Pakistani Public Turns Against Taliban (VIDEO)

By Charles M. Sennott With Photos By Seamus Murphy | GlobalPost

It was out of the refugee camps in Pakistan's northwest frontier province that the Taliban was born by recruiting foot soldiers from the Madrassas there. Today there is a profound shift: for the first time in large numbers, the Pakistani public is supporting the military operation against the Taliban.

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Blowback: What we don't know is killing us.

Life under the Taliban

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Comments

[bismillah001]

Deswiss, your historical perspective must not include WWI, WWII, Stalin, Mao Zedong, 1960s Indonesia, the US Civil War, etc. and so on. Your assessment is not very realistic in light of this. Let's put tired polemics aside and comment on the story at hand.

And we shouldn't conflate anti-Taliban sentiment with pro-US sentiment. After all, Pakistanis see the US as the greatest threat to their country right now:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/08/20098810611199907.html

[DeSwiss]

I disagree with your points. And yes, I'm going back much, much further than you are. Try beginning at recorded history. Generally speaking, the issues are much too complex to go into in any detail here.

Suffice it to say however, that even within the framework of the wars you've mentioned, religion played an integral role in fomenting them. Early-on with its elevation by Constantine, The Church approved of the suppression the common people, when they weren't doing it to them, themselves.

Slavery began with the blessings and authorization of The Church http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requerimientoo) and which ultimately over time resulted in the Civil War. And the conflicts that we still face today. Had it not been for these centuries-long conflicts between The Church and the monarchies, it would likely not have led us to WWI, nor the countless conflicts that preceded it.

And in both Stalin and Mao's cases, they were only possible historically because of monarchical domination in former instance, and the invasion of foreign land by colonists in the latter. And yet both are cases of governmental systems which received the approval and the blessings of The Church. A Church who went right along with the monarchy in its suppression of serfs and/or the colonization by invaders, who then converted the savages under pain of death.

Religion = conflict. If always has. It always will.

[DeSwiss]

Historically, the source of these and most other atrocities, is religion.

It is and has always been at the center of what drives people apart from each other. And foments hatred and separation for its own sake.

Education and truth is the key to defeating terrorism. And thus, religion.

[truthartbeauty]

the brave and intelligent woman Maddalyn Murray O'Hair said it best when she said: " Religion has cause more misery to all men in every state of human history than any other single idea." Religion is ALWAYS the problem and NEVER the solution.

[blutigeroo]

Its not the religion thats to blame, its the followers who mould and obfuscate the religion to suit their agenda: power and money.
If you really dont like blaming people, than dont blame religion, blame power, money and greed.