Posted by panch from pool0300.cvx20-bradley.dialup.earthlink.net (209.179.251.45) on Sunday, June 16, 2002 at 7:26PM :
"the Assyrian American Leadership Council, which seeks the overthrow of Saddam Hussein."?! Why would ANC's newly created organization announce that they "seek the overthrow of Saddam Hussein"? They are a few people nestled comfortably in Modesto, California, USA. Are they not concerned with the consequences of their words on Assyrians living under the foot of the Iraqi regime? Even the KDP, which has thousands of armed fighters and millions of dollars and possibly the full might of the American government behind them doesn't announce that they "seek the overthrow of Saddam Hussein". We all know that Kurds want a Kurdish state in north Iraq free from Saddam, but the KDP doesn't tell Saddam that. Why keep the State Department official's name a secret anyway, what's the big deal? Raman.
+++++These guys are scary. Imagine how the United States would respond if Muslims gathered in Baghdad to discuss what sorts of government they planned for New York once it was successfully reduced to ashes?
+++I realize it's a long shot, but just think how it would make Americans feel towards Muslims. I really believe these guys are all Christians who would far prefer the entire region and its population, Christians among them, be wiped out rather than "lose" that area to the "enemies of Christ"...and pss, the United States gets all the oil anyway.
++++It is incomprehensible how such a passle of dolts thinks they are in any way representative of our people. ..unless of course we ARE all dolts. They do it by default because the rest of us have allowed them to speak for us in our name...we have prefered to run out because we COULD.
That's one way in which Christianity has sapped our vigour...there was always an easy alternative. When you're a Jew there IS no refuge, there still really isn't. There wasn't anywhere welcoming or warm and fuzzy to run to...but for us, because we were Christian, the welcome mat was out, we could just slip over the threshold, sit before the TV set and hang our cross and American flag at the door.
It's a little harder now, and patrots like BetBasoo and "Ross" show us you have to be willing to try a little harder to wipe yourself out. Just how in Ashur's name did Christianity save us in ANY way? And save us for what...for this ultimate humiliation when our people jettison their names and identity even when they aren'ty forced to...just to get along?
In some ways it's more excusable to have a big mean Muslim FORCE you to betray yourself...it's a sickening sight to watch "proud" Assyrians willingly deny the essence of what we are just because they can do it easily...and benefit. After all, the Assyrian who converted to Islam to avoid a tax or get ahead in life for himself and family, wasn't very different than the Assyrian who changes his name so he can blend in and get ahead, also for his and his family's sake. Why be so hard on Muslims and let America off the hook...just two ways of coercing conformity...except that in America, it being Christian and all, we can maintain the illusion that we really WANTED to conform...that no one forced us...as if that makes it any better.
+++What's worse, to jump out of your skin because someone holds a gun to your head...or jump out of it because someone offers you a prize?
Our only hope is to inspire our young people...the ones who can place religion in its proper perspective and leave off this jealousy and envy and hatred...a hard thing for any religious person to do.
Ashur will show the way to those who are seeking it. For the rest of us....Disneyland is in Southern California.
-- panch
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