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Op-Ed: Why Arabs are so Easily Offended
Arutz Sheva ^ | 30/9/12 | Ron Jager

Posted on 10/01/2012 1:15:14 PM PDT by Eleutheria5

“Call me Ishmael”, is the opening sentence that opens the novel “Moby Dick” authored by Herman Melville. Ishmael, who is telling the story of Moby Dick, recounts that he is sailing to sea out of a sense of alienation and cultural inadequacy.

.....

Ever since the days of Napoleon's landing upon the shores of Egypt at the very end of the 18th Century and bringing with him the modern era to the Middle East, Islam has been unable to free itself from the shackles of inferiority and self-destructive primal rage that typifies the hatred of modern day Islamic radicalism against Western civilization.

In recent years, despite Israel being at the foci of much of what has been termed the "war of civilizations" between the Western world and Islam, Europe is undergoing a rapid demographic transition that will lead to a large Muslim population harboring an unchanging, hostile attitude toward their national communities.

Nicolai Sennels, a Danish psychologist who has had extensive experience with treating Muslim youths has identified four main differences that are important in order to understand the behavior of Muslims and how they interact with Western influences. Without dismissing the intrinsic value of multiculturalism or the need to identify with ones cultural roots Sennels has identified four main differences that are important in order to understand the behavior of Muslims. They concern anger, self-confidence, the so-called "locus of control" and identity.

Westerners are brought up to think of anger as a sign of weakness, powerlessness and lack of self-control.

In Muslim culture, anger is seen as a sign of strength. ....

.....

(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: araboffense; arabs; honor; islam; jihad; muslim; muslimoffense; offended; sharia; violence
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Whole article is worth reading. I remember Senels' original piece, and Jager ties it in neatly with the errors and missteps of the Obama administration.
1 posted on 10/01/2012 1:15:16 PM PDT by Eleutheria5
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To: Eleutheria5

You mean NASA hasn’t made muslims feel better about themselves yet?


2 posted on 10/01/2012 1:27:52 PM PDT by ilovesarah2012
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To: Eleutheria5
Westerners are brought up to think of anger as a sign of weakness, powerlessness and lack of self-control. In Muslim culture, anger is seen as a sign of strength

I have my doubts about the first part of this premise (or maybe it's just my New Yorker's perspective). After all, as George Costanza said, "when you look annoyed all the time, people think that you're busy."


3 posted on 10/01/2012 1:30:30 PM PDT by zencycler
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To: Eleutheria5

Oh, hell these people have been offend since Hagar’s son Ishmael was called the “crazy man in the desert”.
And they still act like their (whatever great) grandfather.


4 posted on 10/01/2012 1:34:27 PM PDT by svcw (Why is one cell on another planet considered life, and in the womb it is not.)
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To: Eleutheria5

Interesting, but the author seems to be making some basic mistakes in confusing Muslims with Arabs. At the very end he corrects / reveals himself by stating that this is about Arabs and not necessarily Islam.

This is my take as well. Islam is not exactly the most peaceful religion, but the way most Indonesians practice it (and I have spent a lot of time there) it is really pretty laid back. Moreover, in stark contradiction to this gentleman’s thesis, Javenese culture puts a very high value on controlling one’s emotions.

Thus, it is perhaps the Arab cultural norms that should be condemned here. As an Arab religion, Islam reflects them, but I would venture to guess that Arabs were like this long before Muhammad talked to Gabriel.

Lastly, the author is also contradicting Muslims and Westerners. This is, for me, a bit of apples and oranges. He seems to want to avoid saying Christianity for some reason but that is the appropriate contrast to Muslims or to use Arabs / Middle Easterners in contrast to Westerners.

Either his thinking is sloppy or he has an agenda that goes beyond this mediocre analysis.


5 posted on 10/01/2012 1:36:51 PM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Using profanity gives people who don't want information from you an excuse not to listen.)
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To: Eleutheria5

Interesting, but the author seems to be making some basic mistakes in confusing Muslims with Arabs. At the very end he corrects / reveals himself by stating that this is about Arabs and not necessarily Islam.

This is my take as well. Islam is not exactly the most peaceful religion, but the way most Indonesians practice it (and I have spent a lot of time there) it is really pretty laid back. Moreover, in stark contradiction to this gentleman’s thesis, Javenese culture puts a very high value on controlling one’s emotions.

Thus, it is perhaps the Arab cultural norms that should be condemned here. As a Arab religion, Islam reflects them, but I would venture to guess that Arabs were like this long before Muhammad talked to Gabriel.

Lastly, the author is also contradicting Muslims and Westerners. This is, for me, a bit of apples and oranges. He seems to want to avoid saying Christianity for some reason but that is the appropriate contrast to Muslims or to use Arabs / Middle Easterners in contrast to Westerners.

Either his thinking is sloppy or he has an agenda that goes beyond this mediocre analysis.


