Posted on 08/20/2007 8:48:40 AM PDT by Abathar
NEW YORK - Christiane Amanpour's work on the documentary series "God's Warriors" took her directly to intersections of extreme religious and secular thinking.
She watched, fascinated, as demonstrators in San Francisco accused teenagers in the fundamentalist Christian group BattleCry of intolerance in a clash of two cultures that will probably never understand each other.
Understanding is what Amanpour is trying to promote in "God's Warriors," which takes up six prime-time hours on CNN this week. The series on religious fundamentalism among Christians, Muslims and Jews airs in three parts, 9 p.m. EDT Tuesday through Thursday.
Many people know only stereotypes of these true believers, even the ones in their own country, she said.
Yet it's vital to be familiar with their thinking given the growing importance of these movements in the war on terrorism, the never-ending conflicts surrounding Israel and conservative politics in the United States.
"I'm not interested in drumming up false fears, or falsely allaying fears," CNN's chief international correspondent told The Associated Press by phone from France, where she added last-minute touches to the series. "I just want people to know what's going on."
Amanpour traveled extensively over eight months to work on the series. The trips to Amanpour's native Iran are most fascinating. She explored the ancient roots of the conflict between Shiites and Sunnis, and talked with one of the country's most accomplished female politicians about how Muslim women are treated.
Another segment tried to explain why so many devout Muslims are willing to give their lives to a cause.
"To the West, martyrdom has a really bad connotation because of suicide bombers who call themselves martyrs," she said. "Really, martyrdom is actually something that historically was quite noble, because it was about standing up and rejecting tyranny, rejecting injustice and rejecting oppression and, if necessary, dying for that."
Finishing the project didn't leave her with a sense of fear over the implications of stronger fundamentalist movements.
"I did come away with a sense that we — or those people who don't want to see religion in politics and culture — if we don't look into it and see what is going on, we're in danger of missing it and not be able to react to it properly," she said.
Amanpour was one of the last reporters to talk to the Rev. Jerry Falwell. She interviewed him a week before he died about the legacy of the Moral Majority, the organization that thrust evangelical Christians onto the political stage.
The segment on Christians explores BattleCry in some depth, digging at the roots of an organization that fights against some of the cruder elements of popular culture and urges teenagers to be chaste. In noting how girls at some BattleCry events are encouraged to wear long dresses, Amanpour asks the group's leader how it is different from the Taliban.
In a nonjudgmental way, she visits a family that is home-schooling its children and explores the influence of Evangelicals on the courts.
"There is so much nuance, so much information, so much to talk about, by no means were we able to talk about it all," she said, "and by no means do I claim this is the definitive project. It is one of the fullest, one of the most ambitious and one of the most complete."
Amanpour, 49, is no longer CNN's most visible reporter, as she was when skipping from one war zone to another. She received a lot of attention for her documentary "In the Footsteps of bin Laden" last year, and said she's enjoying the opportunity to put day-to-day news in greater perspective.
She's frequently criticized American television networks, including her own, for not spending enough time on international news.
That hasn't changed. "I believe (the audience) wants to know more than our bosses or superficial focus groups would have you believe," she said.
Amanpour was recently named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II. She's leaving her home base of London to move to New York with her husband, former U.S. State Department spokesman James Rubin.
"This is really a personal move for my husband,who has lived eight years out of his own country and wants to come back," she said.
It does not suprise me that Ms. Amanpour will do anything to put Christianity with Islam into a bad light.
Minnie Mouse Saves Sarajevo - Christiane Imam-Poor
Does anyone have a schedule on these programs?
DUH........try reading the article doofus.
1400 yr of un-nuanced Jihad is enough.
We're trying to be on our best behavior or BOR will impose censors. ;-)
Uhhhhh.....they aren't shot in the back of the head if they don't??
Muslim Extremists - Boom
Christian Extremists - No Boom
Jewish Extemists - No Boom
One of these is a problem. The other two are annoyances.
He was personally attacking himself. No harm there...
I think your answer is below:
"Really, martyrdom is actually something that historically was quite noble, because it was about standing up and rejecting tyranny, rejecting injustice and rejecting oppression and, if necessary, dying for that."
Or one of THOSE extremists would make the other two look like boy scouts/girl scouts.
Christiane Iamawhore
I think in the end BOR will have a needed good chuckle reading the posts. ;-)
Amanpour with special guest commentator Michael Ware. Amanpour and Ware will be giving a demonstrations of how sexual intercourse is performed while both wearing full burkas.
