Good for you, Yusuf.

Of course, added to your timely comments about America and Britain still doing their interventionist dirty work, was the fact that we all thought that after WW2 with the wonderful Marshall Plan and the freeing of India and Ceylon, et al, it might have have been the end of colonialism.

It is certainly about time our present so-called Great Democracies, offered to share the historical blame in this world - pretty well as Obama has suggested.

But as a mature age historian, rather than take a bet on it, would rather just hope and pray.

Good to have Irfan back on OLO, it’s been a while.

This is a sad but timely reminder of the flaws in the West’s dealings with (and perceptions of) Islamic countries, which seem driven by a mix of self-interest and shifting and false racial/religious stereotypes. I too am old enough to remember how western popular and cultural representations of different Islamic groups have morphed over time – e.g. the Afghani mujahadeen who were heroic David-vs-Goliath resistance fighting evil oppressive Soviets in the 1980s (remember the Bond movie The Living Daylights?) but became evil repressive Taliban in the 1990s and seedbed of Al Qaeda in the 2000s.

Unless we come to a more balanced and mature understanding of Islamic countries and cultures, we will continue to make horrible mistakes in our dealings with them.

{{Many young Muslims in the West like myself, once attracted to political Islam, have now become disillusioned in it.}}

A step in the right direction. However, the only truly peaceful Muslim group is the Ahmadiyyas, but they are viewed by other Muslims as not truly Muslims. They are persecuted by Muslims in Pakistan, Indonesia, and many other Muslim countries.

http://www.thepersecution.org/world/indonesia/09/06/jp03.html

Egypt, which is supposed to be a secular country, forbids Muslims to leave Islam for another religion, and refuses ex-Muslim to show their new status in identity cards.

EGYPT: COURT DENIES RIGHT TO CONVERT TO SECOND CHRISTIAN
http://www.compassdirect.org/en/display.php?page=lead&lang=en&length=long&idelement=&backpage=&critere=&countryname=&rowcur=

Zakir Naik the moderate Muslim apologist from India advocates the execution of Muslims who leave their religion. Surprisisng that the Indian government allows him to advocate violence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMAZR8YIhxI