6 posted on 10/01/2012 1:37:00 PM PDT by Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit (Using profanity gives people who don't want information from you an excuse not to listen.)
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To: Eleutheria5

The “anger is respected” (bullying) explains why Obama was attracted to Chicago.


7 posted on 10/01/2012 1:39:26 PM PDT by Mrs.Z
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To: Eleutheria5

The “anger is respected” (bullying) explains why Obama was attracted to Chicago.


8 posted on 10/01/2012 1:40:28 PM PDT by Mrs.Z
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To: Eleutheria5
If a feral child throws a violent irrational temper tantrum and is never punished, but instead gets everything he desires, his behavior is guaranteed to only become more irrational and violent.
9 posted on 10/01/2012 1:42:22 PM PDT by Casie
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To: Eleutheria5

It may be simpler than that. As is amply illustrated in history and personal experience, sadism, pain, and fear are consistently useful in causing others to bend to one’s will.


10 posted on 10/01/2012 1:48:08 PM PDT by Marylander (Offendiphobia)
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To: Eleutheria5

80% are illiterate.


11 posted on 10/01/2012 1:48:51 PM PDT by boomop1 (term limits will only save this country.)
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To: Eleutheria5

“To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” Voltaire


12 posted on 10/01/2012 1:53:57 PM PDT by Tennessee Nana
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To: Eleutheria5

A little less inbreeding a few centuries back would have greatly improved them. And they’re still inbreeding. Last year there appeared very briefly an article about the Saud King had demanded a stop to inbreeding. It lasted in small newspapers for a day or so. They ARE still inbreeding. If they don’t watch out, eventually they’ll all have blue skin.


13 posted on 10/01/2012 1:53:57 PM PDT by EggsAckley ("There's an Ethiopian in the fuel supply!")
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To: Eleutheria5

WRONG TITLE!!!

Arabs are not easily offended — MISLIMS are the onces that feel this need to constantly bitch and complain.

Please make a distinction between Arabs and muslims. Christian Arabs are being persecuted by muslim Arabs as you read this.


14 posted on 10/01/2012 1:53:57 PM PDT by 353FMG (The US Constitution is only as effective as those who enforce it.)
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To: Eleutheria5

What do you expect from a group of people four days out from the Stone Age?


15 posted on 10/01/2012 1:55:09 PM PDT by SkyDancer ("OF COURSE I TALK TO MYSELF - Sometimes I need an expert opinion")
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To: Eleutheria5
Op-Ed: Why Arabs are so Easily Offended

Because they are pinheads rooted in the 7th Century and bewildered by life in anything BUT the 7th Century!

16 posted on 10/01/2012 1:56:04 PM PDT by DustyMoment (Congress - another name for white collar criminals!!)
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To: Eleutheria5
Then maybe an open display of anger, even retaliation, against terrorist acts would be more fruitful.
I remember when Reagan bombed Libya in response to the Disco bombing that killed American servicemen, Gaddafi was a whole lot more subdued after that.

17 posted on 10/01/2012 1:56:55 PM PDT by BitWielder1 (Corporate Profits are better than Government Waste)
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To: Eleutheria5

Newt Gingrich has stated that “the Islamists cannot reconcile with a secular system of laws. They cannot tolerate a West that maintains a presence in the Arabian Gulf or that would defend Israel’s right to survive as a country. They cannot tolerate freedom of speech, freedom of religion, or freedom for women. In short, their demands are irreconcilable with the modern world. While trying to understand the volatility of millions of Middle Easterners taught from birth to hate America and to despise Israel, we in the West should be asking one basic question.

The real question to be asked is why we feel the need to pander and apologize to the most radical, violent and intolerant extremes around the world, to let them set the tone; a tone designed to stifle all criticism of Islam, to declare as blasphemy any attempt to reform radical Islam.


18 posted on 10/01/2012 2:02:34 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: Eleutheria5

Every destructive emotion bears its own harvest, but anger’s fruit is the most bitter of all. Uncontrolled anger is a devastating sin, and no one is exempt from its havoc. It shatters friendships and destroys marriages; it causes abuse in families and discord in business; it breeds violence in the community and war between nations.

Its recoil, like that of a high-powered rifle, often hurts the one who wields it as well as its target. Anger makes us lash out at others, destroying relationships and revealing our true nature.

The history of the human race is largely the history of its anger.

- “The Journey” by Billy Graham -
http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/2006/03/Overcoming-Anger-And-Fear.aspx


19 posted on 10/01/2012 2:04:30 PM PDT by donna (Pray for revival.)
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To: Eleutheria5
Islam is a JOY-LESS religion!!

Muslims ONLY respect POWER....ONLY POWER!!

20 posted on 10/01/2012 2:08:03 PM PDT by Ann Archy ( ABORTION...the HUMAN Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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