I was unaware of that part of Syrian history.

Everyday I learn something new! Especially from WUFYS readers/contributors.

"Today 'X' is my ally. Tomorrow he is my enemy. The next day he is my ally again.

Once israel is gone, the world will return to genuine competition.

Well. I'm in awe. Quite the smartpants, eh? [kidding!]

You really summed up with great clarity the confusing politics of Lebanon, home of my ancestors.

It's such a sin how the Palestinians have been treated, even by their own Muslim and Christian fellow Arabs.

And the divisions of Sunni and Shia are quite despicable!

In Windsor Ontario Canada, the Christian Canadians/Lebanese, and the fraidy cat sunni Muslims demanded that the picture of Hassan Nassrallah be taken down from a billboard in the city's center - put up/funded by the Shia Muslim community.

A friend sent me the article.

Comments in the editorial the following WEEKS were suffocating with discrimmination at best! Names like Cohen, Lipsburg, Lapinsky - not to mention the regular English names, and some of the fraidy cat Sunnis - all fired away at a group they consider "terrorists".

What was really weird is most of them kept saying they didn't want Lebanon's politics brought to their streets........how odd.

Now normally I would agree.....save for this:

Canadian bigotry along with the USA and Britain helped to murder thousands of men, women and children in their own houses and streets via their precious israel in the summer of 2006.

Based on this premise, I would say the Americans have no justification for their outburst of Lebanese politics on their streets. The way I see it, it is THEY - unwittingly, like it or not - who brought this on, not the Shia community. Not Hezbollah.

Thanks for your comment, Rhiannion. I re-read my post above, and I now consider it confusing. I wanted to say that outsiders envy Lebanon’s beauty. Kalil Gibran wrote of it. Jesus spoke of it. The Hebrews wrote songs about the cedars of Lebanon.

This beauty factor is overlooked by outside “experts,” who insist on making everything complicated. It is understood, however, by people who live in Lebanon. In July 2006 israel attacked the Jiyeh power station in order to ruin 105 miles of Lebanon’s legendary beaches. This had nothing to do with Hezbollah. It was sheer spite.

Occasionally Lebanon has nightmares. The Ottomans caused mass famine. The Syrian occupation was extremely harsh. However, Lebanon always comes back. The place is magic. It is a dream that produced the Phoenicians, who gave us more than just our European alphabets. The Phoenicians expanded their empire without the sword. Carthage was one of their fabulous cities. (Carthage didn't tangle with Rome until well after the Phoenicians were gone).

There was another reason for the 2006 attack I did not mention. By destroying Lebanon, israel hoped to make Lebanon more dependent on Jewish-controlled money systems such as the World Bank and IMF. In order to rebuild, Lebanese would have to grovel before Jews. What the zionists didn’t count on was Iran’s subsequent contributions to Hezbollah’s construction jihad.

This was not easy for Iran. They did not come up with the money out of nowhere, like the Jews do. Iran had to wheel and deal with their oil, and call in a lot of favors. In Iran, whenever a business folds, or someone goes bankrupt, everyone complains that all the nation’s money goes to Hezbollah. This is not true, but it is a public perception.

Iran’s financial support of Hezbollah and Lebanon enraged the zionists and international bankers. They expected Hezbollah to come begging. They expected to corrupt Lebanon as they always do, since the Jews quite literally have unlimited money. Therefore the U.S. Dept. of Treasury launched a global witch-hunt to control all banks large and small. Iran anticipated this, and got Syria into its banking system before the Jews could financially destroy Syria, which would have been easy to do.

You say you are of Lebanese heritage. I hope WUFYS readers remember that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands of Lebanese prisoners in israeli dungeons. They have been there for years. Arab Bedouins in the Negev desert suffer too. The Palestinians are not the only ones that suffer.

You say a photo of Hassan Nasrallah had to be taken down in Windsor, with the excuse that the people “didn’t want Lebanon's politics brought to their streets.” How comical. israeli politics are in our streets, in our schools, our TV, everywhere.

Speaking of Windsor, my mother is Canadian, and it took a long time for her to finally believe that Canada will be merged into the USA and Mexico by 2010, with the “Amero” currency under control of Jewish bankers. As you know, the state of North Carolina is already issuing driver’s licenses with the North American Union logo on them. It was snuck in, and is printed on the back of the license, so people will get used to seeing it, even though the new logo is not (yet) in their face.

It amuses me when people think they are not slaves of Jews. If they use money for any reason, they are slaves. They are cattle, oblivious to their plight. Jews control the feed. Jews control everything. They control human energy, since money is simply a measure of human energy. Jews enjoy life in a luxury liner whose engines are little mice running on little wheels. We are the mice, and we must run faster all the time. Meanwhile we argue and bicker, when we should get off our little wheels and take control. All we need is for enough mice to wake up.

In my posts I often talk about economics, which most people find boring. Money is power. With unlimited money, there is unlimited power. Jews have unlimited money because they control our banking and currency systems. If we have monetary reform, zionists will no longer have unlimited money, and they will dissolve like a bad nightmare. Not all central bankers are Jews, but they all think like zionist Jews, and all of them support war and israeli atrocities. Our banking and currency system is the hideous heart of the zionist vampire.

I hope the Jews enjoy it. Jesus said that in the Kingdom of Heaven, “Many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.” (Matthew 19: 20) That’s no comfort here and now, but there’s more to reality than the here and now.

Thanks for reading.

does not seem to be the prerogative of the open Zionists.
Looks like others, not so open about their motives, are quite good at it as well.

As for the Syrians:
Right now they have taken in over a million Iraqi refugees, feeding them from their own limited resources, just as they once had taken in Palestinian refugees.

As for the Lebanon:
The Syrians were thrown out there under the pretext of the Hariri assassination, which of course was done by a Mossad false flag, there is no doubt about it. The Mossad has killed Lebanese politicians many times before. And Lebanese intelligence had already exposed the Mossad on those murders by busting those Mossad paid patsies.

The Syrians probably consider Lebanon as a part of their country or at least nowadays interest-sphere, since it used to be Syrian for thousands of years.
The British cut Lebanon off Syria to create a Christian state.

As for Hizbullah, they were opposed to Syrian withdrawal, because they knew, that this was making Lebanon more vulnerable to an Israeli attack. Hizbullah followers held pro-Syrian demonstrations.
Most Lebanese Christians are now allied with the Shiite Hizbullah.

The half sentence "the Shiites could go on a rampage that will cause fear throughout the entire region, including Israel" portrays them as mindless barbarians, without education or concepts.
That´s how the racist Zionists see them or at least they want the rest of the world to see Hizbullah like this.

Hizbullah is a well disciplined, moderately well armed and well trained army, even if not officially recognized so, but mainly it is a social and political party, with a well thought through strategy. One of their most important aims is to prevent a renewed civil war at any cost.
Nasrallah said over and over again: Hizbullah will not raise their weapons against fellow Lebanese.

Divide and conquer is not going to cut it any more.
Abusing and twisting history and making some emotional pleas: "how would you feel, if" (you are the only one who is good and everybody else is the devil from past times on, blah, blah, blah,you are all alone blah, blah, blah, everyone is dishonest, your secret enemy blah, blah, blah) is not going to cut it either.

No,the Neocons and Zionists, they can try to stir up trouble along ethnic and religious lines,trying to divide the Arab world, dividing Sunnis from Shiites, Arabs from Iranians, Christians from Muslims and generally try to produce a Clash of Civilizations with the western world.

It won´t work.

People have gotten wise to the games, Neocons play: Hate-mongering in all directions. What do they think we are, stupid?

Most people in the world actually are quite capable to learn from history, even if Zionists and Neocons are incapable of that.

I beg to differ with you..

You mention that

“To straighten out the facts, we must start by understanding Lebanon, the jewel of the Levant. Lebanon produced the Phoenicians, who spread peacefully across the Mediterranean and gave us most of our English alphabet.”

