Quote:ISIS is leaving a path of destroyed churches, shrines and mosques in its wake as it storms across Syria and Iraq, and has even set its sights on Mecca -- Islam's holiest site.

The nihilistic jihadis, led by self-proclaimed descendant of Prophet Muhammad Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, have already bulldozed or blown up some of the most sacred places in Iraq, and seem bent on killing and destroying anyone or anything that does not measure up to their vision of Islam. Experts say the group, which originally stood for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, but now simply calls itself "Islamic State," has appointed itself the leading proponent of the Muslim faith.

“They see themselves as the last defenders of Islamic civilization and want to eradicate anything that they see as the enemy of Islam, and any Muslim they perceive as compromising with the West,” Yvonne Haddad, a professor at Georgetown University who specializes in the history of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations, told FoxNews.com.

Quote:The group has also destroyed Sunni mosques in the Northern Province of Ninevah and Christian churches in Syria, because the group follows a strict interpretation of the Sunni faith which is against idolatry of anything other than God.

“This iconoclastic tendency is particularly extreme in the ISIS group,” Carl W. Ernst, a religious studies professor at the University of North Carolina, told FoxNews.com. “There is a fairly widespread belief among conservative Sunni thinkers that tombs of any type are idolatrous and tend to encourage the worship of mere human beings, but nevertheless, for the most part people of this persuasion, are content to criticize the practice of visiting shrines, and it has been scarcely imaginable to simply start destroying them.”

Ernst said the threat to destroy the Ka’ba in Mecca is shocking, but not new.

“In the early 10th century, the extremist Shia group known as the Qarmatis raided Mecca, burned the Ka'ba, and carried off the famous Black Stone as an idolatrous relic,” Ernst said. “They believed that other Muslims would realize the folly of the pilgrimage. When people kept going to Mecca anyway, the Qarmatis finally parted with the Black Stone for an immense ransom.

“But if ISIS actually tried to destroy the Ka'ba, they would be met with extraordinary opposition,” he said.

(07-13-2014 07:06 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  During the Gulf wars if we even scratched a mosque the muzzles went crazy, today, not so much. Phuket, like SC Duke says, let them kill themselves, I don't really care,

(07-13-2014 07:11 PM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  

(07-13-2014 07:06 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  During the Gulf wars if we even scratched a mosque the muzzles went crazy, today, not so much. Phuket, like SC Duke says, let them kill themselves, I don't really care,

At Gitmo, leave a Koran next to a toilet and you are busted to basic.

(07-13-2014 08:19 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  Nothing could be better than an all out Muslim civil war to show the violent insanity of the faith for what it really is.

(07-13-2014 09:17 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  

(07-13-2014 08:19 PM)Fo Shizzle Wrote:  Nothing could be better than an all out Muslim civil war to show the violent insanity of the faith for what it really is.

If a Muslim civil war erupts then count me in as being in favor of arming both sides.

(07-14-2014 08:11 AM)Paul M Wrote:  Put some bleachers out in the sand.

(07-14-2014 08:17 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:11 AM)Paul M Wrote:  Put some bleachers out in the sand.

Blast the sand to glass and be done with them all.

(07-13-2014 07:00 PM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca

Quote:ISIS is leaving a path of destroyed churches, shrines and mosques in its wake as it storms across Syria and Iraq, and has even set its sights on Mecca -- Islam's holiest site.

The nihilistic jihadis, led by self-proclaimed descendant of Prophet Muhammad Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, have already bulldozed or blown up some of the most sacred places in Iraq, and seem bent on killing and destroying anyone or anything that does not measure up to their vision of Islam. Experts say the group, which originally stood for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, but now simply calls itself "Islamic State," has appointed itself the leading proponent of the Muslim faith.

“They see themselves as the last defenders of Islamic civilization and want to eradicate anything that they see as the enemy of Islam, and any Muslim they perceive as compromising with the West,” Yvonne Haddad, a professor at Georgetown University who specializes in the history of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations, told FoxNews.com.

Quote:The group has also destroyed Sunni mosques in the Northern Province of Ninevah and Christian churches in Syria, because the group follows a strict interpretation of the Sunni faith which is against idolatry of anything other than God.

