Is it fair to equate the KKK with Al Qaeda?

Sure.

“Fair?” They both need to be in hell, so I suppose that’s “fair.”

Yes, it is a very fair comparison and a stunning example of why one should never hold an entire religion guilty for the actions of a handful of hate-filled people who happen to claim that religion as their own.

Yes, and “religion” is as “religion” does.

Any organization that condemns others for their color, religion, ethnic origin, or brand of religion and feels free to torture or murder the opposition must be condemned. The only difference between the KKK and Al Qaeda is their hat, the robes appear about the same.

I don’t trust any organization that requires funny hats to be warn at meetings.

You’re kidding right? Their fashion sense is nothing alike. Though Al Qaeda could probably fit some very nice explosives under a KKK robe, they could never keep them clean in all that sand. And what would the KKK do without their pointy hats? I really don’t see a comparison here.

Sure it does.

It’s a comparison I have used myself.

Makes sense to me.

@ETpro Mmmmhmmmmmm!

Were? I live in Mississippi and they are still very much Alive. I would say yes because the kkk practices hate inside the United States. Just as the al queda instills hate in children the Klan does theirs. Skin heads, black panthers all of those hate groups are just like al queda!

@Ron C it doesn’t matter if they hate in the snow in blue dresses, red hats, or purple hoodies ITS STILL HATRED!

@ETpro Another great answer. I think I’ve exceeded my ability to give you lurve, so I’ll complement you.

I’d say that’s been one of the better things I’ve learned from Fluther users, and that is it is unwise to lump Christians with evangelists/KKK members.

@LuhvKiller ” doesn’t matter if they hate in the snow in blue dresses, red hats, or purple hoodies ITS STILL HATRED!” no argument there!

So what do you do if virtually all the members of a particular religion hate you and everything you stand for, and cheer whenever “a handful of hate-filled people who happen to claim that religion as their own” commit acts of bloodthirsty terrorism, and even pass out candy to children in celebration? Hmmmmm?

@CaptainHarley shortly after 9–11, I was in Singapore working with a good number of Muslims. Everyone expressed their sympathy and wanted me to know that the cretins that murdered those people do not speak for the religion. I think part of the problem with that faith is that they have no organization, the clergy is essentially self-appointed and the only punishment that seems consistent is if a group of clergy think you’re wrong you apologize or die. What they need is a Pope or grand Puba or whatever to bring a little order into the religion.

…what do you do if virtually all the members of a particular religion hate you and everything you stand for…

As an atheist in the US, I deal with that OK. We are effectively banned from public office and not allowed to speak our minds at public events, but I manage to get along.

@jaytkay as an atheist, I take particular offence in recent articles questioning Obama’s religion and alternatively calling him a Muslim or a Secular Humanist. Constitutionally, there is to be no religious test and the people writing these articles (David Limbaugh) are displaying their prejudice and ignorance. Unfortunately most of the country seem to think that a person’s religion, or lack of, will reflect on their performance in office.

The two greatest proponents of Christianity Carter and Bush have pretty dismal records, so maybe that’s correct. I refrain from voting for anyone with strong religious beliefs.

@Ron_C

And that makes you look just as silly as do those who refuse to vote for anyone not claiming to be a “Christian.”

@jaytkay

The next time you are not allowed to speak your mind at a public event, take me along. I’ll set some demented fanatics straight.

@CaptainHarley I didn’t say that I don’t vote for Christians, I voted for Obama. I just don’t like the ones that wear their religion on their sleeve, like Huckabee, for instance.

Ok

They are both terrorists in my opinion. I’m not comparing two evils here to see which one is worse, they’re both evil. There are quite a few KKK members where I work and who live near me. Yes there are alot of them up north in central PA as well.

@CaptainHarley After 9/11, condolences and expressions of sympathy for the USA and our loss poured in from all over the world, including a large number of Muslim states. There were s few street demonstrations in extremist held areas such as the Gaza Strip supporting the carnage, but there were far more denouncing it. Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, the Arab Emirates, India, and even Syria and Libya firmly denounced the act. There were demonstrations in the Arab streets waving American flags in support.

