RE: We are winning the war... aren't we???

> Mark: Every time we get bombed, or get a scare or hear of
> the latest abomination done in the name of getting into the
> heaven of Allah, experts and ministers fall over themselves
> telling us this is not what true Muslims actually believe in

Of course, but the reason for that is that sympathy for all muslims is on
the slide and they have to do something to stop this turning into an actual
problem, a la the long hot summer.

> and we have to tolerate our muslim neighbours as believing in
> a Qran quite unlike the one we understand them to own and read
> and practice.

And exactly what expertise in the subject do you claim?

> Sure there is the other extreme where mosques are attacked in
> repercussion, and again Islam wins because it is not acceptable
> in our society for thugs to do this. In every way, as a society,
> our hands are tied by our own rules of democracy and Islam pops
> up all innocent.

That is utter garbage, mate, sorry.

What is true is that both muslims and non-muslims have some pretty unsavoury
characters and because this has been turned into an issue of religion, every
time the unsavoury attack the "opposing" moderates, support for the radicals
on the victim's side is increased.  Our government attempts to balance that
somewhat with rhetoric, which is what you're seeing as increased support,
while neither the American government or the Iranian government would dream
of doing so.  They like support for the unsavoury characters, they like the
politics of fear.
	
> Peter:

PAUL!! ;P

> Mark: I am saying that all religions (and those with political
> ideals) want the world to believe as they do. [snipped rest of
> paragraph]

Forget religion, it confuses matters, most people want the world to believe
as they do.  As much as you'd like to spiritually convert the world to your
way of thinking, I'd quite like to ban all cults (and I include any
organised religion you care to name in that), but I'm not going to get my
way and I've no plans to try scaring people into following my belief system.

Some people, however, will go to extreme lengths to scare people into
thinking as they do, but they are a severe minority.  Personally, I'm much
more afraid of those who are elected to power, inherit power, or those who
have media empires than I am of those who carry bombs, and the ones that
scare me are of all creeds.

P