At most, it is the Phoenicians who produced Lebanon and not the other way around. The reality is that colonial powers produced “Christian” Lebanon after WWII. Lebanon was established sometime in the end of the 40’s but didn’t exist before that.
You might argue with me that Syria was also established by colonial powers. Indeed modern Syria was.., but Assyria wasn’t nor was Belad el Sham (ancient or Greater Syria) and the geographic area which is today referred to as “Lebanon” was part of Assyria or Belad el Sham. Ethnically, the people of Belad el Sham are of the same origin.. be they today “Lebanese” or “Syrian”. Most Syrians and Lebanese do not see themselves as different people. The “differences” are really of the making of foreign powers before WWII. Belad el Sham used to be one entity and this is how it is still perceived today by the Arab people. Post WWII new “borders” were imposed on these people just as Israel is doing with Palestinians and the US with Iraqis.

You mention that Syria envies Lebanon… I don’t agree with you at all. Most Syrians don’t really view Lebanon and Lebanese as a “foreign” people. They rightly feel that they are the same people. Again, the “differences” are accentuated by foreign forces. It is the colonial powers who along with some Christians decided to create a “Christian enclave” in Assyria and call it “Lebanon”. These Christians today know that the establishment of a Christian state didn’t work simply because there are many many more Muslims in today’s Lebanon than Christians. I should also point out that the Lebanese Christian Maronites that feel very “nationalistic” about Lebanon are a minority in Lebanon. The Maronite Christians are 6% of the Christian population of today’s Lebanon which itself doesn't exceed a maximum of 30% of the Lebanese. Moreover, more than half those Maronites are allies of Syria today (the Free Patriotic Party & the Marada Party)… and this is exactly what the US doesn’t like. Why do you think the US is backing the Seniora government and the Gemayel family that lost its seat in parliament during this last election?

You mention that
“Lebanon has waterfalls, forests, ski resorts, fabulous beaches, fertile valleys– you name it. By contrast, Palestine and Syria are desert counties.”

I think that you may not have seen “Syria” because it is just as beautiful as “Lebanon”… and as you rightly mention, they “have a real culture”. Syria is a very rich country in terms of history and civilization. To go back to the Phoenicians, they were a part of Greater Syria. In fact it is said that the word Phoenicians derives from the ancient Egyptians reference to the people of the area and refers to the “Syrians”.

You mention

“Back in 1976 when israel triggered the civil war in Lebanon, israel’s semi-ally Syria moved into Lebanon and gradually took over, with israel’s help.

With Israel's help?? It is greatly thanks to the Syrians that a stop was put to the Israeli invasions. Thousands of Syrians died for Lebanon and this is an issue which the West seems to conveniently omit mentioning.

It is the Lebanese who officially asked for Syria to send troops to help them in their civil war and in their struggle against Israel. Syria didn’t enforce its presence in Lebanon. The Lebanese asked Syria to interfere militarily.

You mention:

The only consistent enemy of EVERYONE is israel and zionists.

On this we can all agree:)

On Syria however, I feel that you are little too harsh on it. Contrary to Lebanon, Syria is a very "closed" country (according to modern borders). Syria doesn't speak a lot of itself.. unlike Lebanon.. but that hardly means that Syria has any less to offer than Lebanon or that Syria "envies" Lebanon. This is not at all how the Arabs feel and in fact, Syria has much more to offer than Lebanon. I don't mean to belittle Lebanon, but it really is a fraction near Syria..

for putting the record straight on the history of Syria and Lebanon and on the fact that Syria does not need to "envy" Lebanon.

Thank you for your corrections. You make extremely good points! My post made sweeping generalizations that lead to oversimplifications.

I agree with you, but I also question some things you wrote...

It is the Phoenicians who produced Lebanon and not the other way around.

Yes. I was using a figure of speech.

Colonial powers produced “Christian” Lebanon after WWII. Lebanon was established sometime in the end of the 40’s, but it didn’t exist before that.

Yes, I was referring to a place, not a nation. Before the 40s the land was colloquially referred to as “Lebanon" because of its snow-capped mountains. I should have been clearer.

Colonial powers established modern Syria, but not Assyria, nor Belad el Sham (ancient or Greater Syria). The geographic area today referred to as “Lebanon” was part of Assyria or Belad el Sham.

Yes. Again, I was referring to Lebanon as a place, not a nation. I should have been clearer.

Ethnically, the people of Belad el Sham are of the same origin, be they today “Lebanese” or “Syrian.” Most Syrians and Lebanese do not see themselves as different people.

Well, that depends on what “most” is. I thought Lebanese Shiites originated in Iran and southern Iraq. Are those countries part of Belad el Sham? Please explain.

The “differences” are really of the making of foreign powers before WWII. Belad el Sham used to be one entity, and this is how Arabs perceive it today. Post WWII “borders” were imposed on these people, just as Israel is doing with Palestinians and the US with Iraqis.

Good point.

You mention that Syria envies Lebanon… I don’t agree with you at all. Most Syrians don’t really view Lebanon and Lebanese as a “foreign” people. They rightly feel that they are the same people.

If they are truly the same people, then there should have been no problem at all under the Syrian occupation. Were there no problems? Please explain.

Foreign forces accentuate the “differences.” Colonial powers, along with some Christians, created a “Christian enclave” in Assyria and called it “Lebanon.” These Christians today know that the establishment of a Christian state didn’t work, simply because there are many more Muslims in today’s Lebanon than Christians.

Agreed. I was suggesting that the physical topography of Lebanon makes it a special place.

Lebanese Christian Maronites that feel very “nationalistic” about Lebanon are a minority in Lebanon. Maronite Christians are 6% of the Christian population of today’s Lebanon, which itself doesn't exceed a maximum of 30% of the Lebanese. Moreover, more than half those Maronites are allies of Syria today (the Free Patriotic Party & the Marada Party)… and this is exactly what the US doesn’t like.

Do you suggest that groups like Hezbollah want to create a new Belad el Sham? Please clarify. This is very interesting.

Why do you think the US is backing the Seniora government and the Gemayel family that lost its seat in parliament during this last election?

Another excellent point. However, in addition to keeping Belad el Sham divided, I think zionists and international banks want to keep Lebanon and everyone else under the zionists’ financial heel. It’s not just about boundaries and people. It’s also about finances.

“Syria” is just as beautiful as “Lebanon.”

People in today’s Syria naturally feel that their country is as beautiful as any other country. I have not been to Syria. Does Syria have all the same things that Lebanon has? Please explain.

Syria is a very rich country in terms of history and civilization. The Phoenicians were a part of Greater Syria. In fact it is said that the word Phoenicians derives from the ancient Egyptians reference to the people of the area and refers to the “Syrians."

Another excellent point. When archaeologists try to learn where Phoenician technological improvements came from, they usually go to today’s Syria. My post made it seem (incorrectly) that most of the improvements came from what is today “Lebanon.”

You say Syrians invaded with israel’s help. On the contrary, it is greatly thanks to the Syrians that a stop was put to the Israeli invasions. Thousands of Syrians died for Lebanon, and this is an issue the West seems to conveniently omit mentioning. It is the Lebanese who officially asked for Syria to send troops to help them in their civil war and in their struggle against israel. Syria didn’t enforce its presence in Lebanon. The Lebanese asked Syria to interfere militarily.

Yes, Syria entered as a “peacekeeping” force. You feel I am too harsh on Syria. Perhaps you are correct, but I question the opposite view, that the Syrian occupation was completely benign and righteous. Do you feel that Syria never collaborated with zionists?

Also, you say that, “Syria didn’t enforce its presence in Lebanon.” Perhaps that depends on your definition of “enforce.” The Syrians didn’t lay direct siege to Lebanon, but what about the police and the administrative laws? Was there no enforcement of the Syrian presence at all? Was the occupation completely benign? Please explain.

Also, please explain how the Syrians dealt with rights for Shiites. (I honestly don’t know.)

Also, please explain why Syria departed from Lebanon. I don’t know all the details, and I want to learn.

