Isn't it odd that two suspects picked up in the latest plot to attack Great Britain are medical doctors? There seems to be an over adundance of physicians invovled in terror groups. Besides these two suspects are Zawahiri (El Quaeda), Zahar and Rantisi (both Hamas).

Why do you think it odd?

I think its odd because doctors are supposed to be dedicated to saving lives - not murdering people through terrorist acts.

good point...

So a physician's religious beliefs should not trump their medical oath?

I have to admit, I don't have a clue, we have a number of politicians from the medical field, but it strikes me that a comparison is not in order.

Just find it odd

Are you taking over for Mexico while he's not here???

wonder if they did take some kind of oath, that would complicate the morality, don't ya think AML-Barb?

Just think Joesph Mengala, my fellow Americans. Medical doctors, ironically, can be among the most dangerous people in a society. Thus it is so in terror cells.

I couldn't possibly hope to take over for Ron. It just seems an obvious question.

It absolutely would, I agree. Physicians have to resolve those 'complications' on their own. Some resolve them in favor of their personal/moral/religious beliefs, some resolve them in favor of their professional oath.

And so, you are stating that it is a fact that Muslims' religious beliefs require them to murder people who disagree with them?

I should think that being a doctor requires a high degree of intelligence and critical thinking skills. I wouldn't expect them to be so blindly led by any sect. I understand the History of WWII and the experiments mengala (sp?) performed on the prisoners in the death camps. Doctors can be dangerous, however they are usually the exception to the rule and not the rule.

as wyatt earp said to billy bob thornton's character in tombstone: "that's a fact."


muslim extremists are the exception to the rule in general within the muslim faith (see hannity thread for parallel argument). and certainly these doctors believe that they are doing the greater good by forcing people to follow islam by fear/force.

No. I posed a general question, based on PR's doe-eyed surprise that a physician might engage in acts of terrorism, about whether a physician's oath always takes precedence over their religious or political beliefs.


Are they 'blindly led'? Are they seduced by appeals to their responsibilities to their people? Are they motivated by their anger over wrongs and injuries done to their families? Do they believe the world would be a better place if everyone believed as they do?
In other words, what about being a physician would make them immune to radicalization?

hmmm, doe-eyed is it?

well, in the interest of having a calm discussion, I will have no further comment ---

On the other hand, the training they would receive by studying to become a doctor would prepare them well to act as a terrorist. Could it simply be that they went to medical school to become a terrorist, and never had any intention of saving lives?

Is it not more telling than odd? All muslims are suspects.

Is not the typical view of terrorists the disenfranchised? Those with nothing to lose? The uneducated? MDs have everything to lose including the chance to really help their people with their medical skills. Apparently they are not valued in their society, either, if they would be sent to commit suicide.

But, they made the decision to participate, even given their role in life - just think about it - this is huge - educated muslims are now participating - people that have a life - it's scary and all of us had better wake up.

Ok I'll get into this. On the news yesterday (if you can believe the news) 3 percent of the English population are muslim.
38% live in London. London has been most unwelcoming to muslim men and they have a very hard time finding employment there. muslim women fair better. According to an ex America CIA man it's exactly the reason that British muslims are flocking to the jihadist schools and causing problems. They are unemployed and typically young. They have easy access to travel to Pakistan and Afganistan terrorist schools from England. He has predicated that this won't happen in any other European country or the US.
But to me this doesn't float with the MD's.
My kid is in school with girls that wear Burqa's. You can't even see their eyes or hands. They are totally covered in black from head to toe. Who are they and what can they hide under that outfit? Is it a girl or a boy? Is a Columbine white kid or a muslim under there? If my kid can't wear a baseball (all America cap) but they can wear a foreign scarf, who are we and why aren't we upset?
God I love the French and Germans that have said that if they (the muslims) go to public school, they can't wear that stuff.
Oh and by the way, the University of Michigan is installing foot bathing stations so that the muslims can wash their feet before prayers. Currently they use the sinks. Over $100,000.00 in cost.
Coming to a city near you, Bushy is letting in another 7,000.00 and they populate like rabbits. My city has no more room.
Does yours? Just wait.

go educate yourself and you will find out that they've been participating the entire time.

you mean like al-Zawahri being a doctor?

that's one example. engineer bomb-makers are another. the list goes on and on. X and many others have this stereotype in their heads that muslim extremists are some homogenous plague. that type of mentality makes defeating them more difficult (aka "bomb them all, that'll fix the problem")

No.
Terrorism is a tactic in service of a belief system, albeit a sufficiently radical one that the tactic can be 'justified'. A radical belief system can attract members at all education levels, or, social levels. The levers that radicalize a poor person are different than those that radicalize those with means. That said, they can be equally effective.

bin Laden is a person of means and has obviously been radicalized, so it is not such a simple dynamic.

That is why this problem is not solved by economic improvement alone. Political modernization and liberalization must accompany any economic modernization as well.