“This iconoclastic tendency is particularly extreme in the ISIS group,” Carl W. Ernst, a religious studies professor at the University of North Carolina, told FoxNews.com. “There is a fairly widespread belief among conservative Sunni thinkers that tombs of any type are idolatrous and tend to encourage the worship of mere human beings, but nevertheless, for the most part people of this persuasion, are content to criticize the practice of visiting shrines, and it has been scarcely imaginable to simply start destroying them.”

Ernst said the threat to destroy the Ka’ba in Mecca is shocking, but not new.

“In the early 10th century, the extremist Shia group known as the Qarmatis raided Mecca, burned the Ka'ba, and carried off the famous Black Stone as an idolatrous relic,” Ernst said. “They believed that other Muslims would realize the folly of the pilgrimage. When people kept going to Mecca anyway, the Qarmatis finally parted with the Black Stone for an immense ransom.

“But if ISIS actually tried to destroy the Ka'ba, they would be met with extraordinary opposition,” he said.

(07-13-2014 07:02 PM)South Carolina Duke Wrote:  This is all good news.

(07-14-2014 08:21 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:17 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:11 AM)Paul M Wrote:  Put some bleachers out in the sand.

Blast the sand to glass and be done with them all.

What do you think Iran is gonna do when it gets an a-bomb?

(07-14-2014 10:22 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:21 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:17 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:11 AM)Paul M Wrote:  Put some bleachers out in the sand.

Blast the sand to glass and be done with them all.

What do you think Iran is gonna do when it gets an a-bomb?

Nothing.

They'll use it for leverage, but at the end of the day, they're a functioning government. Functioning governments are rational to the point of self preservation. Using any type of nuclear weapon only ensures your demise.

(07-14-2014 10:24 AM)EagleX Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 10:22 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:21 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:17 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:11 AM)Paul M Wrote:  Put some bleachers out in the sand.

Blast the sand to glass and be done with them all.

What do you think Iran is gonna do when it gets an a-bomb?

Nothing.

They'll use it for leverage, but at the end of the day, they're a functioning government. Functioning governments are rational to the point of self preservation. Using any type of nuclear weapon only ensures your demise.

I'm sorry, did you just refer to the iranian government as "rational"?

(07-14-2014 10:25 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 10:24 AM)EagleX Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 10:22 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:21 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:17 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  Blast the sand to glass and be done with them all.

What do you think Iran is gonna do when it gets an a-bomb?

Nothing.

They'll use it for leverage, but at the end of the day, they're a functioning government. Functioning governments are rational to the point of self preservation. Using any type of nuclear weapon only ensures your demise.

I'm sorry, did you just refer to the iranian government as "rational"?

Rational to the point they wouldn't put their power in jeopardy.

They're not a militia group. They're still a group of politicians that care about staying in power. At the core, they're not really much different than politicians here.

(07-14-2014 10:22 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:21 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:17 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:11 AM)Paul M Wrote:  Put some bleachers out in the sand.

Blast the sand to glass and be done with them all.

What do you think Iran is gonna do when it gets an a-bomb?

Nothing.

They'll use it for leverage, but at the end of the day, they're a functioning government. Functioning governments are rational to the point of self preservation. Using any type of nuclear weapon only ensures your demise.

(07-14-2014 10:29 AM)EagleX Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 10:25 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 10:24 AM)EagleX Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 10:22 AM)Niner National Wrote:  

(07-14-2014 08:21 AM)SumOfAllFears Wrote:  What do you think Iran is gonna do when it gets an a-bomb?

Nothing.

They'll use it for leverage, but at the end of the day, they're a functioning government. Functioning governments are rational to the point of self preservation. Using any type of nuclear weapon only ensures your demise.

I'm sorry, did you just refer to the iranian government as "rational"?

Rational to the point they wouldn't put their power in jeopardy.

They're not a militia group. They're still a group of politicians that care about staying in power. At the core, they're not really much different than politicians here.

wait. stop. you're srsly saying the there isn't a big difference between rouhani and, say (just off the top of my head) , olympia snowe?

srsly?