On Syria however, I feel that you are little too harsh on it. Contrary to Lebanon, Syria is a very "closed" country (according to modern borders). Syria doesn't speak a lot of itself-- unlike Lebanon -- but that hardly means that Syria has any less to offer than Lebanon or that Syria "envies" Lebanon. This is not at all how the Arabs feel. In fact, Syria has much more to offer than Lebanon. I don't mean to belittle Lebanon, but it really is a fraction near Syria.

Thank you for your corrections!

I wish I had let you see the post before I hit the “send” button!

Do you think most Lebanese would like to have another Belad el Sham? I would like to see another Belad el Sham, provided it were not ruled by any dictator or zionist collaborator.

I do not know much about today’s Syria. Please explain more about it. Everything the media says about Iran is a lie, but the media says almost nothing about Syria. Not even lies.

Also, my post said that Iran integrated Syria into Iran’s banking system. That is incorrect. Iran and Syria each have their own banking systems, but they are linked, and they cooperate. No matter what part of the world we discuss, we must understand the banking systems, or we will not understand what is really going on.

~~~~~~~~~~~
On a side issue, there are differences between people within every religion, but it seems to me that many Muslims are offended by any suggestion that there are differences between Muslims. If I suggest that Muslim 'X' envies Muslim 'Y,' it makes some Muslims angry. Doesn't envy happen everywhere in the world, even among Muslims? Some Muslims believe in the power of the "evil eye." Isn't that connected with one Muslim envying another? Also, don't Shiites and Sunnis tend to regard each other as apostates? Isn't an Indonesian Muslim's background different from a Moroccan Muslim's background? It seems to me that there really are differences between Muslims.

To me these diffrences are not important, since we all share a common enemy. Some Muslims, however, seem rather eager to say there are no differences.

Some excellent points brought up by Erlenda and Cherifa.

=================================

Here's my take......

When the Syrian forces left Lebanon, I shuddered. Sure the Lebanese celebrated, but not all of them. My family knew that Lebanon would be terribly vulnerable to israel. In my own mind, I would have thought that all of Lebanon would want Syrian soldiers to stay.

[Side note: Many Syrians go to work in Lebanon, mainly for building houses. There was plenty of work in Lebanon, and Syrian labour was dirt cheap. Syrians didn’t mind, they were happy for work.]

That israel and western media blames Syria on the assassinations of Hariri and Gemayel is saying the OPPOSITE is true, and that Syria is quite innocent. The huge crater explosion in the Hariri assassination reeks MOSSAD and the advanced weaponry of israel/USA, that Syria does not have. This I believe.

How perfect for israel to be rid of Syria [ 2005, was it?] and then smash Lebanon with joyous glee in 2006.

Ask any israeli how they feel about Syria and their face contorts into a beezlebub rash. Venomous slurs follow. It’s bad enough they turn up their noses about Lebanon, and make false claims they THEY invented the delicious Lebanese cuisine, not the Lebanese! Such vanity!

But they absolutely despise Syria and Syrians. They hold nothing back. I know this from experience!

Also don’t forget, the Israelis are forever pretending to be on the side of Lebanon when the topic of Shebaa farms comes up, which is downright two-faced, as usual. israel has no plans of letting go of the Shebaa Farms which belongs to Lebanon, but the Israelis say, “oh but those Syrians want your Shebaa Farms, isn’t that awful of them?” AS IF, israel is doing Lebanon a favor by occupying land it stole from Lebanon!

Their shameful tripe never ends.

I am pretty sure that Syria would not care about the Shebaa Farms, but most definitely wants its Golan Heights back.

My hunch is that Syria DOES NOT collaborate with Zionists. Not to the extent that Zionists would want or expect.

The israeli/American Zionists love to point out about the dictatorship of Syria, the Hashemite regime. It’s their reason to tear down Syria’s reputation to uninformed people, but in secret, the Zionists love the dictatorship and wouldn’t have it any other way. If Syria were to adopt a democratic government – imagine the pain of israel and American governments.

To me this is one of the ways Syria – it’s dictatorship - may “collaborate” with Zionists.

As for the other ways, I am not sure.

Cherifa will have a better answer.

========================

thx1138, you have raised a lot of STUFF. It's a mountain to tackle.

I'm also talking about your previous comments from other threads, your inquiry of other things.

Eventually, I will get back to you on those, if you don't mind, when time permits.

Yes, IOF is appropriate, not IDF.

Thank you for your comment.

I never meant to imply that ordinary people in Syria collaborate with Zionists. I said Assad's father collaborated in the past. For example, he allowed King Hussein to exterminate Palestinians in Jordan (1970).

I also question Cherifa’s view that the Syrians protected Lebanon from israel. The Lebanese called for Syria to come in, but I suspect there was at least some collaboration between the occupying Syrians and the Israelis, once the Syrians were in. Maybe I'm wrong.

Obviously Syria’s government is not collaborating with Zionists today.

Cherifa’s main point – and it is a VERY GOOD one – is that Lebanon was historically part of Belad el Sham (“Great Syria). My post overlooked that. Indeed, Syria does not maintain an embassy in Beirut, because an embassy would imply that Syria accepts Lebanon’s independence. Wasn’t it Syria’s Hafez al-Assad who in 1972 said the two countries are one? Cherifa correctly points out that zionists want to keep Lebanon separate from Syria. This is proven by the fact that zionists criticize Syria for not recognizing Lebanese “independence.”

I still hold to my thesis that one of the many reasons for israel’s repeated attacks on Lebanon was sheer spite and envy.

Yes, Mossad assassinated Hariri. Anyone who says different is a fool or a zionist.

Also, I didn’t mean to imply that Syria’s current ruler, Bashar al-Assad, is a dictator. I said his father (Hafez Al-Assad) was a dictator.

You say israelis hate Syrians. Yes, well, they hate everyone. In some ways I sincerely believe they hate the USA most of all. Call it “dependence resentment.”

What’s this about Lebanese cuisine? Khazar Ashkenazis -- who started invading after World War II -- claim they invented traditional Lebanese cuisine? Ohhhhh --- kaaaay.

The Shebaa Farms issue is infuriating. The Israelis captured the Golan Heights in 1967, and said the Shebaa Farms (Lebanese territory) is part of it. Then israel “annexed” the Golan heights in 1981. U.N. resolution 497 said this “annexation” was illegal, but Israelis ignored the U.N.

(In 1978, U.N. Resolution 425 demanded that the israelis leave southern Lebanon. When Hezbollah kicked out the israelis in 2000, the israelis claimed they had merely complied with U.N. 425 !)

As you said, “Their shameful tripe never ends.”

"I still hold to my thesis that one of the many reasons for israel’s repeated attacks on Lebanon was sheer spite and envy."

Noted. Agree full-heartedly. I always believed this! Lebanon's touring season was a huge thorn in the monster's side - to say the least.

Other reasons:

1. Lebanon's water
2. Strategic planning of the Pipeline
3. To make Lebanon another ghetto like Palestine - and/or turn Lebanon into another Military town

I am generalizing here, perhaps you would like to elaborate on these......

And if I am not mistaken, israel was suffering tourist attraction woes in years leading up to their invasion of Lebanon. They won't admit this, though.

While israel hates everybody, yes, you make a valid point of their nature, what I meant was:

in my own personal experience...israelis and American zionists are "softer" on their egotistical remarks of Lebanon - sans Hezbollah, of course.

As for the USA and Canada, I am sure there's much they would love to say but don't dare - not in company - as they are wise not to turn off their HOSTS.

But thx, I would also agree, that their spit and venom leaks out.......I just wish I could come across people in USA and Canada that have been a witness to ungrateful zionist jews who have made such hate remarks of the countries that have allowed them to amass great fortunes. I agree..... I just haven't personally heard such talk myself - mainly because I think they are "careful".

But israeli and american zionists hold NOTHING back when they speak of Syria and Syrians. Their speech is so rabid, that it would be comical if not so unpleasant, and cause one to wince. Yes fully agree with you about King Hussein and the dictatorship, which doesn't represent the people. Same goes for dictatorships of Egypt and Jordan. I am generalizing again. Perhaps you want to dive in with details.

=====an example of horrifying israeli behavior=======

Chicago night club:

My sister's friend "julie" was the center of flattering attention by a guy with an accent. Julie has a friend who was a peace activist in one of the PAL territories. For some reason or another, Julie brought this up. Maybe it was because the guy mentioned he was from israel. Obviously, Julie didn't realize what she was getting herself into.

The guy turned maniacally rabid. Accused Julie of being a holocaust denier and so much more. He didn't stop there. He went around the club complaining to people about her.

