Thank you Mr. Rashid for exposing the naked truth; in my own post I mentioned that the true cost of four hostages is approaching 40,000-give or take a few thousand lives, but who’s counting right? The responses to your posts are tame. I have stopped using any social media as I was weary of the trolling and moronic comments by readers too lazy to use even a smidgen of critical thinking…once again thank you for your refreshing candor; it is greatly appreciated…
Mr. Rashid, I greatly appreciate your efforts to unpack this. That said, I would caution against saying "Israel" did something - it was the Netanyahu-led coalition government, not an entire country, that accepted or rejected a ceasefire proposal.
Regarding the rejected proposal, in the BBC article you linked to, an unnamed Israel official says "This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal." Much rests on whether one believes Hamas's intentions are honorable or not. Considering their horrific actions on October 7, I do not find them honorable and believe an intended ruse is likely. Likewise I am suspicious of the death toll numbers released by their ministry of information.
You and I mourn the innocent lives that have been lost in this chapter of the ongoing conflict. The rub here, though, is who one believes the innocents are. Maybe "innocent" is the wrong description. There are active participants and there are bystanders. Are the Palestinian bystanders innocent? If our government took hostages from another country and held them in apartments and houses in our neighborhoods and we did nothing to help free them, are we innocent? It's an impossible comparison for an unimaginable situation.
I don’t expect it to change your mind about the rescue of the hostages and the ensuing casualties, but as your pieces have soften my views every so slightly, maybe this will soften yours.
It is the human condition and an unfortunate instinct. It takes respect, pause, thought and effort to work together to come to a solution.
Here we have an egomaniacal dictator in charge of a very rich, essentially white, and “strategically” placed country who the US benefits from politically and militarily. We are not altruistic.
Looking at these events in numbers and proportions is very black and white. Every life is precious. The irreparable harm we (Israel and US) has caused the Palestinians
and its own populaces—lives lost, trauma, despair, destruction, further animosity and hatred will get none of us anywhere and is bound to repeat itself ad infinitum.
A ceasefire and end to this horrific decimation is the only possible way forward because no one can see beyond their own hatred and grief right now.
Netanyahu and his entourage must go. The US must stop funding any part of this in any manner or be remembered as partaking in the hundreds of innocent deaths. We are horribly divided on so many issues in the US and should focus on healing ourselves and those less fortunate, like Haiti who we are in part responsible for their current state of hell.
An independent mediator, as was attempted previously, must step in with new Israeli and Palestinian leaders side by side, preferably women (because we bear our children and maybe we have more heart, compassion, and tolerance), in discussions for new and honest solutions instead of endless bloodshed. And we must have humility and take ownership of our blind hatred, cruelty and envy. We must not alienate and marginalize those who believe and think differently than ourselves. We must treat each other as equals and look back at history and how we got here—how we slaughtered and persecuted people in every corner of the world, and together say, “never again.”
Sadly, humans may not be capable of this. No other species behaves as badly as we do. It is our nature; it is our way. We are our own worst enemy.
The Israelis are not interested in the least bit to have a 2 states solution! and I suspect that getting the hostages released was never the priority. If so, there were many opportunities early on. No, the Israelis wanted to use this as an excuse to commit genocide on the Palestininan people. They hid behind the hostage issue and bombed and bombed until Gaza was flattened with no educational institutions, places of worship, or hospitals. Early on the 'claimed' that Hamas had bombed their own hospital. Anyway, the goal has been and will continue to be to make that area uninhabitable, to force migration and eventuallly rid the region of Palestinians so that they might move in and build settlements or a resort? who knows. Having every surviving Palestenian cross the borders to Egypt, or be absorbed by another Arab nation is the dream goal. If a hostage is released or survives the chaos, that is a bonus, but certainly not a priority.
If you believe Bible prophecy: this entire world (dis)order will soon be destroyed. Its alignment against God and all things godly, long hidden by pious propaganda, is now obvious to all who wish to see it. The final battle is described (in symbol, because the conquering King doesn’t literally ride a white horse) in Revelation 19:17-21.
But before that, a wrinkle that will deceive those inclined to put faith in them: there may be some kind of peace deal (or at least a serious attempt at it). The Bible doesn’t say what will motivate this turn of events. Perhaps they will come terrifyingly close to an all out nuclear exchange. We shall see. The single verse that mentions this is 1 Thessalonians 5:3.
There is no God. If there was it is either a coward or a pussy because it allows children to be abused, and here in the current conflict, God would be on the side of the Israelis? I highly doubt that. If there was a god it wouldn't abide genocide.
