kanelli wrote:Yes, some areas of North America have a higher concentration of people of certain backgrounds than others.
The majority of the US, by area, is mono-cultural.
kanelli wrote:Islam is being used as an excuse to fight the West, and the West in turn is demonising the religion. There have always been some misunderstandings about Islam because it has been tied to cultural practices that are part of a region or country and not really related to Islam at all. Education is what is needed to fight this, not supporting terrorism and wishing the West death and destruction.
Some may argue that America was targetted +because+ it was demonising Islam and working against muslims.
I agree that education is needed to fight ignorance - on both sides.
I disagree that Islam is being used as an 'excuse' to fight the West. No one, to my knowledge, among the Al Qaeda etc is waging war on Switzerland or the Nordic countries.
These Western countries are as Christian as the US is. So I disagree it is about religion - in terms of the attacks/hatred against the US and her allies.
It isn't.
It's about what the US and allies have done and are doing to Muslims and how this is perceived. Its a reaction against real and perceived injustices committed against Muslims that has provoked this reaction.
However you look at it, the issue of the sub-human treatment of Palestinians who face death down the barrels of US made/provided weapons will continue to be a cause of anger in the eyes of all humanitarians. When Palestinian women and children are killed by artillery attacks, it would be heartless to have no reaction to these atrocities.
Yesterday's suicide bombing by Islamic Jihad was un-condonable and evil, but they said it was a reaction to last weeks artillery attacks that killed women and children. I condemn both.
Humanitarians condemn Israel more, as they are the occupying power and they have killed thousands more Palestinians than Palestinians have killed Israelis. However the US supports the occupiers over the oppressed. Hence the reaction.
Therefore, I would contend that the assertion you made that Islam is misunderstood and demonised +because+ of terrorist attacks is a little bit facile. There is an argument that the West is being targeted because of its attacks against Muslims - and even if you don't agree with this analysis, I would hope you concede that is how these people see it.
(BTW, I know many muslims who live in Switzerland and also Norway - they don't have issues in these countries)
It's not one religion fighting another - its one set of people who feel oppressed and demonised lashing out.
sigh - so much for not getting involved ..
Cheers,
Shafique