Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: ins_arm@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Roslan MdZaki)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Quality of Saudi Soldier/Pilot?
Message-ID: <1990Sep24.001926.24483@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 24 Sep 90 00:19:26 GMT
References: <1990Sep13.012400.16916@cbnews.att.com> <1990Sep18.024354.20278@cbnews.att.com>
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Organization: The Johns Hopkins University
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From: ins_arm@jhunix.HCF.JHU.EDU (Roslan MdZaki)

In article <1990Sep18.024354.20278@cbnews.att.com>  writes:
>
>
>From: uunet!mcgp1!flak (Dan Flak)
>
>> From: dana@walt.cc.utexas.edu (Daniel Schneider)
>> What's the conventional wisdom regarding the quality of the Saudi soldier
>> and the Saudi fighter pilot?
>
>I can't speak directly about Saudi pilots, but in 1970, I went
>through pilot training with Iranian pilots. There is one thing
>that connects the two -- Islam.

That's true.

>
>We, as Americans, believe that "God helps those who helps
>themselves". In the Moslem world, it's "Allah wills".
>

Dan, you have the misconception about Islam. I will not try to lecture you
on Islam but I will try to change a bit about your perception. The statement
"God helps those who helps themselves" is indeed what Muslim believes too.
And it is not strictly for American. There is a saying for muslim,
"God will not change the lives of any group until that group make changes
for themselves". See, the statement is exactly the same. We, Muslim is not
anymore fanatics than any of Christians or Jews or etc. Yes, we believe in
God's will because there are certain thing that you couldn't help avoid.

>Translated into flying terms, if Allah wills that you will
>have an accident, then you will have an accident no matter
>how safely you attempt to fly. If Allah wills to protect
>you, then no amount of daring will harm you. If things got
>really hairly some of them would release the controls and
>exclaim, "Allah has it (the aircraft)". I would have to get
           ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>in an aircraft moving at 600 knots, 3 feet away from these
>guys!

I know you are just joking. The common perception about Muslim is that
they are really fanatics. And they come from Arab countries. And that's simply
not true. I for one, is neither an Arab nor an Iranian. I come from South
East Asia. And I don't consider myself to be fanatics nor extreme. Muslim is
just human and the only difference is that they believes in Islam.

>
>All the Islamic leadership needs to do in order to create an Army
>of suicidal, frenzied, fanatics is convince its soldiers and
>pilots that Allah is on their side.

Committing suicide is one of the greatest sin in Islam. Those who commit
suicide will go straight to  "HE double hockey stick.". And that's true.
You can ask any practicing Muslim and they will tell you the same answer.
Those Muslim fanatics that were in the headline news are no more extreme
than Christians fighting against Christians in N. Ireland.
However, we do believe in Jihad which is different from the common American
perception. Yes... it's not just kill non-muslim... You can check it out.
Any reliable books about Islam will confirm my statement.


>--
>       Dan Flak - McCaw Cellular Communications Inc., 201 Elliot Ave W.,
>    Suite 105, Seattle, Wa 98119, 206-286-4355, (usenet: thebes!mcgp1!flak)

---
Roslan MdZaki                  |
The Johns Hopkins University   | ins_arm@jhunix.hfc.jhu.edu
Baltimore, Maryland            | ins_arm@jhuvms.bitnet