Middle East

On the questions asked:

•Does the group need a host(s)? If so, are you willing to host? Are you willing to be lead host?

I think the hosts suggested - Douglas Carpenter, BTA, JMAch1, Violet - are excellent suggestions.

•The forum purpose is light, does it need to be expanded?

•Other than discussions of I/P (the Israeli-Palestinian conflict), are their other things that should be limited or exluded by an expanded SOP?

Like others, I think that there should be a clarification as to what countries come under the remit of the forum. For example, does Turkey count? Does Cyprus?

•Is it necessary to say that bigotry is not allowed in this forum and use appropriate examples?

Yes, I think it should be prohibited. For example, while it is fine to criticize and condemn governments, political systems, or the influence on religion on politics, it is not fine to engage in wholesale attacks on all Muslims, Jews, Christians, the citizens of any particular country, or to recommend bombing a country.

I was also wondering if there could be some limits to posting material from right-wing American or Europaean pundits, or far-right conspiracy sites. This has been a problem IMO from time to time, both in the I/P forum (on both sides), and even more at times, strange as this sounds, in the Health Forum!