If your last name is Weinstein, why would you go to Pakistan

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a "Jewish" last name, as my husband is Jewish. After we were married, I was considering some travel to the Middle East and feared that perhaps I shouldn't have changed my name because of this. I did a LOT of research, the upshot of which is that many people in other countries, especially the Middle East, don't know what a "Jewish" last name is.

That said, apparently if you have been to Israel and are planning on traveling in the middle east, you should "lose" your passport with the stamps from Israel and start your travels with a fresh one.

Seriously, blaming someone's last name on their troubles is ridiculous.

Ok, I will let every Cohen, Stein, etc. know that nobody will know they are jewish if they go to the middle east or Pakistan (are you for real?)

You know that Israel is part of the Middle East, right?

[Anonymous]

This reminds me of those people who have pet tigers and lions for years and one day get attacked and are like, oh, I can't believe that happened.

If I was jewish, I would never go to an arab country period. end of story.

I'm not so sure the reverse is true (as I don't believe that Israel engages in this sort of behavior), but being that I am part arab myself, I would be hesitant to go to israel and at least ask around and think it through before going.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone even read anything about this before commenting? The Man had been in Pakistan for 7 years before he was kidnapped. He was kidnapped because he is a country director with an international development company...someone higher up in the chain of command with an organization with ties to USAID.

If he was kidnapped after 7 years in country because of his religious beliefs, how do you explain a man named Khalil from the UK who was also kidnapped in Pakistan?.

I think people were commenting on the silly statement - not on Mr. Weinstein himself. If people wanted to have a serious discussion about what actually happened, they wouldn't have started as the OP did -

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a "Jewish" last name, as my husband is Jewish. After we were married, I was considering some travel to the Middle East and feared that perhaps I shouldn't have changed my name because of this. I did a LOT of research, the upshot of which is that many people in other countries, especially the Middle East, don't know what a "Jewish" last name is.

That said, apparently if you have been to Israel and are planning on traveling in the middle east, you should "lose" your passport with the stamps from Israel and start your travels with a fresh one.

Seriously, blaming someone's last name on their troubles is ridiculous.

Ok, I will let every Cohen, Stein, etc. know that nobody will know they are jewish if they go to the middle east or Pakistan (are you for real?)

You know that Israel is part of the Middle East, right?

Geographically, yes, but have you EVER met a jewish person who says they are "middle eastern?" come on. it denotes an arab from the middle east.

[Anonymous]

I double dog dare you to call someone from Iran an "Arab" to their face...

[Anonymous]

Seriously, blaming someone's last name on their troubles is ridiculous.

Ok, I will let every Cohen, Stein, etc. know that nobody will know they are jewish if they go to the middle east or Pakistan (are you for real?)

You know that Israel is part of the Middle East, right?

Geographically, yes, but have you EVER met a jewish person who says they are "middle eastern?" come on. it denotes an arab from the middle east.

I have never actually met anyone who refers to themselves as "Middle Eastern"...I have met people who refer to themselves as Persian, or Iraqi, or Egyptian, or Saudi, or Lebanese...but never Middle Eastern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:only to end up sitting on a little chair in an undisclosed location on a grainy video begging the POTUS to agree to terrorists' demands?
Certain groups need to stay out of there, dammit.

You know, there used to be a record of who was what religion (based on their mother's religion at first, but then it was expanded) that was VERY handy when it came to making decisions such as who could live where, do what kind of work, or even board a certain train (depending on destination, of course). Perhaps we can revisit that idea? It worked so well for YEARS!!!! My grandma can tell you more about it than I can, shall I teach her to use the Internet so you two can discuss?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Seriously, blaming someone's last name on their troubles is ridiculous.

Ok, I will let every Cohen, Stein, etc. know that nobody will know they are jewish if they go to the middle east or Pakistan (are you for real?)

You know that Israel is part of the Middle East, right?

Geographically, yes, but have you EVER met a jewish person who says they are "middle eastern?" come on. it denotes an arab from the middle east.

I have never actually met anyone who refers to themselves as "Middle Eastern"...I have met people who refer to themselves as Persian, or Iraqi, or Egyptian, or Saudi, or Lebanese...but never Middle Eastern.

Persians aren't even arab let alone middle eastern. I am middle eastern, and I do refer to myself as middle eastern, and so do my arab friends from other countries in the middle east, so there you go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I double dog dare you to call someone from Iran an "Arab" to their face...

+1

Yes 12:05 - do it! do it!

[Anonymous]

Wait no, 12:05, call a jewish person or persian person "middle eastern" and see what they think. . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Seriously, blaming someone's last name on their troubles is ridiculous.

Geographically, yes, but have you EVER met a jewish person who says they are "middle eastern?" come on. it denotes an arab from the middle east.

I have never actually met anyone who refers to themselves as "Middle Eastern"...I have met people who refer to themselves as Persian, or Iraqi, or Egyptian, or Saudi, or Lebanese...but never Middle Eastern.

Persians aren't even arab let alone middle eastern. I am middle eastern, and I do refer to myself as middle eastern, and so do my arab friends from other countries in the middle east, so there you go.

Isn't Iran technically in the Middle East? I mean geographically only.

[Anonymous]

Hi, I'm both 12:00 and 12:05. I don't get what I said that is offending anyone at 12:05?

Following up on my comment at 12:00, I commented at 12:05 that most people I know from countries in the middle east region refer to themselves by their country of origin vs "middle eastern". Just like most people I know from Europe refer to themselves as German or British or French, etc...

[Anonymous]

People from Iran are "persian," they do not consider themselves "middle eastern."

There are no official geographical boundaries to the middle east (unless there are relatively new ones I am unaware of) like for europe or south america. It is a loose term. Some consider all of north africa to be the middle east - I do not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi, I'm both 12:00 and 12:05. I don't get what I said that is offending anyone at 12:05?

Following up on my comment at 12:00, I commented at 12:05 that most people I know from countries in the middle east region refer to themselves by their country of origin vs "middle eastern". Just like most people I know from Europe refer to themselves as German or British or French, etc...

Well, then I guess you are learning the correct terminology (just don't ever call a jewish person or somebody from Iran an arab or middle eastern and you should be okay), and that if you are jewish or have a jewish last name, I would recommend not visiting an arab country or pakistan (I don't consider Pakistan to be arab, it's more like a muslim indian country)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:only to end up sitting on a little chair in an undisclosed location on a grainy video begging the POTUS to agree to terrorists' demands?
Certain groups need to stay out of there, dammit.

DUH he went there for the money