Believe it or not, Iran offered not only their sympathy but the support of their Intelligence Agency in tracking down bin Laden and al Qaeda. Iran is a Shiia nation, and bin Laden represents an extreme of Sunni Wahhabism that is repugnant to and dangerous to Iran.

Of course our cowboy president didn’t even reply to Iran. Why risk that they might actually get bin Laden for us when you want to gin up wars not only with Afghanistan and Iraq, but with Iran itself. There was sooooo much money to be transferred to Bush’s buddies in the Military Industrial Complex and Cheney’s Halliburton friends that he couldn’t possibly risk actually getting al Qaeda and ending the whole thing then and there.

Bush squandered all that good will by the way he handled the response.

They are both detestable but I don’t think comparable. KKK has a specific target and generally don’t just murder indiscriminately.

Al Queda did not target specifically in the 9/11 attacks. Their goal was and is to kill as many as possible and if they kill their own or others in the process, no biggie.

@rooeytoo Both use murder and intimidation to try to impose their will when they cannot do so by winning a popular vote. So to that extent, both are terrorist organizations. The KKK targeting blacks and whites who help them achieve equality does not absolve them of terrorism. They are just closer at hand to those they hate and therefore more able to target them to the exclusion of others.

@ETpro – You seem hell bent on lessening the the abominable actions of Al Queda on 9/11. I agree the KKK is despicable, I already said that, but when did they randomly kill thousands of people, not just a target group, but random individuals who just happen to live in the wrong country? I didn’t claim the KKK isn’t a terrorist organization but you can show me that sort of action I do not think they can be equated with Al Queda

He does not seem hell bent at lessening their actions, you’re imagining that.

@rooeytoo I did no such thing, I said they are both abominable. I despise both organizations and what they stand for. The KKK can’t operate with impunity withing the USA and carry out mass murder like al Qaeda did. Their murders now are few and far between. But their hate filled ideology is still abhorrent to me. I fully expect that if a group of US white supremacists could set themselves up in some safe haven, they would set out to kill as many non-white people as they could. Their stated objective is ethnic cleansing. If left unchecked, it goes to the same place Hitler’s final solution did.

Al Qaued’s goal of religious cleansing is no better nor no worse when taken to where they want it to go. Both groups would like to exterminate everyone different from themselves.

@ETpro – here is what I am saying, when the KKK blows up 2 huge buildings full of not only the people they consider to be their enemy but also another couple of thousand others, then I could equate them with Al Qaeda. Until they do I don’t think they can be equated, which was the original question. Just as I avoid walking down a dark street at night for fear of being accosted by any male, black people can pretty much avoid being attacked by the KKK, those in the WTC had no chance, didn’t have a clue they were going to be the target of a bunch of religious nuts in pursuit of their 42 virgin reward.

@rooeytoo I do not think the KKK is likely to hijack planes and fly them into buildings. But racial hate has already resulted in the Holocaust killing 6 million people. So I take deep bigotry very seriously whether it is based on race, religion, ethnic heritage, sexual orientation or any other “otherness”.

There is a grave danger here in comparing evils or “which one is worse”. This attitude will always feed evil and justify another form of it by saying “well my wrong isn’t as bad as your wrong”. Yes the domino effect. Evil behavior from any group or person does not need any more outs than they already have. Hate breeds more hate.

@rooeytoo you know, that there is still some conjecture as to whether Al Qaida actually were the group responsible for the buildings’ distruction. Isn’t it strange that almost all of the named murders were Saudi?

I think, we have bombed the wrong country.

@Jabe73 – I must admit, I think you have the right take on this one. It is a stupid discussion, I will bow out here. (even though @Ron_C is just begging to turn this into the conspiracy theory debacle)

@rooeytoo Finally I agree. I don’t want to dive into the conspiracy possibilities either. :-)

@ETpro ;-)