God is not on the side of the Israelis. The fundamentalists that believe that have such a twisted jesus that they cannot hear anything the real Jesus said. (He said,”The kingdom of God will be taken from you [the Jews] and given to a people producing its fruits.” Matt 21:43. Also: “Not everyone saying to me ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter into the kingdom…but the one doing my Father’s will, will…Many will say to me in that day [of reckoning], ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? …Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’” Matt 7:21-23)
There is a day of reckoning set, and we are just about there. Your assumption that God cannot exist because He has not already fixed everything (or prevented evil from beginning) is based on a wrong premise, that any real God would control everything and immediately punish all wrongdoing. Preachers teach that, but scripture does not.
We were designed to have free will. Some philosophers say that is an illusion, but scripture does not. What we do under severe duress isn’t “free” but in more normal circumstances, we are held responsible. (And Israel assuredly will be, for its crushing of innocents.) None of us are “fated” or “predestined” to be bad or good. I’m sure you already believe that. But some religions teach that lie.
If we are just evolved apes, then we are on our own. All our marvelous ingenuity and amazing technology, coupled with insanely primitive politics, will be the end of us. Soon, it appears. Not a happy thought. But if God does exist— then why are we in this situation?
Here’s the scriptural explanation (you won’t find this in most religions):
We were designed to need an education, guidance in good vs bad. We were not supposed to learn the hard way. But that’s what we chose, so that’s what we got. To simplify the story a bit, we very early in our history told God to let us be “free,” to figure it all out without his help. God told us it wouldn’t work, but he respected our freedom to choose and let us go our own way. We have invented gods, we have invented governing systems, we have developed science. We have made some progress, but we have failed, and now we are nearing a disastrous end.
God has always treasured those few who loved truth and good, and he remembers them. And his memory is as perfect as Time itself, because Time is part of him (that does NOT mean that the future is prewritten in any sense, as some theorize; that would mean free will is an illusion, but it is not) so he can bring forward anyone from the past that he wants to live again. None have been lost.
So you are right: God does not abide genocide. All genocides will be erased. (“Your dead will live … awake and shout joyfully, you residents in the dust! For your dew is as the dew of morning, and the earth will let those powerless in death come to life.” Isaiah 26:19)
When our experiment in independence has served its purpose, to prove we cannot succeed without Him, He will take his world back. Then those who respect his standards will rebuild the world, this beautiful planet, into what it should have been.
Granted, there is more detail to this, but it’s a fair summary of the Bible message. None of this “I’m going to hevvin when I die, lord lord” or “You gotta beleeeve on the LORD Jeeesus or you’ll BURN” religion. The fundamentalists get so much wrong. But they will get an education. May not be happy with it, but we’ll see.
You keep taking the time to write all that stuff about God and the Bible and the law but many of us don't give a crap what the Bible says. I don't believe in any of it and there's nothing you can say that will make me believe. I don't know if you were taking the time to harass me or so-called educate me, but it's not real and I am pretty damn sure can't prove any of it. You're wasting your time here.
It’s been tried, but can’t be done, because, don’t forget, God exists. He makes it come true.
One example: the so-called “wise men” who were drawn to Jesus’ house in Bethlehem by following a “star.” (Jesus was by then maybe more than a year old; those Christmas scenes get it wrong.) God doesn’t use astrology to draw people, so this was a ploy by the Enemy to get Jesus killed. The men didn’t know that, but we do because the “star” dropped them off in the middle of town where the word got to Herod. Herod was very much like Trump, he didn’t like competition. THEN, having done its dirty work, the “star” led them to Jesus’ house. After that short visit, finally an angel appears (this one from God) to tell them not to report back to Herod like he had told them to. And Jesus & family flee to Egypt. (Matthew 2:1-18) So God interferes when he has to, to protect his purpose.
Why, you may ask, didn’t God just keep the men from coming? Would’ve saved a lot of mothers from grief. There is a lot of evil God doesn’t prevent. It’s not his time to stop everything the ruler of this world (Satan, which means “Enemy”) wants to do. When that time comes, He can raise (re-create) the dead (and they are dead, there is no immortal soul), and we will have no reason or desire to look back and complain. Too busy looking forward to building a new world, free of the Evil One and those who love his darkness.
Biggest complaint people have: if he is so “good,” why is this world so cruel? If he does not exist, then we alone are at fault. So why has “progress” so far just taken us closer and closer to the edge of the abyss? Is it reasonable to cling to believing we will suddenly wise up before it’s too late? Nothing in our past should give us confidence in that.
Most preachers give the worst answer possible, a slanderous lie straight from the Enemy’s mouth: “it’s all God’s will.” “No matter how vicious the cruelty, God foreordained it before the world began.” I would never obey such a god. But there is a better answer, one that makes sense, one we can respect. But you have to be prepared to THINK, and most people would rather not. It’s not mystical, not hard to understand. See if you can get it. Some years back I wrote a short book that addresses this, and made it a website, lifespurpose.net. Look it up.
