Take virtually *any* YouTube clip from the Middle East showing violence… whether it’s an Al Queda video showing an attack on American soldiers in Afghanistan, or a street battle in Iraq, of protestors vs cops in Egypt… or Syrian rebels throwing *postal* *workers* off the roof of a municipal building:
[youtube Su-vte9Iw9k]
(Note: this clip may not be visible, what with it being “inappropriate” and such.)
What do all these scenes of violence have in common, apart from violence? One phrase: “Allahu Ackbar,” or “God is great,” being shouted by at least one and often many of the witnesses to the violence.
Now, the rest of the world is hardly violence-free. But what you generally *don’t* hear in videos of western-world violence is stuff like “Jesus is awesome” or “Joseph Smith is neato-keen” or “The Pope is spiffy” or even “Ooooodiiiinnnn!” while someone shoots, stabs, clubs or blows up an enemy. By associating religion with every single violent act – regardless of whether the violence is religiously or politically motivated – then it’s hardly unfair for people outside that religion to associate that religion with violence.
