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Jihadis Twice As Likely To Be Students of Science Than Of Sharia (telegraph.co.uk)

Bruce66423 writes: Time to cancel all the encouragement of studying STEM subjects, obviously...
The Telegraph is reporting that prominent jihadists "are twice as likely to have studied science at university than subjects related to Islam," citing a new report by the Centre on Religion and Geopolitics. "The report, which analyzed the histories of 100 of the most prominent jihadist leaders of the last three decades, said that despite claiming to be the sole interpreters of Islamic theology, they often had little or no training in the subject." Osama bin Laden went to a secular school and studied economics at college with little formal Islamic training, while the "underpants bomber," who tried to detonate a bomb in a plane over Detroit in 2009, got his degree in mechanical engineering. Of the 100 cases examined, "Around half had attended university, with 57 per cent of them studying science subjects, compared to only 28 per cent studying Islamic subjects."

20 of 201 comments (clear)

  1. News at 11 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This just in: some completely random and useless data. Coming up next on this slow news day, our anchorman will stand on his head for your amusement.

  2. This topic again... by sciengin · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This will be the sixth time we have submitted the same story over the years and by now we have become very good at it:

    https://slashdot.org/index2.pl...

    My opinion to this was and still is that Engineers make the better terrorists because they are the only ones with the necessary skills to excel at it.
    Art, Literature, Law and even Sharia students simply do not have the know-how nor the analytical mindset to take apart a problem (building standing, people living) and formulate an efficient solution (bomb) to archive the desired end result (panic, destruction and mayhem).

    1. Re:This topic again... by WoOS · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Plus, what I am missing is a comparison with the ratio in the overall populace. I.e. if four times as many arabian/muslim people were studing STEMM (last "M" for medicine) than Islamic Studies, then actually people studying Islam would be twice as likely to become terrorist.

      It is OK if the Tony Blair Faith Foundation wants to defend faith. But they should at least include basic statistical facts before writing articles.

  3. Makes perfect sense.. by Ostrich25 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Perhaps if they studied Islam a little more, they'd realize blowing shit up does not constitute religious devotion.

    1. Re:Makes perfect sense.. by Moridineas · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I love it when people (and President Obama is guilty of this too) white knight (and I hate that term) for other people's religions. Guess what, your opinion on what is real Islam is no more reputable or accurate than bin Laden's--both are merely opinions. You do not get to be the arbiter of whether other people are accurately following their religions or not. That's more or less how the Inquisition (and many similar movements across history and across the world) got started, and the end results are nasty.

    2. Re:Makes perfect sense.. by digitig · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I'm more interested in how people who call themselves Muslim actually live their lives than whether that conforms to someone else's understanding of what true Islam is. And none of the Muslims I know seem remotely interested in killing me - some of them have had plenty of opportunity, but clearly can't be bothered. Maybe I've been lucky in the Muslims I've met, but there does seem to be quite a divergence between (your) theory and practice.

      --
      Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
    3. Re:Makes perfect sense.. by zapadnik · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You do understand that there is a difference between Muslims (people) and Islam (the totalitarian ideology), right? It is the same difference between Germans and National Socialism (Naziism). It doesn't matter what any Muslim does or does not do, the only authority in Islam is Mohammed, and he most assuredly wants to kill or enslave you (its up to him, whatever benefits the "emir" according to Sharia).

      What I don't get is why anyone would apologize for this evil ideology? Islam is pretty much the same as National Socialism - kill all the Jews, conquer the World, enslave everyone for the benefit of the believers, and blind obedience to the dictator (Hitler/Mohammed). Why would you make apologetics for this - especially since it is all man-made and designed to enslave your fellow human beings.

      Unless of course, you believe Islam is true and Mohammed actually existed - which is delusional since the archeological evidence shows that all the Arab temples at the time Mohammed was said to have lived don't point to where Mecca is, but to the Nabatean capital of Petra, and 100% did so from 630 Ad to 725 AD, and mixed percentages for the next hundred years. The whole Islamic story is a later fabrication and adaptation of the Nabatean cult of Dushara (see Koran 53:19-20) which worshipped square blocks called "ka'aba".

      Islam is the Scientology of the Dark Ages - created by evil men to control other men and (especially) women. Don't make excises to defend this lie !

    4. Re:Makes perfect sense.. by Xyrus · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Islam is the Scientology of the Dark Ages - created by evil men to control other men and (especially) women. Don't make excises to defend this lie !

      Ever read the old testament? There isn't a hell of a lot a difference between the atrocities there and those found in the Koran. Same theme's too.

      If you think the Jewish and Christian religions are based on rainbows and kittens then you really haven't read the Torah/Bible/etc.

      --
      ~X~
  4. Autistic worldview by benjfowler · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I would wager it's exactly the same reason why so many nerds I went to university with turned into raving, foam-at-the-mouth libertarians:

    Wahhabism/Qutbism is yet another simple, crude world view, which makes sense to smart minority kids who have to deal with adversity and petty racism that most Slashdotters don't have to deal with. Never mind the fact that it's wrong.... seeing yourself as a king who is being held down by people you see as culturally and religiously inferior to yourself (and then getting a license to rape and murder at will) has a lot of appeal to impressionable young minds.