You call a make-believe character God and believe that he went in and killed every male child, and you admired that. Now that's just freaking warped. If it was true it's not a good thing. Jesus still had to run away didn't actually get carried but you get my point I hope. Your Make believe God is either a wimp or a coward, he lets children be abused and tortured and starved, and allows a genocide to go on and doesn't do a damn thing about it. No hero of mine.
Herod did the killing. Trump isn't doing God's work, and neither did Herod. You have a strong sense of justice, good! Just put the blame where it belongs. Gym Jordan, and other haters like him, like to deflect blame onto the innocent to cover their own wickedness. Don't fall to the same trick used against God. But I'm not trying to proselytize, just spark reconsideration. I use the same method with fundamentalist MAGATs. But people believe what they want, and I know when to move on. Peace.
My brother, these are all wonderful points, but ultimately none of it matters. Nothing is going to change. Just stick your fingers in your ears and wait for the next planes to hit the next buildings here in America. We have learned nothing from 2001, therefore we deserve EVERY act of retaliation about to be visited upon us by Palestinian terrorists.
If you want to make a terrorist, be like Israel who's making all sorts of new terrorists. Because Israel is terrorizing Gaza. There's no excuse for what Israel is doing, no justification for killing 37,000 civilians, of which a few may have been Hamas. You lock people up in an open air prison for years and you breed terrorists. I support the (humanitarian) Israeli people but I sure as hell don't support the Israeli government.
We’re in agreement. The attacks of 9/11/2001 should have resulted in a complete overhaul of our relationship with Israel. They did no such thing. Now here we are. Terrorism is the only strategy for people forced into conflict with military superpowers, so that’s the strategy they’ll (continue to) use. And a nation full of lazy, stupid people who hate each other, with incompetent morons, half of whom are actively rooting for a terror attack for political optics, in charge of it’s security has little to no chance of stopping one.
This was my first thought as well…four hostages-count them-at the cost of not 274 dead but 36,000+…I suspect the reason for this genocide is war profiteering. War, as always, is very good for business…
That was the same question I thought about when I heard on the news that 274 innocent Palestinian souls, again mostly children and women, were slaughtered in order to obtain the release of four hostages. The u.s. and israel on mainstream u.s. news have been proclaiming such a great victory, but then later, the news came out that, oh well, 274 Palestinian people had been killed in the process. The slaughter of innocent lives continues and the u.s./israeli propaganda machine continues to frame it as a victory. And most people in the u.s. seem unaware. I am disgusted, angered, outraged that the genocide continues. I feel frustrated and helpless that I can do nothing to make it end, even though I write letters, attend workshops on the issue, and share the truth on social media. Somehow we must be able to stop israel from its genocidal mission. How? What can I/we do?
If both leadership blocs agreed to step down domestically and allow short term peacemaking, rebuild and redevelopment and dispute resolution proceed with third parties—maybe then there is a hope for some progress after all this is said and done. This doesn’t bring back the tens of thousands killed in the crossfire—it doesn’t erase the horror of the invasion or the echoes of occupation and intifada for that matter. But if humans were capable of this level of grace just to move forward — there could be a future for innocents of all the communities who call that place home. I’m not sure I could have that level of grace were I similarly afflicted by the past as they are there. But that kind of world-changing moment is their only help. If any bit of a “proposed solution” involves payback to the (insert demon here) nothing will stop this war or the ongoing conflict.
Well said. Part of the struggle is ensuring once a ceasefire happens, there's a removal of military occupation and illegal settlements. Israel has to date not only refused, but advanced both. To be clear, that is a violent act and a violation of international law.
Yes. I suspect Israel wants to get rid of all the Palestinians and just take over Gaza, beachfront property, right? It makes me sick how we go along with it in the US.
Netanyahu is on a killing rampage. He cares neither for the rule of law, justice nor for democracy. I personally have considered him, the Israeli military and the illegal Israeli treaspassers that steal and kill Palestinians as evil and corrupt. The world court supports this view and has charged him and a second Israeli leader with serious crimes and calls for his arrest.
Can we really imagine that Benjamin Netanyahu really cares about the lives of the hostages? Can we really expect such sentiments when, without the slightest scruple, without the slightest remorse, he engages daily in massacres of savagery rarely equalled?
It is now clear that this operation aims to drastically reduce the population of this vast prison, which has become a huge mass grave.
The worst of all is the active complicity of Joe Biden and the deafening silence of Western leaders!…
I agree with you. I'm glad the 4 are back with their families, and being abducted and tortured is completely on Hamas....... going in to rescue and killing 274 Palestinians, is no justification for the rescue. The Israeli military seems to be inept, whereas they used to be touted as one of the best armies in the world. NO EXCUSE FOR THESE RANDOM MURDERS TO HAVE HAPPENED. We need a complete ceasefire now. Next to Biden, Blinken is the hardest working man in the universe -- I believe he's on his 8th mission of diplomacy. CEASEFIRE FIRST. Then the talks continue.
