Brussels was the angry planet's capital today

[Bunny]

Yes mate. Just trying to understand if it gets more press in the region.

[Bunny]

Ok. I think that kinda suggests that news is "local" then. So there is some coverage, and the local issue may be why its not as covered here. In the same way, african, russian, american, australian or wherever doesnt get that coverage either.

[Pol]

"News" registers with us on several different factors.
How big the incident/accident n sadly how big the death toll is. The locality of the incident. How unusual it is, the people involved sadly again children being involved is going to hit home harder. I'm sure we can all think of many situations. In the last week or so there have been a few deaths in the Glasgow and Ayrshire area that many won't have heard of n the same goes for your area

[Bever]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_values

Meaningfulness: This relates to the sense of identification the audience has with the topic. "Cultural proximity" is a factor here—stories concerned with people who speak the same language, look the same, and share the same preoccupations as the audience receive more coverage than those concerned with people who speak different languages, look different and have different preoccupations.

[Pumpkin]

Regarding concerns that such terror attacks don’t actually get much publicity in Western media, try the following events just since the attacks in Brussels:

Foua, Syria: Ahrar al-Sham kills 2; injures 3

Glasgow, Scotland: Ahmadi Muslim killed by another Muslim for wishing Christians a Happy Easter.

Iskandariya, Iraq: Fedayeen (“those who sacrifice themselves”) suicide bomber kills 41; injures 105.

Adem, Yemen: al-Qaeda kills 25; injures 14

Tumpun, Nigera: Boko Harem kills 4.

Lahore, Pakistan: Taliban off-shoot kills 72; injures 300.

What we don’t hear too much about is who is really behind such groups in terms of funding, weapons and ideological support (although it is overly obvious it is our so-called ‘ally’ Saudi Arabia), and why such attacks happen and to whom.

Could it just be that Christians have been a particular target over the Easter weekend? 

As for the idle talk that ISIL’s advances cannot really be countered, perhaps we need to take a look at how Putin has changed the game in Syria with action – not talk.

[Pumpkin]

Because Putin is a prick. He has hit mostly civilian targets and is fighting for Assad, not against  IS.

Russia is fighting for Assad, and part of that includes fighting against ISIL. There are roughly 2,500 Muslims with Russian passports in ISIL. Putin would be quite glad to leave them for dead on the ground in Syria.

From September 2014, the US-led coalition's bombing campaign against ISIL has been ineffective. As a result, Putin and al-Assad agreed to use Russian military strikes against ISIL targets. If they aren't having such success against ISIL, why has it changed the playing field significantly in such a short space of time? The Kurds, probably the best anti-ISIL troops on the ground, fully support Russian air strikes against ISIL.

ISIL and al-Nusra Front have already called for Russian troops and civilians to be killed, as a direct consequence of Putin's offensive against them. ISIL and the Muslim Brotherhood of Syria have already called for jihad against Russia.

Fanatical Muslim clerics scream they want to crucify Russia for this in much the same way as what happened in Afghanistan a generation ago.

The difference is that Putin is not to be fecked with, and he has pulled a rabbit out of the hat in what is often described a 'stalemate'.

[Pumpkin]

I was not taking about terrorism.
I was referring to the innocent killed and the people who fled from their homes due to Assad and Putin. Most of his targets are not IS or the Muslim brotherhood.  They are innocent people. 


It is not muslims vs us. We need to stand in solidarity with all being effected by this. The majority happen to be muslims.

I know exactly what you were referring to.

The reality, however, is that ISIL and their various ilk have been dealt quite a blow by Russian air strikes, despite the inept attempts to do likewise by the US-led coalition. Putin will not sit still with an ISIL-type regime near Russia's borders, one which is willing to spew such nonsense into southern Russia itself and inflame Chechnya again. I don't blame him for getting active.

For what it's worth, I'm not really in favour of a more secular al-Assad being toppled. The Arab Spring has largely proven to be a disaster - the only real winners are Islamic fundamentalists stirring up more shite with Saudi money and support.

