Interesting concept for debate

[Cal Smith]

Watching the news they had a man on there who apparently was a terrorism expert (didnt see his background) but he was talking about new converts to Islam. Meaning people who did not grow up in the religion but found it later in life. Anyways, through his studies he's found that there's a higher percentage of newly converts who go into terrorism and exteremism. Now he suggested we should watch these newly converts more closely.

Debate is, do you agree we should? Not based on his findings, but on the assumption he's correct do you think we should.

[dai the flu]

judging by the way you presented that, it seems like you're against it.

as far as "watching them more closely" goes, as long as thats all it is, watching, not persecuting, then i think its fine. it doesnt hurt anybody to be aware.
the problem is though i think, in theory that works fine.
in practice however, "watching" becomes "discriminating" .
no matter how unintentional it is, you know its gonna happen.

ok so in the course of one post i changed my mind. next time i should think it out before i start typing.

[YouMadeTheScene]

I am having trouble wording my answer correctly and how it is in my mind but here it goes.

I think that it is unfair to say that these people who are converting to Islam and going towards terrorism are converting to islam at all. I don't think that it is the Islamic religon that needs to be watched it is the small islamic terrorist groups that need to be watched. Instead of suspecting each and every person of Islamic religion don't you think it is more important to be trying to find these groups roots and recruiting tactics? These groups are like cults in the way they bring people in.

I mean I can see what this guy is saying. But like I said I think this isn't a Islamic problem it is almost a cult like problem.

[LeftWideOpen]

freedom of religion is a right granted to citizens, and Islam is being made a scapegoat in this country, when in truth its a victim. We need to adhere to our Constitution and international law, and promote religious tolerance instead of targeting Muslim Americans.

[TheObserver]

I completely agree that Muslim Americans are targeted in this country and its bad but I do think that to complete ignore the religious background of someone and who they are connected to through that religious background is a little naive, or naieve, or however it is spelled. I would compare this to saying you are going to eliminate illegal aliens crossing the boarder into California but you are not going to target Mexicans. Please do not think I am racist or anti Islam for these comments.

[getupkid53]

I understand his point. If you look at Christianity, as soon as people are 'saved' they tend to be pretty radical. Sometimes they say the wrong thing or come off as crazy, because they don't have sound theology yet. Right when someone is converted (to whatever religion) that's where your (the leaders) opportunity lies. It is a vulnerable time for converts and since they really don't know right from left in their new religion, they are succeptable to manipulation. I agree new converts to Islam are probably more dangerous than people who were brought up in it. Someone who has studied Islam and the Quran understands what is going on is not Jihad and is not acceptable, but to someone completely unfamiliar with the Quran and its teachings has a better chance of being brainwashed. Just my two cents. Regardless, there will always be extremists in every religion.

[Cal Smith]

If it's a fact that new converts were going into terrorism and supporting it, and the most important part if it were a strong fact (meaning a significant percentage of people) than I think I would support it. On the other hand, if it was a fact but it wasnt an ovewhelming number of people, than I'd question doing on the bases of wasting your resources to do it.

[The Revisionist]

Of course not.

[richter915]

being a terrorist is like being scene.