In the immortal words of a (probably) fake Hollywood Redskin, "Whiteman speaks with forked tongue"
The long open secret support of Hamas, by the Israelis, was always a strawman target for what everyone knew was a proxy army for Tehran. Both sides seemed to accept the static substitute for all out war while Israel tracked the snake in its bosom and Tehran nourished the cancer implanted in Israel. Perhaps both sides were simply waiting for the other to escalate and meanwhile kept the edge of the spears sharp with intermittent provocations - far more damaging by Israel toward the Palestinians while the pressure built inexorably within in Palestine.
Preceding this new disaster, Israel's restive and lawless settler extremists escalated their up close and personal attacks on the largely helpless Palestinian farmers trying to scratch a living. It wasn't really personal. Like the Nazi's before them the settlers simply wanted, desperately needed; the land occupied/ cultivated by Palestinians. It was, after all Israeli land, by "history and tradition"; squatted on by DP peasants rendered rootless by the Great Powers. and after centuries of middle eastern and western power struggles.
Perhaps someone can put their finger on why and how the Palestinian Hamas corked popped. Did Tehran need a distraction from their internal unrest? Did Israeli laxness at their borders present an irresistible opportunity? Why did Israel's ever vigilant and rigorously trained s security apparatus fail so spectacularly? And why did Israel pick this moment to explode with remorseless savagery?
Like Tehran, did Israel, or rather Netanyahu need distraction from his own internal unrest?
Despite what historians and military pundits would have us believe in their exhaustive dissections of humanity's endless wars ... the outbreak of hostilities is always irrational; could always be avoided by compromise and diplomacy, but there is something in the lizard brain all humans possess that fires up and floods the frontal cortex.
Is this one of Evolution's ways of determining fitness? Is this why humans can never be at peace for long?
If so Evolution, and Plate Tectonics are agencies of the same, probably, cosmic forces.
Thank you for stopping by! We regret to inform you that Qasim's substack exclusively engages in rational, fact based and contextualised discourse that is free from boneheaded propaganda such as (e.g. millions if not hundreds of millions). Nonetheless, if your ambition in life is to peddle nonsensical talking points and baseless lies, please visit https://www.aipac.org/ or https://www.adl.org/ to audition for the Israeli hasbara machine. Although if today's opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post is anything to go by, you're going to have to up your game and resort to half truths rather than complete fabrications (https://m.jpost.com/opinion/article-805560?oborigurl=true). But I'm sure you're up for the challenge!
You’re a complete simp. I don’t think Qasim needs your smug-yet-stupid bullshit backing him up. And “millions if not…” is actually one of the most unassailable comments one can make on this issue. You deny it? Absurd. Blind and/or lying. You know in your heart it’s true. Tons of evidence for it. You just don’t like it being said. Bye now. 👋🏼
Your ability to invent "unassailable facts" and then resort to ad-hominems when you can't bring up any proof to back it up is remarkable. Be sure to put that skill in full display when you're at the casting couch at AIPAC/ADL!
Now 0 for 3. Either address the question or find somewhere else to troll. As Rahul said, I'm here to engage in rational, fact based discourse, not name calling and disinformation.
I’m reminded also of the recent transplants from New York now occupying what was for generations homes of Palestinians. This ILLEGAL move has been happening for years.
PEOPLE CANNOT CHOSE THEIR BIRTH CIRCUMSTANCES… generational hatred IS TAUGHT.
Thank you Mr. Rashid for exposing the naked truth; in my own post I mentioned that the true cost of four hostages is approaching 40,000-give or take a few thousand lives, but who’s counting right? The responses to your posts are tame. I have stopped using any social media as I was weary of the trolling and moronic comments by readers too lazy to use even a smidgen of critical thinking…once again thank you for your refreshing candor; it is greatly appreciated…
Mr. Rashid, I greatly appreciate your efforts to unpack this. That said, I would caution against saying "Israel" did something - it was the Netanyahu-led coalition government, not an entire country, that accepted or rejected a ceasefire proposal.
Regarding the rejected proposal, in the BBC article you linked to, an unnamed Israel official says "This would appear to be a ruse intended to make Israel look like the side refusing a deal." Much rests on whether one believes Hamas's intentions are honorable or not. Considering their horrific actions on October 7, I do not find them honorable and believe an intended ruse is likely. Likewise I am suspicious of the death toll numbers released by their ministry of information.
You and I mourn the innocent lives that have been lost in this chapter of the ongoing conflict. The rub here, though, is who one believes the innocents are. Maybe "innocent" is the wrong description. There are active participants and there are bystanders. Are the Palestinian bystanders innocent? If our government took hostages from another country and held them in apartments and houses in our neighborhoods and we did nothing to help free them, are we innocent? It's an impossible comparison for an unimaginable situation.
