Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84 SMI; site sun.uucp Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!decwrl!sun!cramer From: cramer@sun.uucp (Sam Cramer) Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion Subject: Re: ISLAMIC TOLERANCE Message-ID: <3137@sun.uucp> Date: Sat, 11-Jan-86 23:30:19 EST Article-I.D.: sun.3137 Posted: Sat Jan 11 23:30:19 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 13-Jan-86 18:00:14 EST References: <2360@sdcc6.UUCP> Reply-To: cramer@sun.UUCP (Sam Cramer) Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc. Lines: 55 Keywords: follow-up on the "Arab Tolerance" discussion Xref: lsuc net.politics:2856 net.religion:613 Attempting to diminish the seriousness of violence against Egyptian Christians, Nidhal states > my comment is this : How does the rate of attacks against > Jewish and Christian communities in the Islamic world compare > with the violence to which the Islamic population of the West-Bank > is subjected to : bombs against Arab mayors (remember Bessam > Chekaa and the others ?) , bombs in the Islamic University of > ( was it Naplouse ?) by Jewish extremists, burning of the Aqsa > mosque in Jerusalem, killing and torture by the Israeli police > almost on an everyday basis ( I can give references... A few points. First, even if we suppose that this is an accurate representation of the state of affairs in the West Bank (which it is not), it would not justify Muslim oppression of minorities in their lands. Now, on the the "facts": 1. Bombings: The bombings of the West Bank mayors and the armed attack (not a bombing, by the way) on the Islamic college were criminal acts under Israeli law. The Israeli goverment prosecuted and punished the guilty parties. I am unaware of any respectable Israeli figure (I am here excluding the despicable bigot Meir Kahane) who views these attacks than anything other than what they are - vile criminal deeds. 2. The El-Aqsa mosque: The El-Aqsa mosque was the scene of attempted arson by a crazed Australian non-Jew. He was apprehended by the Israelis and is, I believe, in an Israeli or Australian mental hospital. 3. Torture and execution: > killing and torture by Israeli police almost on an everyday basis This is a lie. Israel has applied the death penalty once, against Adolf Eichmann. It has never executed any Arab. Allegations of torture, perenially popular in the Arab world (probably a case of psychological projection), are unsubstantiated. According to the State Department's 1978 "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" "We know of no evidence to support allegations that Israel ollows a consistent practice or policy of using torture during interrogations". I challenge Nidhal to produce evidence of "killing and torture by Israeli police almost on an everyday basis." Sam Cramer sun!cramer