"Neil Gould" wrote in message
...
Recently, Jay Honeck posted:

There are other cold hard facts to consider here. We aren't dealing
with "a murderer". We're dealing with entire cultures who just don't
happen to appreciate our way of going about things. So, to make sure
they don't try to kill the rest of our family, perhaps the best
approach is to go about things differently? If so, the best question
to ask is "why do they hate us?", as only an understanding and
addressing of that question can lead to peace.

Well, Neil, I hear you -- but I don't believe that our enemies really
care about how we "change our ways." It's clearly gone beyond all
that. (As if "we" had the ability to "change our ways" anyway --
whatever all that means.)

Well, they say they *do* care about many of the ways that we insert
ourselves in in their midst. The Palestinian issue; our general disrespect
for Islamic (not even radical) traditions, etc.


Neil,

I lived in Tehran, Iran back in 1976-1977 and therefore had a keen interest
in events that took place there not long after I returned to the U.S.A. And
I try to keep up with the reality as it exists today.

While living there, we were often reminded to respect both the religious and
cultural aspects of Iranian life. We knew when it might not be safe to be
on the streets (passions run high during Ramadan...) and which parts of town
to stay out of.

We learned early on that (at least in Iran) the Middle East is rife with
contradictions. What you see is rarely what you get. I'll never forget the
sight of an Iranian woman jumping over a puddle while crossing the street
and her "Chador" blew open revealing the fact that she was wearing a very
expensive, bright yellow business suit and yellow 3" stilletto heels. And
before anyone asks why she wasn't stoned on the spot...at the time, the
"Chador" was culteral in nature and not required by any Islamic tennets.
Unlike now where the zealots want to drive Iran (and the rest of the Middle
East) back to the stone age.

After the Embassy was seized, while the TV cameras were focused on the
"mob", I was getting letters from Iranian friends bemoaning the loss of
friends, dollars, goods and all the other things that they came to know and
like about America. The American TV networks even eventually reported
this...of course, they waited until about day 400 of 444 to do so.

Iran and much of the Middle East went, quite litterally, from camels to cars
in a very short space of time. They tasted success and a modicum of self
determination (the Shah not withstanding...he and his wife (especially) did
do some good things in Iran) and I think, in time, they are going to want it
back.

I saw this article...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7103517/...week/?GT1=6305

....and I have to agree with the author. Frankly, the issues in the Middle
East (by and large...) have very little to do with America or American
policies and a whole lot more to do with their own internal politics and
pressures.

Regards,

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