You have put your opinion out there for us to read and I've done that. I'd like to share an op ed piece written by an Israeli offering their take on the mission: https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/mad-about-the-rescue-mission-i-dont-care/
I don’t expect it to change your mind about the rescue of the hostages and the ensuing casualties, but as your pieces have soften my views every so slightly, maybe this will soften yours.
Thank you,
Joel
Violence begets violence
Hatred begets hatred
It is the human condition and an unfortunate instinct. It takes respect, pause, thought and effort to work together to come to a solution.
Here we have an egomaniacal dictator in charge of a very rich, essentially white, and “strategically” placed country who the US benefits from politically and militarily. We are not altruistic.
Looking at these events in numbers and proportions is very black and white. Every life is precious. The irreparable harm we (Israel and US) has caused the Palestinians
and its own populaces—lives lost, trauma, despair, destruction, further animosity and hatred will get none of us anywhere and is bound to repeat itself ad infinitum.
A ceasefire and end to this horrific decimation is the only possible way forward because no one can see beyond their own hatred and grief right now.
Netanyahu and his entourage must go. The US must stop funding any part of this in any manner or be remembered as partaking in the hundreds of innocent deaths. We are horribly divided on so many issues in the US and should focus on healing ourselves and those less fortunate, like Haiti who we are in part responsible for their current state of hell.
An independent mediator, as was attempted previously, must step in with new Israeli and Palestinian leaders side by side, preferably women (because we bear our children and maybe we have more heart, compassion, and tolerance), in discussions for new and honest solutions instead of endless bloodshed. And we must have humility and take ownership of our blind hatred, cruelty and envy. We must not alienate and marginalize those who believe and think differently than ourselves. We must treat each other as equals and look back at history and how we got here—how we slaughtered and persecuted people in every corner of the world, and together say, “never again.”
Sadly, humans may not be capable of this. No other species behaves as badly as we do. It is our nature; it is our way. We are our own worst enemy.
The Israelis are not interested in the least bit to have a 2 states solution! and I suspect that getting the hostages released was never the priority. If so, there were many opportunities early on. No, the Israelis wanted to use this as an excuse to commit genocide on the Palestininan people. They hid behind the hostage issue and bombed and bombed until Gaza was flattened with no educational institutions, places of worship, or hospitals. Early on the 'claimed' that Hamas had bombed their own hospital. Anyway, the goal has been and will continue to be to make that area uninhabitable, to force migration and eventuallly rid the region of Palestinians so that they might move in and build settlements or a resort? who knows. Having every surviving Palestenian cross the borders to Egypt, or be absorbed by another Arab nation is the dream goal. If a hostage is released or survives the chaos, that is a bonus, but certainly not a priority.
If you believe Bible prophecy: this entire world (dis)order will soon be destroyed. Its alignment against God and all things godly, long hidden by pious propaganda, is now obvious to all who wish to see it. The final battle is described (in symbol, because the conquering King doesn’t literally ride a white horse) in Revelation 19:17-21.
But before that, a wrinkle that will deceive those inclined to put faith in them: there may be some kind of peace deal (or at least a serious attempt at it). The Bible doesn’t say what will motivate this turn of events. Perhaps they will come terrifyingly close to an all out nuclear exchange. We shall see. The single verse that mentions this is 1 Thessalonians 5:3.
Exciting times just ahead.
If there were no God, we would be doomed.
There is no God. If there was it is either a coward or a pussy because it allows children to be abused, and here in the current conflict, God would be on the side of the Israelis? I highly doubt that. If there was a god it wouldn't abide genocide.
God is not on the side of the Israelis. The fundamentalists that believe that have such a twisted jesus that they cannot hear anything the real Jesus said. (He said,”The kingdom of God will be taken from you [the Jews] and given to a people producing its fruits.” Matt 21:43. Also: “Not everyone saying to me ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter into the kingdom…but the one doing my Father’s will, will…Many will say to me in that day [of reckoning], ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? …Then I will say to them, ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’” Matt 7:21-23)
There is a day of reckoning set, and we are just about there. Your assumption that God cannot exist because He has not already fixed everything (or prevented evil from beginning) is based on a wrong premise, that any real God would control everything and immediately punish all wrongdoing. Preachers teach that, but scripture does not.
We were designed to have free will. Some philosophers say that is an illusion, but scripture does not. What we do under severe duress isn’t “free” but in more normal circumstances, we are held responsible. (And Israel assuredly will be, for its crushing of innocents.) None of us are “fated” or “predestined” to be bad or good. I’m sure you already believe that. But some religions teach that lie.
If we are just evolved apes, then we are on our own. All our marvelous ingenuity and amazing technology, coupled with insanely primitive politics, will be the end of us. Soon, it appears. Not a happy thought. But if God does exist— then why are we in this situation?