    1. Re:Autistic worldview by x0ra · · Score: 2, Insightful

      From personal experience, xenophobia and bullying comes from first from "liberals" who can't stand difference. It just turn out that I now make more money than these asshole, and can afford to buy guns and ammo, something that "liberals" bullies sure don't want.

  5. This is what scares me... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And it's not xenophobia to question it (it's definitely not racism, either, as Islamic isn't a race). It's that most people think of Jihadis as being some cave-dwelling illiterate camel-herders halfway across the world, then call me names when I question the vetting process of the people we're letting into our modern, western, civilized nations. We've seen what's happened in Europe, yet it's still cliche amongst the liberals and elites to question an open border policy.

    You see, it appears that many fundamentalist Islamics are highly educated, in many cases (as referenced here) in the sciences, and many come from wealthy families. Combine that type of training and means with someone motivated to cause harm and you've got a perfect storm. At least here in the states, people like to compare fundamental Islam with Christian fundamentalists. Forgetting for the moment that Christianity's holy book doesn't call for the extermination of non-believers and infidels, most Christian fundamentalists are poor, very uneducated, and without the means (and in most cases, motivation) to cause any real harm.

    This being said, I don't for a second believe that every Muslim wants to blow something up or cause anyone harm. They probably just want to come here to get an education so they can better themselves. I've met them, and most seem like normal people. But it only takes a few suggestible people to cause one hell of a shit-storm. This is why I didn't understand the outrage towards Trump when he simply said we should take the time to make sure the Islamic people we are letting into our countries are not of the "kill-the-non-believer" persuasion. To me, it would be common sense to vet members of a religion that has sworn the destruction of western society into our western countries, but that makes me a "racist" xenophobe. Especially when the majority of Muslims that enter the U.S. in particular are military-age men here to attend our universities and earn advanced STEM degrees.

    But I digress, my point is when you live in country where it is illegal to NOT swear allegiance to Allah, even the rich, educated, jetsetting types that we in the western world equate with liberalism and atheism/agnoticism have the potential to be fundamentalist nutcases. And this is something that concerns me, whether it's fashionable or politically correct to do so.

  6. Re: Just as Republicans... by x0ra · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Empiric evidence differs. Just like huge intimidating bodybuilder who turn out to be very nice guys, I have more confidence in a gun carrying republican than a sneaky slim frustrated liberals...

  7. Re:Just take a look at the peanut gallery cranks h by x0ra · · Score: 1, Insightful

    We're just fed up to compromise over, and over, and over, with mindless crybaby liberals...

  8. Why go to college for religion? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If you're hellbent on blowing shit up, studying religion in college is useless. That's why you go for the scientific stuff instead. They don't teach you chemistry or offensive network penetration in a class about the Koran.

    Seems like this is being posed as a counter-intuitive idea, but it really makes perfect sense.

    1. Re:Why go to college for religion? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You are assuming they are starting with the intent of becoming a jihadi. Alternatively, if you start with next to no knowledge of Islam, it is going to be easier to be easier to be persuaded by other Islamists that becoming a jihadi is the proper Muslim thing to do.

  9. Hm? In islam it does. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Go on, read the books.

    1. Re:Hm? In islam it does. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Anybody not of the right flavour of the faith is either an unbeliever, or an apostate. For unbelievers there are two options: Convert, or die. Of apostates, just one, and it isn't conversion. Trying to convert to something else, or just wanting to get out of this here faith, is also apostasy, by the way. So yeah, women, children, non-combatants are all fair game unless they're believers of the right flavour. Women are, by law, worth less than men so they're not less likely to end up killed under sharia law. In fact, the whole "non-combatant" thing is a western idea, and we don't want western influence here, now do we, brothers? And so it goes. Really, the only measuring stick of note is "being a believer".

  10. Re: Just as Republicans... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I have more confidence in a gun carrying republican than a sneaky slim frustrated liberals...

    Like this one?

    https://qzprod.files.wordpress...

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  11. Re:Just take a look at the peanut gallery cranks h by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What does that have to do with the GP's point? Answer them, answer the point they were making about lack of opportunity. They are absolutely correct in that assertion.

    It's well understood why young, educated Muslims get radicalized. They know enough to see that the deck is stacked against them and all that is on offer is a life of mediocrity, especially in certain parts of the US and UK. Of course that's the same for most people, but the difference is that they experience some bigotry that makes it much easier for recruiters to radicalize them.

    Whiney conservatives complain that it's not their fault if people decide to blow themselves up, trying to simplify the problem down to "it's those crazy idiots, and the crybaby liberals who aren't hard enough on them", when it's just a little more complicated.

    That's why we keep failing to address the problem.

    --
    const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
    SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  12. Re:What!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Let's see where to start.

    They are for denying women birth control, but not men viagra. They are for forcing invasive and unnecessary procedures on women in the name of "medical care" but it's really just religion. They gerrymander districts significantly more than most Dem states, often to the detriment of the poor. They restrict voting to felons who have already served their time, which disproportionately affects people of color. They routinely "accidentally" purge voter rolls almost all of which end up being Democratic voters or people of color. This is all as a group.