In Our Rush To Support The Syrian Rebels, Do We Really Know Who We Are Supporting?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/he-will-be-punished-severely-free-syrian-army-vows-to-hunt-down-rebel-commander-abu-sakkar-filmed-eating-government-soldiers-heart-in-gruesome-propaganda-video-8615112.html

[ichkeria]

Man eats heart on YouTube and suddenly everyone realises war is a gruesome business and that the "Syrian rebels" are not somehow all white knights in shining armour ...

[LazyGun]

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/News/Question1242627.html

For me at least ichkeria, its not a sudden realisation that war is gruesome, nor that the syrian rebels are not all fine upstanding chaps ... but cutting out and biting into a heart seems more than a little shocking and certainly barbaric and brutal. We should do everything we can to prevent wars happening, and that includes highlighting when behaviours fall far outside any kind of civilised norm.....

[jim360]

I guess the answer is no, we don't. That doesn't mean we should stay out entirely. One man does not, or should not, destroy our opinion of all fighting alongside him.

It's probably too far down the road to support one side or the other. Again, though, why it the idea of some peacekeeping mission gbetween the two sides not even talked of?

[Bazile]

Hasn't Syria got any valuable commodities , then

[ichkeria]

"For me at least ichkeria, its not a sudden realisation that war is gruesome, nor that the syrian rebels are not all fine upstanding chaps "

Maybe not for you LazyGun but it plainly is the case for some people. If it is the policy of the rebel forces as a whole to chomp away at the vital organs of their victims, as it seems to be the policy of Assad's forces to murder indiscriminately, then I would certainly want to disassociate ourselves from them, however it would still be highly desirable to have a policy of neutral intervention, as jim suggests.
It now looks as though the Assad regime has given up on winning back the whole country but wants to hold an Alawite stronghold in the South West, based in Damascus. Longer term though Assad is certainly doomed.

[ichkeria]

Indeed, if "rushing" is how you'd describe it then any slowing down would be difficult :-)

[sandyRoe]

Cannibalism and poison gas, these rebels make Saddam seem almost benign.

[Ric.ror]

I may be wrong but isn't there supposed to be some trouble with the new government in Turkey (I think) being hijacked by the Muslim Brotherhood and now surpressing the rights of women

[ichkeria]

I'm not an expert on Turkish affairs, but I don't think they have a new government do they? They certainly have the same prime minister Mr Erdogan who's been there some time. I suspect Womens Rights issues in Turkey as affected by government are not directly related to Islam, as the Turkish State is strongly secular.

[jno]

not Turkey, I don't think - Egypt maybe?

[emmie]

The Muslim Brotherhood is not a good organisation, and certainly not for women, whether it's in Egypt, or Turkey, as they say watch this space.

[jno]

the Brotherhood has operated as a charitable organisation for years, doing all the welfare work for the poor and hungry that the state has not; that's how they became popular.

[emmie]

are you really sure of that.. because that is not what i believe at all.

[emmie]

any number of sites, papers, and indeed reports of various political hue will give a much more detailed and straightforward explanation of their aims, they are not a charity, not in the way one thinks of charities here, nor are they benign. After listening to various Muslim women on one tv report who reiterated that they are in fear of this organisation, that women's rights are coming under fire, being made to cover the head, dress more modestly, whatever that means, which strikes me as being
a retrograde step in regards to women's rights, in some countries that had made some inroads in to a degree of equality for women.

http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/shiraz-maher/2013/05/why-engaging-with-the-muslim-brotherhood-isnt-quite-as-simple-as-it-seems/

[jno]

"The Brotherhood dominated the professional and student associations of Egypt and was famous for its network of social services in neighborhoods and villages"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Brotherhood_in_Egypt#Mubarak_era

[emmie]

ask Naomi when she is next back in circulation,

[jno]

they have in the recent past been chiefly benign, but they are certainly not progressive about women, no. I wouldn't want them ruling SE England.

[emmie]

don't hold your breath, we have people like that in the UK, and they are not nutters, not in the way we think of the loons who preach death to the infidel at every turn. Several universities in recent days have had to stamp down on having talks given in their places of learning by groups who asked for segregation of the sexes, i think one was University of London, the faculty told them no, but they went ahead and did it, on the grounds of their religious beliefs, the outcome was the talk was stopped. i would have to look up the article again, but that isn't the first and won't be the last. You think that this hasn't come here, The Muslim Brotherhood is not some pleasant nice blokes together charity, it's an insidious male dominated organisation intent on taking countries back from a secular society to one of Islam dominant.

[LazyGun]

@Em You might be thinking of this event;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/15/ucl-bans-islamic-group-over-segregation