Here’s the scriptural explanation (you won’t find this in most religions):
We were designed to need an education, guidance in good vs bad. We were not supposed to learn the hard way. But that’s what we chose, so that’s what we got. To simplify the story a bit, we very early in our history told God to let us be “free,” to figure it all out without his help. God told us it wouldn’t work, but he respected our freedom to choose and let us go our own way. We have invented gods, we have invented governing systems, we have developed science. We have made some progress, but we have failed, and now we are nearing a disastrous end.
God has always treasured those few who loved truth and good, and he remembers them. And his memory is as perfect as Time itself, because Time is part of him (that does NOT mean that the future is prewritten in any sense, as some theorize; that would mean free will is an illusion, but it is not) so he can bring forward anyone from the past that he wants to live again. None have been lost.
So you are right: God does not abide genocide. All genocides will be erased. (“Your dead will live … awake and shout joyfully, you residents in the dust! For your dew is as the dew of morning, and the earth will let those powerless in death come to life.” Isaiah 26:19)
When our experiment in independence has served its purpose, to prove we cannot succeed without Him, He will take his world back. Then those who respect his standards will rebuild the world, this beautiful planet, into what it should have been.
Granted, there is more detail to this, but it’s a fair summary of the Bible message. None of this “I’m going to hevvin when I die, lord lord” or “You gotta beleeeve on the LORD Jeeesus or you’ll BURN” religion. The fundamentalists get so much wrong. But they will get an education. May not be happy with it, but we’ll see.
You keep taking the time to write all that stuff about God and the Bible and the law but many of us don't give a crap what the Bible says. I don't believe in any of it and there's nothing you can say that will make me believe. I don't know if you were taking the time to harass me or so-called educate me, but it's not real and I am pretty damn sure can't prove any of it. You're wasting your time here.
Don't make me block you.
An old book written by a bunch of white men—really?!? Why don’t we change prophecy.
It’s been tried, but can’t be done, because, don’t forget, God exists. He makes it come true.
One example: the so-called “wise men” who were drawn to Jesus’ house in Bethlehem by following a “star.” (Jesus was by then maybe more than a year old; those Christmas scenes get it wrong.) God doesn’t use astrology to draw people, so this was a ploy by the Enemy to get Jesus killed. The men didn’t know that, but we do because the “star” dropped them off in the middle of town where the word got to Herod. Herod was very much like Trump, he didn’t like competition. THEN, having done its dirty work, the “star” led them to Jesus’ house. After that short visit, finally an angel appears (this one from God) to tell them not to report back to Herod like he had told them to. And Jesus & family flee to Egypt. (Matthew 2:1-18) So God interferes when he has to, to protect his purpose.
Why, you may ask, didn’t God just keep the men from coming? Would’ve saved a lot of mothers from grief. There is a lot of evil God doesn’t prevent. It’s not his time to stop everything the ruler of this world (Satan, which means “Enemy”) wants to do. When that time comes, He can raise (re-create) the dead (and they are dead, there is no immortal soul), and we will have no reason or desire to look back and complain. Too busy looking forward to building a new world, free of the Evil One and those who love his darkness.
Biggest complaint people have: if he is so “good,” why is this world so cruel? If he does not exist, then we alone are at fault. So why has “progress” so far just taken us closer and closer to the edge of the abyss? Is it reasonable to cling to believing we will suddenly wise up before it’s too late? Nothing in our past should give us confidence in that.
Most preachers give the worst answer possible, a slanderous lie straight from the Enemy’s mouth: “it’s all God’s will.” “No matter how vicious the cruelty, God foreordained it before the world began.” I would never obey such a god. But there is a better answer, one that makes sense, one we can respect. But you have to be prepared to THINK, and most people would rather not. It’s not mystical, not hard to understand. See if you can get it. Some years back I wrote a short book that addresses this, and made it a website, lifespurpose.net. Look it up.
You call a make-believe character God and believe that he went in and killed every male child, and you admired that. Now that's just freaking warped. If it was true it's not a good thing. Jesus still had to run away didn't actually get carried but you get my point I hope. Your Make believe God is either a wimp or a coward, he lets children be abused and tortured and starved, and allows a genocide to go on and doesn't do a damn thing about it. No hero of mine.
Herod did the killing. Trump isn't doing God's work, and neither did Herod. You have a strong sense of justice, good! Just put the blame where it belongs. Gym Jordan, and other haters like him, like to deflect blame onto the innocent to cover their own wickedness. Don't fall to the same trick used against God. But I'm not trying to proselytize, just spark reconsideration. I use the same method with fundamentalist MAGATs. But people believe what they want, and I know when to move on. Peace.
My brother, these are all wonderful points, but ultimately none of it matters. Nothing is going to change. Just stick your fingers in your ears and wait for the next planes to hit the next buildings here in America. We have learned nothing from 2001, therefore we deserve EVERY act of retaliation about to be visited upon us by Palestinian terrorists.