Julie and her friends left, they couldn't take this freak's behavior anymore.

========================

It's these actual holograms of zionist outbursts that are telling of a whole picture.

My great aunt talked fondly of the days when Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan were one - before Britain and France came along to divide them.

The people traveled and traded freely, there was a great unity and the Jews there lived peacefully.....until the Balfour-zionist nightmare.

http://www.dflp-palestine.org/english/the_people_and_the_land/the_geogra...

http://palestinefreevoice.blogspot.com/2006/10/save-akka-old-city-palest...

thx - "but it seems to me that many Muslims are offended by any suggestion that there are differences between Muslims. If I suggest that Muslim 'X' envies Muslim 'Y,' it makes some Muslims angry. Doesn't envy happen everywhere in the world, even among Muslims? Some Muslims believe in the power of the "evil eye." Isn't that connected with one Muslim envying another?"

You are right. Muslims are envious of each other. This is a sin. We need to wake up badly!

For example, even in business, they do not go out of the way for - or support each other. I have seen this.

The zionist jews are the OPPOSITE. As they own the buildings, they welcome jewish merchants and the rent is cut in half or practically non-existent. There is no doubt in my mind, the merchandise gets handed to them at extremely low costs or is non-existent. They want each other to succeed for that ultimate-superior goal.

I was talking to a blogger from Australia - she told me the same thing happening at a plaza in Melbourne she used to work at. She mentioned the store name, but I can't remember it.

Incidentally, the zionist blogger came on and yelled: "Oh! So you hate jews, do you?!"

Muslims, by contrast, don't do this. From experience, I know this is true. We do not help each other. Now I am only speaking generally, but you are right, thx, it is fact.

Arab leaders fight with each other, they don't see eye to eye....this creates a hotbed for zionist manipulations. If only Arab Muslims and other Muslim ethnicities in the Middle East would see this! After so much death of their children, you would think they would have reached out to each other years ago.

As for the evil eye, if Muslims want to shoot daggers at each other out of envy and jealousy they are only undoing themselves - hence the atrocities of the Middle East. [Zionists LOVE LOVE LOVE this.] What you send out comes back at you two-fold. Now that is God's law.

One of the zionist elite's BIGGEST FEARS is a united Muslim world. Based on this clear fact, Muslims should stand to ATTENTION!

Thank you very much for your heartfelt comments.

1. I only suggested that envy occurs in all peoples. On the other hand, let’s not discount Muslim unity when it occurs. In Southern California (where I’m originally from) there is an Egyptian community of perhaps half a million people. They are quiet but united, very politically active, and very effective. Also, many famous Muslim leaders and clerics have made Muslim unity their central message. Nasser’s entire mission was for Arab unity, and ultimately Muslim unity, even human unity. I think Hassan Nasrallah of Hezbollah wants Muslim unity.

I feel that Muslim unity is coming, one way or another. A leader will unite most of the world’s Muslims. This leader might come from an unexpected place, like Indonesia or Yemen or China (which has many Muslims) and will not preach revenge or hate. The leader will preach hope and optimism.

2. You mentioned that many Muslims don’t go out of their way to help each other, like Jews do. I say Muslims are simply human, but Jews have a “glue” that consists of many things, including fear and hatred of Gentiles. It also consists of a tendency to regard Gentiles as objects to exploited. I’m generalizing of course, but my point is that Jewish “glue” is raw evil.

Gentiles, by contrast, quest for the light, whether they realize it or not. They jostle. They argue. They shove each other. But they all clamor for that magic elixir we call love (or God).

And concerning ENVY, I have written comments at WUFYS in which I claim that envy is a central part of the Ashkenazi –zionist essence. The zionists ultimately envy God, the Light, and everything that comes from that Light. Their hatred of Mohammed (PBUH) and Jesus (PBUH) is so severe that it drives them quite mad. I am not making a religious point. I am making a psychological one.

Envy of the Light is not the same as clamoring for the Light. They are opposite drives.

3. You wrote, “I wish I could come across people in USA and Canada that have been a witness to ungrateful zionist jews who have made such hate remarks of the countries that have allowed them to amass great fortunes.”

Yes, Germany is a good example. Before, during, and after World War I, Jews had it good in Germany. They made fortunes, held government offices, and enjoyed the respect of Gentiles. But as always, the Jewish bankers sucked Germany dry and left it in ruins, so the Gentiles rose up. Since then, the Khazar-Ashkenazim Jews of the world have cursed Germany. The exact same thing happened before with Hebrews in ancient Egypt, and the Jews are still cursing ancient Egypt. Whenever they get control of a nation, they drive it to ruin, and are eventually expelled. Then they curse that host nation throughout the eons. (Again I’m making general statements about Jews. Not all of them act this way.)

4. You wrote, “And if I am not mistaken, israel was suffering tourist attraction woes in years leading up to their invasion of Lebanon. They won't admit this, though.”

Yes, Lebanon was on its way toward genuine prosperity once more, despite having no oil. Things weren’t perfect. Many Lebanese had to go to the oil emirates to get jobs, and Hariri was more corrupt than some people let on, but Lebanon was rising once again, as it always does. Tourism is a billion dollar industry. It’s important in world affairs. Last summer before the Israeli attack, Lebanon planned giant festivals. Tourism had been doubling in size every year. The restaurants were legendary. Places like the Baalbeck ruins were swarming with visitors. Outside Lebanon, in Palestine and Turkey, tourism was down, because everyone went to Lebanon. Lebanese business leaders discussed the possible creation of a cruise line that would bring Lebanon to the world.

Then the israelis came once more.

Lebanon’s beaches are some of the nicest in the world. The israeli attack on the Jiyeh power plant was designed to spill the oil, trash those beaches, and wipe out the Lebanese fishing and tourist industry. These psychological factors are often ignored in “expert” discussions of the Middle East.

Granted, some of the Lebanese tourist industry is based on casinos in the Christian districts (which I don’t hold with), but casinos, nightclubs, and ultra-chic shopping areas are only part of the picture. Lebanon is not Las Vegas. It’s posh but relaxed, like the Italian Riviera. By contrast, the zionist world is filled with tension and hatred. As I said before in WUFYS, Ashkenazi Jews are not happy with wealth and control. They must ensure that everyone else fails.

The allure of Lebanon is so powerful that, left unchecked, it threatens to peacefully spread. Citicorp -- one of the largest financial organizations in the world -- put its headquarters in Beirut, but had to move out when the civil war started.

No, Lebanon is not perfect. Discrimination against Shittes and Palestinians is harsh. However, given enough time, these problems would work themselves out, and eventually there would be a new Belad el Sham. And so the israelis must attack in regular cycles, supported by their little thug, the USA. (I’m an American, but I refer to my government as israel’s little thug.)

What shame we Americans live with! The city where I live has a number of weapons makers. Last year during israel’s attack on Lebanon, local newspapers announced that the weapons makers went to 24-hour shifts in order to keep the israelis supplied. In California, heavily traveled freeways were shut down for hours at a time, so trucks laden with weapons for israel could have free movement. Americans change their lives to support Israeli aggression. We are their slaves.

I don’t expect the average American to rise up against his government, but when we personally meet a Jew, must we always be friendly and cordial to that Jew? The Jew is probably a zionist. (I say probably.) Why even talk to him or her? Sometimes we have no choice, but there’s no need to open our hearts to them. That always leads to disaster.

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You mentioned the scene in the Chicago nightclub. That brings up my first encounter with an israeli. Back in college, my two closest friends were Curt (from the Schiller Park section of Chicago) and a man from Kuwait whose name (coincidentally) was Hassan Nasrallah. Hassan was one of those guys that can get women easily, but sparked no envy in other males, because he was humble and very “manly” in the best sense of that term. You know the type. He was like the old-time male movie stars that were heartthrobs for women, but popular with men too. I mean, the guy was Omar Sharif, okay? A Muslim Gregory Peck. Everybody liked him.

Anyway, we used to "hang" on campus at the Student Union, a complex of lounges and restaurants where one could get coffee and so forth. Another member of our “gang” was Atila, a history professor from Turkey. Atila despised israel. One other member was Monsier John LeRoy from Haiti, who had three (count ‘em) three Ph.Ds (English, French, and Political Science). John came from a French Catholic background, but considered converting to Islam.

