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For as long as I live, I will never understand such violence. What can be more important than existing in harmony with our environment and each other?
Nah, the religion thing is a smokescreen, it's probably more likely to be territory, money, and ancient feuds........Cheers,Hugh
...In the Guardian of September 15th, I named belief in an afterlife as the key weapon that made the New York atrocity possible. Of prior significance is religion’s deep responsibility for the underlying hatreds that motivated people to use that weapon in the first place. To breathe such a suggestion, even with the most gentlemanly restraint, is to invite an onslaught of patronising abuse, as Douglas Adams noted. But the insane cruelty of the suicide attacks, and the equally vicious though numerically less catastrophic ‘revenge’ attacks on hapless Muslims living in America and Britain, push me beyond ordinary caution. How can I say that religion is to blame? Do I really imagine that, when a terrorist kills, he is motivated by a theological disagreement with his victim? Do I really think the Northern Ireland pub bomber says to himself, “Take that, Tridentine Transubstantiationist bastards!” Of course I don’t think anything of the kind. Theology is the last thing on the minds of such people. They are not killing because of religion itself, but because of political grievances, often justified. They are killing because the other lot killed their fathers. Or because the other lot drove their great- grandfathers off their land. Or because the other lot oppressed our lot economically for centuries. My point is not that religion itself is the motivation for wars, murders and terrorist attacks, but that religion is the principal label, and the most dangerous one, by which a ‘they’ as opposed to a ‘we’ can be identified at all. I am not even claiming that religion is the only label by which we identify the victims of our prejudice. There’s also skin colour, language, and social class. But often, as in Northern Ireland, these don’t apply and religion is the only divisive label around. Even when it is not alone, religion is nearly always an incendiary ingredient in the mix as well...
And for the wisdom that will be granted to government and law officials to round-up the barbarians that did this. This must be stopped at any cost,
Good points have been raised. I recently heard a radio program where a young Australian woman spoke who had been doing "charitable work" in Iraq. She commented that the Iraqians she had been working with were lovely people who were genuinely sorry that, although she was a lovely person, she would be going to Hell when she died (because she was a Christian ... and only "true believers" end up in Heaven)....
How do you suggest we stop the terrorist attacks? What do you propose would work to make extremists not attack us?
At least Bush and Blair are doing something to try and make a difference. Personally, I don't think they are doing enough.
Don't forget the extremist Muslims hate eveything about us. They hate our religions and they hate our way of life.
Do you think backing down and wimpering away would cause them to back off? Everything I've read and heard about the Arab culture says those with power must use it or they are determined to be weak... and if they are weak, and different, they must be overpowered. So, if the US or Britain back down, or are indecisive, then they are weak, which then emboldens the extremists and causes more problems for us at home.
Personally, I think this is a no win situation. Since that is the case, we must do what is likely to keep Americans and Brits safe, and that means going after them and shutting them down.
Sure, that causes unfortunate loss of innocents, but better theirs than ours. And they don't seem to hesitate to go after our innocents... that much is clear. At least we try to only go after the guilty ones.
...Edit: I am talking about the extremist or "muscular "type... definitely not the "peaceful" type. Obviously finding any terrorist, muslim or not, is very difficult. Taking the life of an innocent, or even doing harm to one must be avoided. Then again, if stopping one of the terrorists keeps 50 or more innocents here alive, let alone uninjured, then having 5 or 10 or even 20 innocents on the other side interrogated is a small price to pay... no matter what happens in the interrogation. BTW, flushing a Koran down the toilet or wearing undies on your head is nothing compared to what a muslim extremist would to to the Bible or one of their detainees (don't forget the beheadings). Of course it would be best if all of this went away, but that isn't going to happen, so we just have to hope our governements do the best they can....
BTW, flushing a Koran down the toilet or wearing undies on your head is nothing compared to what a muslim extremist would to to the Bible or one of their detainees (don't forget the beheadings).
