

When little girls trying to get an education are burned with acid in the face
When women have no rights (can't drive, can't vote)
When apostates are threatened with death (or in some cases actually killed)
When fatwas are issued on WRITERS or filmmakers
Honor killings, Killing gays, Killing "infidels"... (or, if not killing then persecuting)
...I could keep going....
These things are not the result of repressive foreign powers. They are the direct result of the religion.

Some poverty is due to reactionary ideals and adhering to the rules of an ancient text; not solely due to repressive foreign powers, or said powers propping up brutal regimes. BOTH are causes

[It's kind of like the Patriots in the NFL. YES they have great coaching. Great game-planning. Great culture of winning.... But they also have been docked draft picks and been fined and have faced litigation for breaking the rules. Cheating. In some cases blatant, in some cases "skirting the line"... I'm going off topic (this is for another thread).. but the point is.. why is it 1 or the other?? It's BOTH]

Yes there are hundreds of millions-- a billion or more-- Muslims who don't practice violence.
But there are enough devoted/radical/religiously-motivated clerics, fighters, rulers, and yes,disaffected youth who also have societal factors. But the religion is there, front and center.... enough to be a big problem.

"don't espouse views demonizing an entire people based on the actions of a few. because it's easy. be intelligent. don't do that."

Again. I don't have anything against an entire people. I "have something" against their entire religion. And if those two things are to be equated, then perhaps in some way that is making my case. If their unfounded religious beliefs play "that big a part" of their lives. The less role it(literal interpretation religion)plays, the more likely they are not in my sphere of what I'm talking about here. Lol.

Listen to what people SAY, and observe what they DO.
When they say they are killing infidels, creating a caliphate, instituting Sharia, in the name of Allah and the Koran... I take them at their word!! Crushing foreign policy from the West- to be sure- can contribute to the "environment"/landscape, but do not discount what they do,& what they say about why they do it. (And when I say "they" I do not mean all Muslims. I mean extremists).

Ok. Math. Let's assume those numbers aren't lowballs.
.003% of 1.6 billion is 48,000. That IS a lowball in my opinion. But nearly 50,000 people involved in brutal & violent groups/movements. BIG PROBLEM

To say nothing of the unknown % (too high) who quietly approve, quietly justify, or are *scared into silence due to threats of violence. (< rap line lol)

Or the % Not on the front lines, but who spew propaganda and/or literal lines of holy text... inspiring this stuff.. Sure the actions of the evil West makes it easier for them; but again, not mutually exclusive.

Or the % who haven't acted (yet), but swallow this stuff hook line&sinker.

^I'd say you can easily add another 0 on that already low #. 480K almost Half a mil.. Extreme.

It's a multi-layered issue. Which is why we need clear-thinking people who base things on reason. This is a war of ideas, and rationality has been losing in the Muslim world for centuries.
For the most part, bullets and bombs and prisons exacerbate the problem. You've got no argument from me on that.
I just ask you to perhaps read or learn what's in the holy text... which is not to be discounted, when extremists LIVE by it, view it as the perfect word of the creator of the universe, and act accordingly.