“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.” 3 Jo 1:11
Or let the 1400 year record speak for itself.
Occasional Jewish and Christian extremists go Boom.
The difference is that they are promptly and roundly rejected by essentially all other members of their faiths. Many if not most Muslims approve of Muslim boomers, or at least make excuses for them.
I just finished a book about the era of British control of Palestine. There were lots of Jewish booms during that period.
"To the West, martyrdom has a really bad connotation because of suicide bombers who call themselves martyrs," she said. "Really, martyrdom is actually something that historically was quite noble, because it was about standing up and rejecting tyranny, rejecting injustice and rejecting oppression and, if necessary, dying for that."
Martyrdom has never been strapping bombs to your chest, walking into a marketplace in peace time, and killing and injuring as many innocent passersby as you can. There is NOTHING honorable about that.
Suffering persecution and refusing to denounce your faith as you are tortured to death or thrown to the lions for entertainment IS martyrdom. You die, no one else does, and you stood by your beliefs.
That was exactly my first thought-she’ll lump the Islamic terrorists, the American Christian Right and the IDF all together and paint them as fanatics. The other option is, I suppose, to make the Christians and Jews look like gencidal maniacs and paint the Jihadists as religious freedom fighters. Two things are certain: it won’t be balanced and I won’t see it.
“and not be able to react to it properly”
How does she plan to do that? Jihad? A sharp butter knife to the jugular? Maybe a bomb belt... or an IED?
How sweet. So, when learning about Christian extremists, she probably goes to revivals and looks for the most wild-eyed Christian family she can find. When learning about Muslim extremists one would naturally want to inteview a nation's most accomplished female politician.
I guess that's equivalent coverage. Sure. Whatever.
“Really, martyrdom is actually something that historically was quite noble, because it was about standing up and rejecting tyranny, rejecting injustice and rejecting oppression and, if necessary, dying for that.”
What kind of violent response should all non-muslims be allowed to engage in at Saudi Arabia where NO other exercise of religion is tolerated by the tyrannical laws? And where non-muslims are treated as second class citizens under the law? And where Jews are barred entry even into the country?
There is no excuse for a violent response to such a State. But to say that “others are like this too” is false.
Perhaps Mz Ahmawhore will give examples of Christians cutting off peoples heads or Christian suicide bombings??
Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters
I’m shocked she stepped out of her tour bus long enough to get an hours worth of footage to even put on a show.
Me thinks Christine is trying to soften the mental blow of having to admit her heritage and culture is turned inside out in the post modern world.
The segment on Christians explores BattleCry in some depth, digging at the roots of an organization that fights against some of the cruder elements of popular culture and urges teenagers to be chaste. In noting how girls at some BattleCry events are encouraged to wear long dresses, Amanpour asks the group's leader how it is different from the Taliban.
Is it possible she is that stupid to equate teenage girls trying to live a modest live are somehow not too different than the Taliban? No it's not. It's blatant propaganda.
She was looking for a Christian group that was being criticized by other Americans like we criticize Muslims worldwide. Faggots and liberals protesting a group like BattleCry is her comparison.
Hell, if you want a protest there just put up a sign that says “Republican, and proud of it!” You will be jeered and spit on within minutes, you don’t need to wear a long dress to have that happen.
How much do you want to bet the Kansas City bombing will be brought up in the first 10 minutes?
I have never liked her and it does not even have anything to do with her politics. She just gives me the creeps...and don’t even get me started on her voice. Yieks!
bookmark for later
Nemo dat quod non habet.
When was the last abortion clinic bombing?? It stopped after it was condemned by the Christian Leadership. The last abortionist killed was the night before BJ was elected. Thought the timing of that was just too convenient.
Pray for W and Our Troops
Martyrdom is a Christian concept. It's not at all true that it has a bad connotation. What is true is that Christians (and unbelievers as well) are outraged at this perversion of the word.
She watched, fascinated, as demonstrators in San Francisco accused teenagers in the fundamentalist Christian group BattleCry of intolerance in a clash of two cultures that will probably never understand each other.
It's just what I thought - she's going to state all three are the same. Multiculturism at its finest.
“She watched, fascinated, as demonstrators in San Francisco accused teenagers in the fundamentalist Christian group BattleCry of intolerance in a clash of two cultures that will probably never understand each other.”