One day a male student who called himself "Michael" joined our table. We learned that he was israeli. No one said anything negative to him, but Hassan mentioned something neutral and trivial about Palestine. This “Michael” instantly blew all his circuits. John and Atila merely smiled, but Curt and I sat there with our mouths hanging open. As Americans, we had never seen such blazing hatred. When Hassan remained perfectly calm, the israeli became even more agitated. Finally he stormed off. That was my first encounter with a zionist Israeli. I’ll never forget it. It was downright surreal.

This “Michael” did not resort to the usual profanity and name-calling. Oh no, his hatred went much deeper. The creep was radioactive. His eyes glowed with rage. After he stormed off, Curt and I sat there with stupid looks on our faces. Hassan and Atla merely smiled, having seen such displays a thousand times before. John from Haiti stroked his chin, silently pondering the incident, eyes narrowed, a long line of ashes dangling from a cigarette in his hand. He was from Haiti, where terror and bloodshed is an everyday thing. Finally he uttered one word in his French accent. “Interesting.” Like Hassan, he was brilliant but hilarious

In retrospect, the incident was funny. You account of the Chicago incident reminded me of it.

Thanks again for your comments.

I hope that you won't regret having asked me those questions.., so here I go:)

Well, that depends on what “most” is. I thought Lebanese Shiites originated in Iran and southern Iraq. Are those countries part of Belad el Sham? Please explain.

Some of today’s Lebanese Shiites indeed came from Iraq/Iran… in the same way as some came from Syria or “Arabia” (the Arabian peninsula). With the rise and fall of different empires in that region, people moved from one place to another in addition to the fact that Arabs naturally moved with their caravans of trade. Iraq and Iran also were and still are central religious academic centers to which many people especially Shiites leaders and scholars will go in order to study. I am not an expert on History or Geography, but I can tell you that prior to the 1940’s, borders or frontiers between different “countries” were not really “fixed”. To generalize, I might be able to say that there was a time of “empires”… and at a later stage, there was a time of “nations”. Each empire stretched out to cover as much land as it could grab. The “borders” of empires were different.. according to the various empires’ power to expand and control. Within the Islamic empire which extended all the way into Spain (Andalusia), you had different Caliphates who’s powers extended to different areas. You may want to refer to the Abbasid, Fatimid, Ummayed and Ottoman empires for reference. I would say, that the last empire before the state of “nation building” was the British empire. Again, I stress that I am no authority in History. The British empire partitioned Palestine giving a huge chunk of it to the Jews who wanted to establish Israel. Once this decision had been taken and fixed borders were allocated to the Jewish state, an acceleration of “border fixing” by the other inhabitants of the Middle East took place. Various pacts and agreements were signed during the end 40’s well into the 50’s. I might also ad here that in the period of empires, cities played huge roles…, not really “countries”. In the age of empires (or caliphates), present day Lebanon was part of the geographic area that was called Syria. While Damascus was the capital of one of the Muslim Caliphates, Baghdad later became the Capital of another. The “borders” of the Islamic empire covered a huge geographic area… from Persia throughout North Africa and until Spain.

To go back to your question: While the Islamic empire did include Iran and Iraq, Belad el Sham refers mainly to the area covering today’s Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine.

What I am trying to tell you is that the people of “Arabia” or of Belad el Sham did not really perceive themselves as of different “nationalities”, because there were no nations then… as there are today. Today’s Syrians and Lebanese were one people. Lebanon is seen as an “artificial” state although Beirut existed before Lebanon. The people of Syria do not really view the Lebanese as “foreigners”. The Christian Maronite Lebanese who established Lebanon with the Church and with colonial powers are the ones who really perceive themselves as “totally different”. I should ad here that not all Christian Lebanese feel this way. The powerful Christian Lebanese families who also were given political powers are the ones who feel threatened by Syria… because they really want a Christian state of their own. That is what Lebanon was intended to be… but because of demographics, Lebanon is today in great majority Muslim… whether Shia or Sunna. To keep Lebanon and other Arab countries weak, the US (today’s empire) is playing on sectarian or religious differences… in hope that groups will fight among each other rather than concentrate on building their nations.. which is basically how they got rid of the British empire, the foreign colonialist forces… I guess that now also is a time in which Arab people and some nations (because others are ruled by US puppet governments) are in the process of trying to rid themselves of the American empire due to all the problems it has brought on us via its blind support of Israel… an artificial Western entity in the heart of the Arab world.

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If they are truly the same people, then there should have been no problem at all under the Syrian occupation. Were there no problems? Please explain.

The “people” do not really govern. Political powers who are allied with different sides are the ones who rule. I personally don’t like to refer to the Syrian “occupation” of Lebanon… because as I said, it is Lebanon who asked Syria to come in for help. President Suleiman Franjeih called for Syrian intervention. Lebanon had several problems then: Because the establishment of Israel and the continuous Israeli expansion into Arab land while creating huge amounts of Palestinians refugees…, Lebanon found itself saddled with literally millions of Palestinian refugees who didn’t know where else to go. Those Palestinians created a problem inside Lebanon because some of the Christian families wanted them out and started fighting them via their private militias… making the situation even worse than it was. The Phalangists (Maronites) allied with Israel in order to get rid of the Palestinians who didn’t know where to go as Israel had occupied most of Palestine and driven them out by criminal means. After having slaughtered thousands of Palestinian refugees, the Lebanese managed to drive the PLO headquarters out of Lebanon and to Tunisia I believe. The refugees remained in Lebanon in UN camps. The Lebanese situation is quite complicated because the troubles started in Lebanon when originally Israel started hunting down the Palestinian leaders where ever they went… and they were in Lebanon. Israel was attacking Lebanon because of the Palestinian presence. The Gemayels and the Phalangists also wanted the Palestinians out basically didn’t mind allying with their enemy Israel to achieve this goal. President Bashir Gemayel was assassinated because of his Israeli connection. When Amin Gemayel became president of Lebanon too (because according to the agreements regarding the foundation of the state of Lebanon, the president must be a Maronite Christian..), he had learnt his lesson and befriended Syria instead of Israel because he wanted national support. In secret however he still befriended Israel. The Muslim Lebanese never accepted the Israeli connection as after all, Israel was at war with Lebanon and totally destroyed it. The position of the Muslim Lebanese was like the position of the majority of the Arab people who stood against Israel simply because Israel was occupying their lands (over and above what the British empire and UN had allocated to the Jewish people) and was at war with them. The Maronite Christians just wanted their Christian Lebanon as they had planned for. Today, half the Maronite Christians of Lebanon no longer feel the same way because they noticed that their alliance with Israel only resulted in one thing: Lebanese Christians emigrating from Lebanon to go to Canada or the US in search for better lives. Lebanese Christians are generally better off financially than the Muslims. While wealthy Lebanese Christian families could afford to provide their children with more stable lives and future outside of Lebanon, the Muslim Lebanese remained. Result: the Christian Lebanese community has dramatically shrunk in size while the Muslim community is flourishing. Basically, the political strategy that the Maronite Lebanese followed lashed back in their face… and instead of achieving their “Christian Lebanon”, they were contributing to the growing size of the Muslim community.

Am I mixing you up terribly? Probably… but I am trying to do my best here considering that I am no Historian…

The answer to your question here… is that yes, there were many problems, but the reasons for those problems are not simply because the Lebanese are Lebanese and the Syrians are Syrians. The political and sectarian structure of Lebanon is very complex and everyone really has a hard time barely keeping up with it!