If you want to make a terrorist, be like Israel who's making all sorts of new terrorists. Because Israel is terrorizing Gaza. There's no excuse for what Israel is doing, no justification for killing 37,000 civilians, of which a few may have been Hamas. You lock people up in an open air prison for years and you breed terrorists. I support the (humanitarian) Israeli people but I sure as hell don't support the Israeli government.
We’re in agreement. The attacks of 9/11/2001 should have resulted in a complete overhaul of our relationship with Israel. They did no such thing. Now here we are. Terrorism is the only strategy for people forced into conflict with military superpowers, so that’s the strategy they’ll (continue to) use. And a nation full of lazy, stupid people who hate each other, with incompetent morons, half of whom are actively rooting for a terror attack for political optics, in charge of it’s security has little to no chance of stopping one.
If big money did not rule the world, we could have hope.
Greed wasn't this crazy until Reagan came along.
This was my first thought as well…four hostages-count them-at the cost of not 274 dead but 36,000+…I suspect the reason for this genocide is war profiteering. War, as always, is very good for business…
I took the first course/workshop on the Palestinian issue. It was excellent and provided a lot of information and resources. It was so successful that it is being offered again, with additional speakers and resources. I recommend it highly.https://mailchi.mp/whiteawake/sumaya-awad-last-call-palestine-solidarity-course?e=79de008d8b
That was the same question I thought about when I heard on the news that 274 innocent Palestinian souls, again mostly children and women, were slaughtered in order to obtain the release of four hostages. The u.s. and israel on mainstream u.s. news have been proclaiming such a great victory, but then later, the news came out that, oh well, 274 Palestinian people had been killed in the process. The slaughter of innocent lives continues and the u.s./israeli propaganda machine continues to frame it as a victory. And most people in the u.s. seem unaware. I am disgusted, angered, outraged that the genocide continues. I feel frustrated and helpless that I can do nothing to make it end, even though I write letters, attend workshops on the issue, and share the truth on social media. Somehow we must be able to stop israel from its genocidal mission. How? What can I/we do?
Thank you!
If both leadership blocs agreed to step down domestically and allow short term peacemaking, rebuild and redevelopment and dispute resolution proceed with third parties—maybe then there is a hope for some progress after all this is said and done. This doesn’t bring back the tens of thousands killed in the crossfire—it doesn’t erase the horror of the invasion or the echoes of occupation and intifada for that matter. But if humans were capable of this level of grace just to move forward — there could be a future for innocents of all the communities who call that place home. I’m not sure I could have that level of grace were I similarly afflicted by the past as they are there. But that kind of world-changing moment is their only help. If any bit of a “proposed solution” involves payback to the (insert demon here) nothing will stop this war or the ongoing conflict.
Exactly—start again with compassion and zero tolerance for violence by anyone.
Well said. Part of the struggle is ensuring once a ceasefire happens, there's a removal of military occupation and illegal settlements. Israel has to date not only refused, but advanced both. To be clear, that is a violent act and a violation of international law.
Yes. I suspect Israel wants to get rid of all the Palestinians and just take over Gaza, beachfront property, right? It makes me sick how we go along with it in the US.
Netanyahu is on a killing rampage. He cares neither for the rule of law, justice nor for democracy. I personally have considered him, the Israeli military and the illegal Israeli treaspassers that steal and kill Palestinians as evil and corrupt. The world court supports this view and has charged him and a second Israeli leader with serious crimes and calls for his arrest.
Can we really imagine that Benjamin Netanyahu really cares about the lives of the hostages? Can we really expect such sentiments when, without the slightest scruple, without the slightest remorse, he engages daily in massacres of savagery rarely equalled?
It is now clear that this operation aims to drastically reduce the population of this vast prison, which has become a huge mass grave.
The worst of all is the active complicity of Joe Biden and the deafening silence of Western leaders!…
As attested to by the families of hostages themselves, netanyahu has no regard for the hostages.
I agree with you. I'm glad the 4 are back with their families, and being abducted and tortured is completely on Hamas....... going in to rescue and killing 274 Palestinians, is no justification for the rescue. The Israeli military seems to be inept, whereas they used to be touted as one of the best armies in the world. NO EXCUSE FOR THESE RANDOM MURDERS TO HAVE HAPPENED. We need a complete ceasefire now. Next to Biden, Blinken is the hardest working man in the universe -- I believe he's on his 8th mission of diplomacy. CEASEFIRE FIRST. Then the talks continue.
In the immortal words of a (probably) fake Hollywood Redskin, "Whiteman speaks with forked tongue"
The long open secret support of Hamas, by the Israelis, was always a strawman target for what everyone knew was a proxy army for Tehran. Both sides seemed to accept the static substitute for all out war while Israel tracked the snake in its bosom and Tehran nourished the cancer implanted in Israel. Perhaps both sides were simply waiting for the other to escalate and meanwhile kept the edge of the spears sharp with intermittent provocations - far more damaging by Israel toward the Palestinians while the pressure built inexorably within in Palestine.