They understand each other quite well, unlike Ms. Amanpour. The Muslims want to convert us by force, legal decisions, pure numbers, intimidation, or proselytization into their cult. This group of Christians, apparently, want to retain their culture, religion and freedom.
“To the West, martyrdom has a really bad connotation because of suicide bombers who call themselves martyrs,” she said. “Really, martyrdom is actually something that historically was quite noble, because it was about standing up and rejecting tyranny, rejecting injustice and rejecting oppression and, if necessary, dying for that.”
???????????????????? Christian martyrs were willing to be killed for their faith, not take a bunch of other victims with them. And suicide was never an accepted Christian practise.
“The segment on Christians explores BattleCry in some depth, digging at the roots of an organization that fights against some of the cruder elements of popular culture and urges teenagers to be chaste. In noting how girls at some BattleCry events are encouraged to wear long dresses, Amanpour asks the group’s leader how it is different from the Taliban.”
This creature is truly a TOTAL idiot.
“Amanpour was recently named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.”
Need I say more? Kindred spirits. Perhaps she can be knighted too, like such sterling role models like the Beetles and Elton John.
War whore
The old Christians = Taliban argument...
Dear Editor:
I fought in Afghanistan as a Special Forces Team Commander. I am also what you would perceive as a “wacky-right-wing-conservative-religious-person”
So here are the differences between myself and the Taliban.
The Taliban allowed no freedom of expression, no rights for women, no freedom of religion and destroyed anything and everyone that did not abide by their version of Islam. They destroyed the famous Buddhist statues of Bamiyan because the felt they were un-Islamic graven images. The wiped out entire peoples and villages (such as the Hazara) because they were not Islamic enough. They would think nothing of executing an entire village if one family converted to Christianity. They cut the ears, eyes, tongues and noses off people for “infractions against Islam.” They turned schools into horse stables. They planted bombs and mines in children’s play fields. They torched newly built girls schools. They stoned women to death who had been raped for “adultery.” They allowed the training of terrorist groups to export their version of Islam to the world. They looked at the world as two spheres – One that has been conquered by Islam and one that will be conquered by Islam through war. They would think nothing of raping your wife and children and making you a slave or corpse. It is what you and your family, or any non-Islamic person, deserves for being an infidel. They would not allow women (and girls) to go to school, have a job or even leave their home (unless accompanied by a male relative). The Taliban ruled by fear and intimidation. They remind me of the Nazis and Communists.
What do the so called religious conservatives in this country want? Here is the super secret list: Economic Opportunity and Personal Liberty.
Things like: Taxes we can afford; A reverence for the US Constitution as the Founding Fathers wrote it; An appreciation for the values and traditions that made this country the finest in the history of the world; A respect for all opinion, not just what is the PC flavor of the month; An understanding that people should “not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character;” And respect for life (no matter how vulnerable or powerless).
The differences are slight, but there they are. I hope this clears up any misunderstandings.
De Oppresso Libre,
2banana
Hmmmm...now let's see. A huge difference between BattleCry and the Taliban is that if a girl does not wear long dresses at a BattleCry event, she is not arrested, beaten and usually killed as she would be under the Taliban (and in Iran and Saudi Arabia). How's THAT for a difference? Sheesh! Amanpour is a moral relativist idiot.
“Is it possible she is that stupid to equate teenage girls trying to live a modest live are somehow not too different than the Taliban? No it’s not. It’s blatant propaganda.”
Oh cmon lets see. We encourage you to wear modest clothes because its the right thing. OR We encourage you to wear modest clothes or we will rape and kill you.
Seems the same to me.
/sarc
Oh, I think calling her an idiot is way too charitable.
She’s not stumbling clumsily around in the House of Logic.
She’s deliberately attempting to pull it asunder so as to have unimpeded access to spew her biased propaganda.
Perhaps Chistian Ahmawhore should go to Iran and show this movie and perhaps she will see/feel the difference between Chistianity and Islam. Oh yeah, she should wear a short skirt while presenting this tripe.
Pray for W and Our Troops
Hence the ;-). ;-)
There is a huge difference between Christian and Muslim martyrdom. Christian martyrs were willing to suffer or die without hurting others. In fact, they would pray for their tormentors. Martyrdom in the Islamic world means killing as many innocent people as possible by your action. There is nothing noble about this sort of martyrdom.
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