It should also be noted that today’s Franjeih family in Lebanon is still powerful and is still allied with Syria. The Franjeih’s are Maronite Christians yet they do not share the Gemayel anti Syrian stance of today. The Franjeih’s feel that they are primarily Arabs… and will not ally with Israel especially that Israel is still occupying vital Lebanese lands. They identify with Syria as Syria is also occupied by Israel (Golan Heights that has Syria’s biggest lake and water resource).

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Do you suggest that groups like Hezbollah want to create a new Belad el Sham? Please clarify. This is very interesting.

No… I do not suggest this. However, Hezbollah is very conscious of its Arab roots and strongly identifies with the nationalism of Gamal Abdel Nasser who wanted to see the Arab world unite (ie. Like the European Union). Nasser was a very famous leader in the Arab world despite the miserable 1967 defeat he brought to Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Jordan. Nasser’s legacy is still very much alive all over the Arab world especially among the Arab people.

Hezbollah primarily wants to elevate the status of the Shia Lebanese who really were living in miserable conditions while the Lebanese elites (Christian and Sunni Muslims) were dancing on tables in nightclubs. Hezbollah is the prime “care taker of 1.5 million Lebanese at least and Lebanon has at most 4 million inhabitants. Hezbollah was also primarily created as a movement of resistance to Israeli occupation of Lebanon and it is currently trying to liberate the occupied Lebanese territories. It should be noted here that the Lebanese army was never a strong army. It was always kept weak on purpose. Until today, the Lebanese army was never allowed to develop and this is really why an alternative force defending Lebanon as a country evolved through the movements of a party called Amal and of course Hezbollah. This resistance force has now been joined by a little more than half of the Lebanese Christian communities… and together, they all form the current opposition the US puppet government of el Seniora. This alliance is by far bigger and stronger than the Gemayel/Lebanese Forces/Hariri clan (Maronite & Saudi Arabian Hariri). After all the Hariri family is of the making of Saudi Arabia. Little Saad el Hariri even has a Saudi passport and even went lately to Pakistan while representing Saudi Arabia. It is worth pointing out here that in Lebanon, the private militias of the powerful families are the ones who have strong forces. Hariri (Saudi and sunni) has his militia which is accused of having played a nasty role in the Nahr el Bared refugee camp problem of the Nahr el Bared. The Gemayel family along with the notorious Samir Geagea, a convicted assassin have the strongest Christian militia of all.. also playing a very dirty role. Geagea, the leader of the Lebanese Forces (militia) is a convicted assassin and the Lebanese forces were banned by law after the Lebanese civil war. Yet miraculously and under the US puppet government in Lebanon, Geagea was granted a pardon and was released from jail in order to lead the Lebanese Forces that have been reactivated by Israel, the US (financing) and some of the Maronite families of Lebanon in order to counter Hezbollah… especially after Hezbollah’s victory over Israel twice. You see, there are 2 main parties in Lebanon now. The US puppet government & half the Maronites clan… and then there is the “Arabist” anti-US interference-in-Lebanon opposition clan which is made of Amal and Hisbollah (both Shi’ites) and the Free Patriotic Party (Maronite and other Christians because there are about 17 or 18 different Christian sects in Lebanon), the Marada Party (also Maronite) with other Arab nationalist parties. The opposition is by far stronger than the US puppet government which is being enforced on the Lebanese by Israel and the US… and also France which was administrating Syria in colonial times. It is thanks to the united opposition that Lebanon managed so far to overcome Israeli and US efforts at igniting sectarian and religious conflict and eventually another civil war in Lebanon.

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Another excellent point. However, in addition to keeping Belad el Sham divided, I think zionists and international banks want to keep Lebanon and everyone else under the zionists’ financial heel. It’s not just about boundaries and people. It’s also about finances.

Absolutely agreed. Economics and finance always play a major role.

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People in today’s Syria naturally feel that their country is as beautiful as any other country. I have not been to Syria. Does Syria have all the same things that Lebanon has? Please explain.

I also haven’t been to Syria.., but I watch Syrian TV and have several friends who have been there. Syria is not as green as Lebanon, but then Syria is also much bigger than Lebanon and offers stretches of beach, mountains with snow and forests, rivers and desert. Syria also is very heavy when it comes to History, civilization and culture. Syria most probably has more than Lebanon to offer. Lebanon is or was regarded as the Monte Carlo of the Arab world. Lebanese are very good “bon viveurs” and they love to have fun and lead a good life. They are also excellent traders and businessmen. The Lebanese are known for their nightlife and many people in the Arab world would travel to Lebanon to have a good time. Now with the situation as it is, no one is traveling to Lebanon and much less investing there. The reason for that is that the US puppet government refused last year to give an extra seat in parliament to the opposition... neither Hezbollah or the Free Patriotic Party (Christian) because it is allied with Hezbollah. As you know, Israel wants to rid of Hezbollah and of course the US neocon Zionist regime is complying. Last year, the opposition refused to accept “no” as an answer to their request of wider political representation because the opposition knows that it reflects the majority of Lebanon… and it went on strike. Until today, the strike is on and has paralyzed the economy of Lebanon. The opposition will now stop its strike until they get what they want. Right now the US and Israel are trying to impose a US Zionist friendly president on Lebanon as the current one (Syrian friendly) is leaving in a few days. We shall see who will succeed on this issue very soon. I should point out here that after the Afghanistan and Iraq war, the opposition to all US puppet governments in the Middle East has tremendously grown and people want to see the US out. Mr. Bush is constantly reminding the Arab world that he wants Iraq to be a ‘model’ for other Arab states. Well thank you Mr. Bush..., but NO THANKS. What we are seeing in Iraq is more than catastrophic and if this is what allying with the US means.., then please Mr. Bush.., get out of our countries and stay away as you possibly can. Saddam used to be a US ally…, so was Musharraf… and we have seen what happened to them.

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Yes, Syria entered as a “peacekeeping” force. You feel I am too harsh on Syria. Perhaps you are correct, but I question the opposite view, that the Syrian occupation was completely benign and righteous. Do you feel that Syria never collaborated with zionists?

It was definitely not completely benign and righteous. Nothing in politics is ‘righteous’ and Syria was wronged when a chunk of it was simply cut off to create Lebanon. I am sure that Syrians never appreciated this.

As for collaborating with Zionists or Israel… I am not quite sure. When Syria interfered in the Lebanese problem, it also helped the Lebanese against the influx of Palestinians. In that sense, you could say that Israel and Syria were both fighting the PLO’s activities in Lebanon. It could be said that while Israel wanted to annihilate the Palestinians and especially their leaders, Syria wanted to “re-organize” them. As for collaborating with Israel… I somehow doubt. Syria itself is officially at war with Israel and Israel is occupying a very important geographic area of Syria. I very much doubt that Syria will ever forget this or put the issue aside. There was a time where Israel and the US wanted to Syria to sell the Golan Heights to Israel for a good chunk of money, but Syria refused.

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Also, you say that, “Syria didn’t enforce its presence in Lebanon.” Perhaps that depends on your definition of “enforce.” The Syrians didn’t lay direct siege to Lebanon, but what about the police and the administrative laws? Was there no enforcement of the Syrian presence at all? Was the occupation completely benign? Please explain.