Preceding this new disaster, Israel's restive and lawless settler extremists escalated their up close and personal attacks on the largely helpless Palestinian farmers trying to scratch a living. It wasn't really personal. Like the Nazi's before them the settlers simply wanted, desperately needed; the land occupied/ cultivated by Palestinians. It was, after all Israeli land, by "history and tradition"; squatted on by DP peasants rendered rootless by the Great Powers. and after centuries of middle eastern and western power struggles.
Perhaps someone can put their finger on why and how the Palestinian Hamas corked popped. Did Tehran need a distraction from their internal unrest? Did Israeli laxness at their borders present an irresistible opportunity? Why did Israel's ever vigilant and rigorously trained s security apparatus fail so spectacularly? And why did Israel pick this moment to explode with remorseless savagery?
Like Tehran, did Israel, or rather Netanyahu need distraction from his own internal unrest?
Despite what historians and military pundits would have us believe in their exhaustive dissections of humanity's endless wars ... the outbreak of hostilities is always irrational; could always be avoided by compromise and diplomacy, but there is something in the lizard brain all humans possess that fires up and floods the frontal cortex.
Is this one of Evolution's ways of determining fitness? Is this why humans can never be at peace for long?
If so Evolution, and Plate Tectonics are agencies of the same, probably, cosmic forces.
Talk to the millions, if not hundreds of millions, of Muslims who celebrated October 7 as a win. Get their take on what qualifies as a win.
Thank you for stopping by! We regret to inform you that Qasim's substack exclusively engages in rational, fact based and contextualised discourse that is free from boneheaded propaganda such as (e.g. millions if not hundreds of millions). Nonetheless, if your ambition in life is to peddle nonsensical talking points and baseless lies, please visit https://www.aipac.org/ or https://www.adl.org/ to audition for the Israeli hasbara machine. Although if today's opinion piece in the Jerusalem Post is anything to go by, you're going to have to up your game and resort to half truths rather than complete fabrications (https://m.jpost.com/opinion/article-805560?oborigurl=true). But I'm sure you're up for the challenge!
You’re a complete simp. I don’t think Qasim needs your smug-yet-stupid bullshit backing him up. And “millions if not…” is actually one of the most unassailable comments one can make on this issue. You deny it? Absurd. Blind and/or lying. You know in your heart it’s true. Tons of evidence for it. You just don’t like it being said. Bye now. 👋🏼
Your ability to invent "unassailable facts" and then resort to ad-hominems when you can't bring up any proof to back it up is remarkable. Be sure to put that skill in full display when you're at the casting couch at AIPAC/ADL!
For the few thousands Palestinians living under yoke of occupation for that did celebrate in the West Bank, Gaza and the few more thousands of sympathisers in Tehran etc. - they only learnt from the finest. Here's some real evidence of Israelis who revelled in killing children - chanting "there's no school tomorrow,t there are no children left in Gaza" in 2014 (https://www.timesofisrael.com/watch-far-right-israelis-celebrate-gaza-kids-deaths/). Or the settlers who celebrated burning a husband, his wife and their 18 month baby to death in an arson attack in the West Bank in 2015 (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35176029). Or mobs of Israelis chanting "death to Arabs," "Mohammad is dead" and "may your villages burn" in May 2023 (https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/israeli-crowds-chant-racist-slogans-taunt-palestinians-during-jerusalem-day-march). Or settlers celebrating and handing out sweets after murdering 11 Palestinians in Nablus in February 2023 (https://youtube.com/shorts/bMVJSfW2fLM?si=fNe5F5ZdCHct_DEQ).
Now 0 for 3. Either address the question or find somewhere else to troll. As Rahul said, I'm here to engage in rational, fact based discourse, not name calling and disinformation.
Oh here's a new non answer. A pointless propaganda rant, but thanks for affirming the point that you don't have an answer.
Hey, you would know. You’re the master of semi-addressing issues.
0 for 2. You’re on a roll.
Agreed. But we seem to be a distinct minority as most seem to say ALL GAZANS ARE HAMAS.
I posted a hypothetical and ended up blocking the responses:
4 hostages rescued: 274 killed
116 hostages remain
116 x 274 = 31,784
GAZANS estimated killed so far before this rescue: approximately
37,084
31,784 + 37,084 = 68,868
Will any number of GAZANS dead be enough???
I’m reminded also of the recent transplants from New York now occupying what was for generations homes of Palestinians. This ILLEGAL move has been happening for years.
PEOPLE CANNOT CHOSE THEIR BIRTH CIRCUMSTANCES… generational hatred IS TAUGHT.