War is always ugly.

SBS was probably after some recognition. but if you really believe the following then you are oblivious to the fact that the fire was raging well before and never needed a match to ignite it (again).

"On the one hand, the US led Coalition of the Willing is endeavouring to win the hearts and minds of the “Muslim moderates” by promising to deliver democracy and free speech to their homelands."

What a load of rubbish - one look at our TV screen will tell how the "west" got it wrong once again.

Just listen to those lies:

Coalition of the Willing ?
Win the hearts and minds ?
"Muslim moderates”?
Promising to deliver ?
Democracy ?
Free Speech ?

To the "arabs" the number one enemy is: the US which is symbolised by the existence of Israel in their "hearts and minds".

“Arabs have been reduced to an oil well that is easily ignited. A cursory perusal of the choice of words used to describe Arabs depicts them as always exploding with anger, inflamed by cartoons, reaching boiling point, erupting with violence, spilling over into the streets, stirring up anger, spreading terror cells and sparking new waves of terror.”

And:-

“By ignoring those who do not conform to the flag-burning, fist-waving, chanting mob, Coalition leaders risk alienating those who once aspired to live like the liberators.”

If these ‘moderates’ really exist, where are they? If they really exist, why don’t they put themselves forward to convince the world that all Arabs are not rioting lunatics? Until these mysterious ‘moderates’ actually appear on the scene and do something positive about the image of Arabs and Islam, the West will continue to believe that Arabs and Muslims are all tarred with the same brush.

Are these ‘moderates’ the people who go quiet or accuse us of discrimination every time any aspect of their religion is questioned? If they are, then the stereotypes will remain.

Leigh

Have aquick perusal of the following article in the New York Times.
'Iraqi Sunni Bloc to Rejoin Talks on Government'

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/27/international/middleeast/27iraq.html

(You need to register, but it is free)

That article will give some indication of where the moderates are. It'll also give a fairly accurate picture of unfolding events in Iraq.

I'd agree with the thrust of that article. An Iraqi government will form shortly. That will confirm the desperation of the insurgents is heightening. Thta's occurring because of this evidence of broad acceptance of democracy and a desire for peace by the Iraqi people.

See also Graham's Ambit Gambit of 27th February

'Dragon's teeth gambit leads to detente in Iraq'

http://ambit-gambit.nationalforum.com.au/archives/001223.html

An accurate assessment.

Joseph

Your article shows you dwelling upon the negatives of past events while ignoring the positives of the present. This is symptomatic of the many malcontent residents and ex-patriates from the mid-east. All races included. It also only serves to inspire the negative type comments often found on this forum. Now that is inflamatory and close to incendiary.

Joseph Said:

" it unites the moderates with the hard-liners by perpetuating stereotypes about Muslims as violent, volatile and uncivilised."

COMMENT: Actually, I would take a wild guess here and suggest that the Arabs (Muslims) themselves are the ones promoting the very stereotypes referred to here.

Consider this:

If a community has a value system which is equally balanced between volatility, hostility and peace and restraint, then the likelihood of such a community erupting into the excesses recently highlighted in the news would be far less.

BUT.

Centre of Balance
If a community has as its centre point, a proclivity to 'defend their religion' by means of violence, then it stands to reason and naturally follows that they will actually 'be' violent when the trigger is pulled.

Divine Right
In any community there will be the statistical loony fringe just as it will have its (equally loony) peaceniks. But what we are seeing is not this. This is a society which is heavily weighted on the side of violence and claims divine authorization for such actions.

Joseph also said:

What about the majority of Muslims from the cradle of civilisation who have a rational response to the revelations of these atrocities? By ignoring those who do not conform to the flag-burning, fist-waving, chanting mob, Coalition leaders risk alienating those who once aspired to live like the liberators.

COMMENT:
Actually, those 'moderates' underscore the seriousness and extent of the violent. They simply exist as a backdrop for those burning the flags and attacking the embassies. They are the props, the radicals are the actors.

These mass demonstrations occurr because someone 'organized' them. Where were the moderates at this point.

Joseph, its worth remembering how the Indians and Spanish were made 'an oil well' in one sense, as the millions (India) and tens of thousands (Spain) killed by invading Muslim armies. Read the Arab account of the prelude to the Battle of Tours.

What goes around.....comes around.

"I came, that they might have life" Jesus.

Tell me, how is it possible to blaspheme or insult a man like Mohammed?
Tell me, any Mulsim here, how can you follow a man that did the vile things that MOhammed did, as recorded in accounts written by his own followers?
Tell me, Mr Wakim, why don't murder, torture, rape and slavery bother you?
The fact is that anger and violence are central to Islam, from the times of the prophet until today. Any country that has a large number of Muslims immigrants is going to get a practical lesson in hate. Its coming.
But Muslims must blame anybody and eveybody for their problems, because if one looks at the evils of Muslims societies, one sees Islam written all over them.
America is wasting its time in Iraq. Democracy, equality and free speech are incompatible with Islam.

john kactuz

The silence is deafening, 129 Newspapers around the world published the cartoons of Mohammed,, I checked the ownership of 50 of those the Newspapers, the owners all belong to the same political/religious group, and it would not suprise me if all the Newspapers are owned by people who belong to the same God Club, what is their their agenda, the war against terror, against Iraq are just a smoke screen . its only a matter of time before Iran and Pakistan suffers the same fate as Iraq, maybe I am wrong I am just repeating what Benny Hinn said on his TV programme at Christmas, that the Holy Mosque in Jerusalem would soon be demolished to make way for a new Temple. if this Happens the third world war will begin you better believe it, we have to stop this happening, lets talk about it, before it is too late to do anything once it happens millions of people will die , has our government agreed to support the demolishion of the Holy Mosque. they seem to be spreading hatred of Muslims,