My previous answers partially answer this question. Indeed, the Syrian army was all over Lebanon. I have seen this myself. They functioned like they were “at home”. They patrolled the streets and imposed “rules and regulations” which had completely disappeared with the militias of the Lebanese civil war. They Syrian were bound by and agreement with Lebanon and Saudi Arabia to get out of Lebanon at a certain specified time…, but because of the persisting Israeli threats, they didn’t get out. Of course a portion of the Lebanese people resented Syrian presence because the Syrians may have felt too “at home”. The Lebanese also resented seeing some of their jobs going to Syrians while they wanted to rebuild their country alone. One should remember here that Syria wanted Israel to get out of Lebanon… and that wasn’t happening. With the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, the Lebanese pro-Syrian government was toppled and was replaced by the pro-American one which immediately demanded the withdrawal of Syria…, but said nothing about the withdrawal of Israel! Under the pressure applied by the US and Israel, the international community passed resolution 1559 which called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon and the eventual disarming of the Lebanese militias. This resolution was of course intended for Syria and Hezbollah. Syria said that Israel should also withdraw… whereupon the UN and US said that Israel was not occupying Lebanon because the Sheb’aa farms that are in question were never Lebanese land! Under international pressure and media manipulation, the Syrians withdrew but officially made it clear that the Sheb’aa farms (a strategic location exposing all of Israel and having also some of the important sources of water that reach Israel) were Lebanese and not Syrian. It is only with resolution 1701 that came after last summer’s war by Israel against Lebanon, that the UN admitted on paper that the She’aa farms were indeed Lebanese and had to be freed. So far however, the Sheb’aa farms are under Israeli control and the international community doesn’t give the issue any attention. The US puppet government couldn’t care less about the issue and only the Lebanese opposition and the Syrians are concerned with it.

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Also, please explain how the Syrians dealt with rights for Shiites. (I honestly don’t know.)

Frankly… I don’t know. All I know is that Syria and Hezbollah and Iran are currently on the same front. Syria is a secular state and religion doesn’t play such a role in it. It is allied with Hezbollah and Iran for political reasons… and not religious ones as it is my understanding that most Syrians are Sunnis.

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Also, please explain why Syria departed from Lebanon. I don’t know all the details, and I want to learn.

I think and hope that I manage to explain this in the above.

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I do not know much about today’s Syria. Please explain more about it. Everything the media says about Iran is a lie, but the media says almost nothing about Syria. Not even lies.

Indeed… Syria is a very private and “closed” country. It is not open and transparent as other countries may be. Again, I am not an authority on History, but Syria is lead by a Baa’thist nationalist government. The Baa’th party is an Arab national political movement. Saddam was also a Baa’thist and the US tried to get rid of the Baa’thists of Iraq by getting rid of Saddam and his entourage. Iraq’s army was all Baa’thist… and when Bush dissolved it, all he achieved was making the Baa’thists bigger enemies of the US occupation. Saddam’s Baa’thist army was very strong and big. This army was rendered unemployed the moment Bush dissolved it.. and of course it joined the ranks of the resistance to US/Israeli occupation. You remember of course that Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear facilies… much as they want to bomb Iran’s today. Israel is however using the US to do its dirty job and the US, under Zionist control was stupid enough to fall for that trap. It is still doing the same mistake with Iran.
Syria is an occupied country that has been and is still being wronged by Zionist controlled forces. It is not the “evil” country it is made out to be. Just think of the 1.5 million or 2 million Iraqi refugees that Syria has just been plagued with… while the US won’t take more than 700 or 7000 Iraqi refugees!

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On a side issue, there are differences between people within every religion, but it seems to me that many Muslims are offended by any suggestion that there are differences between Muslims. If I suggest that Muslim 'X' envies Muslim 'Y,' it makes some Muslims angry. Doesn't envy happen everywhere in the world, even among Muslims? Some Muslims believe in the power of the "evil eye." Isn't that connected with one Muslim envying another?

Of course it is normal for people everywhere to envy others. However it is another thing that nations should envy each other. I think that this is a big generalization. Muslims are no different from Christians and like any humans, they can have feelings of envy towards each other. I just don’t think that one can generalize and say that X country envies Y. Right now, I can’t imagine that anyone in the world envies either Lebanon or Syria. I am sure that Palestinians however envy anyone who has any sort of stable country to live in… but there is some ‘strength’ implied in the word ‘envy… and Palestinians hardly have any strength.

Indeed the ‘evil eye’ is to protect individuals from envy by others…lol… but countries definitely don’t use the ‘evil eye’ for protection:) The evil eye has nothing really to do with Islam although the Quran does mention that people can cast with their envy ‘an evil eye’ on others. The evil eye symbols existed in Egypt for example long before Islam came here. There is the famous ancient Egyptian evil eye.

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Also, don't Shiites and Sunnis tend to regard each other as apostates?

Fundamentalists and extremists may think in such terms, but the vast majority of Muslims hardly even think about the issue of being Shia or being Sunni. This is a phenomenon that the US and Israel are trying to stir because they are looking at any weaknesses in our countries through which they could spark civil wars and fragmentation. Isn’t ‘divide and rule’ the name of the game? The US with incredibly Zionist support has been working on provoking also clashes between Arab Christians and Muslims. Just last month, the US removed a portion of the aid it sends to Egypt as a country and decided to send it to Egypt’s Coptic (Christian) minority organizations. This is a clear attempt at fragmentation of a society and I actually know very well that Zionist groups have been funding Coptic extremists in Egypt and encouraging them to ask for “independence”. Of course financing the Egyptian Christians differently than the rest of the Egyptians is not exactly going to make the Egyptian Muslims happy… and the Muslims are the great majority. Treating the Christians in the Arab world in a preferential manner than the Muslims ends up by being bad news for the Christians and for Western interests in a country because people boycott them and want eventually nothing to do with them. Lebanon is a prime example right now of this… as well as the US. The Arab people are fed up with the US’s intrusions and simply want it to disappear since its presence is always a head ache at the end.

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Isn't an Indonesian Muslim's background different from a Moroccan Muslim's background? It seems to me that there really are differences between Muslims.

Of course. Totally different countries and cultures. Are the Americans like the French? Of course not, yet they are both Christians.

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To me these diffrences are not important, since we all share a common enemy.

Amen.

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Some Muslims, however, seem rather eager to say there are no differences.

They may have a common religion, but definitely Chinese Muslims are different from American Muslims or Lebanese Muslim or Egyptian Muslims or Iranian Muslims. Maybe the common factory of Islam is that the Quran is in Arabic and there is only one version of it which of course every sect or denomination thinks it understands best. Maybe you find more similarities among Arab Muslims... It is however because they are Arabs and not Muslims.

I hope that I’ve been of help and haven’t confused you further:) As it is now nearly 06H30 in the morning, I shall retire without proof reading this very very long post because I am dying to sleep… so please forgive all the writing mistakes I have most likely made! The idea of reading everything I just wrote isn’t too attractive right now:)

Excellent.

Yeah, I agree about this evil eye thing. It can be a heavy dispute, but shouldn't be.

What I have heard of the evil eye is someone wishes you ill with the ugly stare. Hate feelings, hate thoughts.

Completely universal, regardless of the "evil eye" myth.

Remember, early rabbis mention the evil eye. I don't know their take on it. So I can't go further.

The way I see it - one can give the so-called evil eye "power" IF they allow it . But this is stupid because you shouldn't give in and fear jealous and envious people. Instead such people are to be ignored, forgotten, if possible. Junk like that [envy-jealousy] happens in families and friendships all the time. Silly people like this can't harm anyone unless they let them.

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I'll say it again. Syria will not do what israel wants it to. israel hates Syria, because like Iran, Syria will not comply with israel's wishes. I'm talking about the govenments, here.

The only way Syria feeds into israelis house of horrors, is to hurt its own people and the palestinian refugees. I think most of this is indirect, because Syria is a dictatorship - STILL is a dictatorship - Yes hafez assad was a cruel dictator. I read somewhere he may have worked with the CIA for a time but I am not sure - I lost the source.

At the end of the day, Syria will not stop demanding its Golan Heights back and refuses to deal with israel the way israel wants.

Many "negotations" with Syria have fallen apart, and naturally israel cries foul on Syria's part.

Perhaps there's more to Syria, thx1138, that you know that we don't?

If so, I would like to learn, also.

