Maybe I’m strange (no, take out “maybe”), but when I think of Arabic, I think cradle of civilization, mathematics, beautiful architecture.. and then I think of the horrible Crusades my ancestors may have participated in. Oil follows, and then WW II and the arbitrary division of territory. Then comes the accusations of the 9-11 attack, and then, finally, my mind goes to wars and all the rest of that ugliness.

Religious insanity and political crap caused and causes so much of this, and that makes me sad and angry in equal parts.