It's interesting that a secular country like Turkey doesn't seem to realise that they're next on the fundamentalist hit-list should Syria fall to the likes of ISIL. Not an enviable position and one which Erdogan might want to wake up to sooner rather than later.

[Pumpkin]

Indeed I did.

The problem is religion here. The problem is such terrorism feeds off the holy books themselves. The problem is that, to the people that act out such literal interpretations, they are justified in doing so and can find verse to do so rather easily. That is the reality.

We wouldn't even be discussing Brussels, Paris, Syria, Saudi, Pakistan, Nigeria etc...etc... otherwise.



Can you not see the link with religious motivation here?

[Pumpkin]

The Institute for Economics and Peace. It is from one of their publications - Global Terrorism Index.

[Danny]

no idea if this graph is true, don't give a shit either OR have any interest in debating this further on here; but whoever wrote it can't even spell 'religious' right, which doesn't inspire much confidence in its authenticity/reliability

[Bever]

no idea if this graph is true, don't give a shit either OR have any interest in debating this further on here; but whoever wrote it can't even spell 'religious' right, which doesn't inspire much confidence in its authenticity/reliability

Haha!

[Pumpkin]

Well-spotted on “relgious” which is certainly an example of a poor editing job. I'd still reserve any judgement(s) of any publication until a thorough reading beforehand. 

Right -wing propaganda

Any examples?

[Pumpkin]

You were asked to comment on a publication, Amandistan, one which I don't think you've actually read. The same applies to the Koran and the Hadith?

(By the way, criticism of religion is actually an inherent left-wing pursuit.)

[Isaac(Black Eagle Rising)]

I think blaming islam or any other religion doesn't work.If it wasn't islam it would be another reason for people to fight.I'm not here to defend islam or religions.Actually it is a war for territory and power.And it comes to money at the end.It is not the only religion matters.They only use it to have supporters especially among the young people in middle east.Because middle east culture is very suitable to make them gather round.
I have no religious beliefs.Grown up in a muslim country but it doesn't make a sense to me personally.But looking around and see millions of muslims on their on own and just praying and living peacefully. And many are not of course.They have nothing to do with other peoples beliefs or who they are..Yes,islam is corrupted but what I mean is,it is not the only subject causing or spreading terrorism.IS is selling oil and everyone knows this.
Look,there is this thing called IS,it is there,based on Rakka,Syria and now it is considered as the most dangerous and barbaric terrorist act in whole world.So why such powered western world can not defeat or finish it? I don't think it is too complicated.Everyone has an agenda in my opinion.Last 6 months we had 4 big suicide bombings here in Türkiye and hundreds of innocent people died.Same as for Europe now
and before going out,leaving home for work or anything,you think to your self where should I walk? Which street is safe? Nowhere is safe.And western governments are two faced.In domestic,to their own citizens they offer and give free speech,basic human rights,democracy but in foreign policies a lot of things we know and we do not know.Who supports who? I don't know.What is the source of these weapons used in middle east? Anyone could tell an idea.I have a lot of questions in mind without answers.Before war Syria was a police state and now we don't know what it is going to be like in the future.But it is clear that Esad won't go away.And all those security meetings made in EU,UN or U.S are returning us with another suicide bomb close to my or your street.Reason is not the only islam itself.
Nationalism,racism,oil,territory,power..Anything could be.

[Bunny]

Black Eagle....much respect for that post. Religion is fine if you follow one and equally its the individual that chooses an interpretation and how to act on it. All governments have agendas and lie or shroud policies. East or West. Youre right. The world could wipe out IS. But the West doesnt want to prop up Assad or escalate things with Soldiers on the ground, because thats brings more criticism.

A.....Im sorry. I find the "Its all the West's fault" complete nonsense. The "west" has only acted when there has been a threat to it. Otherwise we'd go into Egypt, Saudi and any other country. But there is no direct threat. Equally they dont murder their own on a whim. Incidentally, the middle east is also acting against IS, who co-incidentally are from the Middle East. If they were from Oregon, Im confident America would go for them too