http://www.askislam.org/Society/Superstitions/Answer_152.html

Here is an excellent answer about the “evil eye”, if you’re still interested.

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THX ”I only suggested that envy occurs in all peoples. On the other hand, let’s not discount Muslim unity when it occurs.”

Yes that goes without saying. But you asked about Muslims envying each other specifically and you said they get upset when you ask this. I am telling you it is true---no, I didn't mean EVERY Muslim or even most Muslims. But Zionists do prey on the weak leaders and government officials, etc.

But I have seen it in the community, in family. Not just in the big arena of Middle East politics, though I have heard things, because I have lots of family that still live in Lebanon.

They know that Arab leaders disagree too much. They also know that Arab leaders and other Muslim leaders hands are tied. And many are bought and paid for by USA-israel.

But you knew that.

Shia/Sunni diversity is mainly the creation of the GLOBALZIONISTELITE network. So these two “sects” shouldn’t fall into these zionist traps. I know of many Shia-Sunni marriages – even in my own family - and they are just as common as breathing.

So what if there is an argument about the Hijab. So some Mosques have stupid “she” and “he” doors. So women in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to drive.

NONE OF THESE have to do with Islam-yet bickering will ensue if someone starts it. It’s small stuff. Not worth the time or trouble.

Muslim unity is not where it should be. Arab unity is not where it should be. Can you imagine the terror in the shriveled hearts of the GLOBALZIONISTELITE – if unity would spread among ALL Muslims......how about all Arabs, Christian and Muslim?

Then imagine the unity of Christians and Muslims around the world.

Add to that, the Jews who really do condemn israel-usa policies and want a complete change in israel regarding its treatment of its neighbors – the motto of Neturei Karta.

Oh I was not saying there was NO Muslim/Arab unity. Just not enough of it. It has to GROW.

My great aunt has told me that when israel destroys the Al Aqsa Mosque, this is when Muslims all over the world will unite and fight israel.

I believe this is true.

Cherifa:

Thank you for your kind comments, and your explanations. No, you did not confuse me at all. Your explanations were clear and concise. I agree with everything you said.

I now understand why Muslims do not like it when non-Muslims mention so-called rifts betwen Sunnis and Shites. Muslims are tired of outsiders using these stupid things to cause divisions. It seems that among regular Muslims, any difference between Sunnis and Shites is ultimately not a difference in doctrine, but a difference in style of worship. You sing alto, I sing bass. Together we make a chorus.

I agree that we have moved from an "age of empires" to an "age of nations." Of course, empires still remain, but they’re hidden. Today we have the zionist banking empire, for example.

Also,I am glad that Christian Lebanese (even some of the Maronites) are finally waking up. If the Lebanese (all groups) can get rid of the current government, they have a chance. I hope the Lebanese army gets with the program. I am not happy with them. They didn't oppose zionist aggression, but now they slaughter Palestinians. This is shameful. I can understand why Maronite Phalnge groups slaughtered Palestinians (the Maronites wanted power) but the Lebanese army has no excuse. They should turn against the current regime.

I did not know about zionist-U.S. support for the Egyptian Copts. It makes perfect sense. In fact, over time, it seems that whenever all the other groups in Egypt refuse to play the imeprialists’ game, outsiders turn to the Copts. When the program of division is complete, the Copts are ignored again.

This is a message that mankind cannot seem to learn. If you collaborate with Satan, you will be used and discarded, no matter how high you are. Everyone is eventually used and discarded. So will it be with zionists.

Thank you again for your thoughtful replies.

Rhiannon

Perhaps there's more to Syria, thx1138, that you know that we don't? If so, I would like to learn, also.

No, Cherifa knows much more than I do. (For one thing, I don't speak Arabic, which cripples me.) I have researched the military cooperaton between Syria and Russia (submarine bases, anti-aircraft missiles, etc) and the Syrian banking system, but I don’t have a clear picture of what life is like inside Syria.

I do know that Syria has a problem with Iraqi refugees. When any country is invaded, the rich leave first, followed by the middle class. The poor are left behind. The first waves of Iraqi refugees into Syria were the middle and upper-middle classes. They had money, and they bought houses. This drove up housing prices in Syria. Average Syrians are not happy about that. In fact, things became so difficult that the Syrian government has temporarily closed the border to Iraqi refugees.

If you are interested in Syria, check into some Internet articles about the recent struggles between the Muslim Brotherhod and the Syrian government. Whole cities were laid waste. It was awful. Very depressing.

Both you and Cherifa bring up an interesting point regarding Syria. The zionist-owned media spews endless lies about Iran, because they want the stupid Goyim to fight another war. However, the zionists hate Syrians juch more.

This makes sense to me. I have always questioned this so-called zionist hatred for Iran. Iran and israel have many historical connections, and Jews are a protected class in Iran. I’ve read dispatches from people inside Iran, and most Iranians are not anti-zionist at all (unfortunately). Indeed, Iranians think more like Americans than any other country in the Middle East. I’ve seen pictures of their cities and their houses. Their lifestyles are very similar to Americans’. And like the people in any country, they don’t trust their government. They want material reforms. Above all, they want jobs. In their everyday lives, Iranians tend to be secular (although women must wear hijab). However, for weddings or religious holidays, everyone goes to the mosque. Thus, Iranians balance the religious with the secular.

Then there’s Syria.

You and Cherifa have shown me that zionist hatred for them is real and mutual. Even Syrian Christians (and there are a lot of them) hate israel. Also, I believe that more Palestinians live in Syria than in any other country in the ME. (And yes, I know that “Middle East” is a western-imposed term that many people in that region find annoying, for good reason.)

There are many Jews in Syria, but they behave themselves. They’re Arab Jews, not white Khazar-Ashkenazi scum. There is no friction between them and Muslims.

This mutual hatred also explains why the zionists dare not attack Syria. Syria would fight back, and zionist are no longer able to fight a war by themselves. They want their servant (theUSA) to do all the fighting.

In fact, Syria has asked Russia for offensive missiles, but Russia will only give them defensive weapons. Russia is afaid that if Syria gets too well armed, Syria will go after israel, thus “destabilizing” the region. The only thing that stops Syria is the israeli servant (USA) which is looking for any excuse to bomb Syria.

By the way-—this recent incursion by israeli fighter jets? I suspect what happened is this…some clown told israeli intelligence about a “possible” link between North Korea and Syria. It was ridiculous, but the israelis decided to check it out. So, with the help of the Turkish military (which is pro-zionist, unlike the current Turkish government) israeli fighter jets encroached on Syrian airspace, hoping to check Syrian defenses. The israelis figured that if Syria reacted vigorously, then maybe there really is nuclear stuff there. Well, Syria did not react, but its attitude seems to be, “Do it again and watch what happens.” I also suspect that Russia secretly told israel not to do that again. Russia supplies most of israel’s oil, and Russia can close the spigot if necessary.

Anyway, thanks to you and Cherifa for all your input. It’s been most eduational for me.

(And I still say Lebanon is beautiful.)

My great aunt told me that when israel destroys the Al Aqsa Mosque, this is when Muslims all over the world will unite and fight israel. I believe this is true.

I also believe it. The israelis surely understand it too.

QRS once made this observation...

You know all these pictures of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem? How come they all show the Dome of the Rock (Masjid Qubbat As-Sakhrah)? How come we rarely see pictures of the Al Aqsa masjid on the south side of the Dome? Are the Israelis conditioning the Christian world to think the following…

“Okay, so they blew up the Al Aqsa masjid. What’s the big deal? The Dome is still there. Damned Ay-rabs are always making a noise. Let’s bomb them for Israel.”

QRS made no conclusions. She simply raised the question.

Of course, under Islamic law, all the Muslim buildings on the Temple Mount are part of one mosque (Al Aqsa). The Dome is a shrine, and what Americans call the “mosque” is a masjid-cum-meeting hall.

Nonetheless, I think QRS raises an interesting question. The israelis could destroy most of the mosque (most of the buildings) but if they leave the Dome intact, non-Muslim Americans will think, “What’s the big deal?”

How ironic that when pro-zionist Gentiles think of their beloved israel, the picture that immediately comes to their minds is the Dome of the Rock. I wonder how many of them realize it’s a MUSLIM shrine.