Dear Netab, you raise an important point. You highlight that the 'warriors' of those peaceful women are now turning into legitimate politicians. Well noted. I think the reason might be more connected to them realizing that there is no basis for militant antagonism in Christ. (or, maybe the prime movers like Paisley and co. are just wanting a more positive legacy)

The difference between Catholics and Protestants is more like that between Shia and Sunni than Jews and Muslims. The gulf between Jew and Muslim is as far as the east is from the west, as the Hamas Charter clearly shows.
F.H.'s thought about Donna's mob coming on the scene too late, such that attitudes hardened to the point of giving birth to a 'HAMAS' monster child, is 'close but no cigar'. Hamas are simply reflecting true Islamic theology.
ISLAMIC
"I have been called to fight against people so long as they do not confess there is no God but Allah" Hadith Muslim book 1 number 30,(also in 31 and 32 and in Bukhari)

CHRISTIAN
Protestants and Catholics suddenly getting along, is also reflecting true Christian theology.
John 13:34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Regarding Australia being 'multi-cultural' Please reas this:
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=164

Boaz,

Hamas is a political movement trying to legitimise using religion.
If it was only religious, why did it start only 3 decades ago?

Political movements using religion to legitimise to expland is a deja vu. I was in Egypt recently and was surprised me to the M Brotherhood gaining 20% of seats in the latest elections. This movement was founded in Egypt in the 1920s to resist British occupation. Why is it that only now (90 years later) that it would come to power and political landscape? . The same reason over and over again: a mix of failing government policies and US foreign investment policies.

Another comment you said:

"The gulf between Jew and Muslim is as far as the east is from the west"
Actually nothing is further from the truth and simply look at history of the middle east. Jews and Muslims share a lot of habits and traditions from the food they eat all the way to pure monotheism.
How did they manage to live together side by side that long if the enimity between them was religious? didn't the Muslims rescue the Jews from the Catholic Spanish Inquisition?

Peace,

Fellow_Human

You have taken words out of my mouth. Religions are adaptable beasts and hardly anyone looks hard at their fundamental teachings. Manipulative people will use religion to manipulate others to their ways.

Fanatics in my view tend to act out of hatred and insecurity. They will pray on others as insecure as themselves. Once you get to the children you have established a dangerous pattern which is hard to remove. Attaching all of this to a religion, as you say gives it holy sanction.

But Jews and Muslims have at times lived badly together. When Jews do not accept Islam (or Christianity) that becomes a bad a advertisement for the proselytizing religion which then feels it has to act.

Logic
‘But Jews and Muslims have at times lived badly together‘
A very subtle way of putting it!

Fellow-Human
1) ‘the M Brotherhood gaining 20% of seats in the latest elections… Why is it that only now (90 years later) that it would come to power and political landscape’
Actually the brother has been very active in Egypt & other parts of the ME for a long time-and have been instrumental in a number of assassinations. Govt suppression probably had a lot to do with their low profile up to now..

2) “a mix of failing government policies and US foreign investment policies’
Or is it at base levelthat Egypt is overpopulated -& some finding material opportunities limited or frustrated are prone to listen to anyone who promises a way out.

3) Would you agree that the Koran does not always portray Jews(as a race) in a positive light- & how do you reconcile your beliefs with that?

Hi Logic,

Good to read from you again!

Agree with your last comment but the overwhelming majority of times Muslims, Christians and Jews lived peacefully in the Middle east.
Why did the early Muslims maintained the nativity churches until today in Palestine and Egypt?

Hi Horus,

I grew up in egypt and am aware of the MB activities and history. The issue is people need a system (jobs, schools, education, health system, hospitals, etc..). Right now the egy gov is failing to deliver that at the proper pace while the MB seem to be very active in community svc (ie delivering and not only promising). It looks bad especially that the foreign investment policies (US, EU) help isolate the secular govnmt. One would think that if a country secular system is under threat, the US and EU should pour investment to support it not the opposite. Maybe its only me.

Re Quran and Jews its really simple for me:
The Quran for us is God's word and God's judgement and only addresses believers (not Muslims). The quran preaches we shall all be judged and cannot judge each other and that people of the book have the right to worship and be respected and that God will judge their intentions and actions. Prophet Mohammed interacted with Jews and had peace treaties with them which he never broke and so did all his followers after him. The prophet had his shield mortgaged to a jewish merchant he did business with.

Many of the Muslims position on jewish people is influenced by the Palestinian israeli conflict which for some reason got blown up into an Islamic-Jewish confrontation. It should not in my view, its only a land conflict between two countries could have been arab-arab, muslim-muslim conflict.

Peace,

F.H. ur a cheeky possum :) watch out, my cat has caught 2 ringtails in the past few weeks. (which is one reason she was sent to a shelter to be desexed and passed on)

What is your 'source' for 'Mohammed mortgaged his shield to a Jew' ? :)

(the jaws of the consistency trap are about to close on you matey :)

Logic, while I agree that religious fundamentals can be misused or even rightly used in political causes, I have to caution you about applying this too rigidly to the Christians.
I don't know if you have ever done this, but I'd love to know if you can establish your point based on say Lukes Gospel and the book of Acts ? Or.. Pauls 1st letter to the Corinthians, or his letter to the Roman Christians (Especially chapter 13)

I find no 'fundamentals' in the New Testament which can in any way be rightly used as justifying political movements. The contrary is true of Islam, which is highly political from square one.

There are some nice people around who are Muslims, (such as F.H.)but I don't believe a strict Muslim can be a nice person to an unbeliever BASED on..the very fundamentals of that faith.

I still scratch my head how FH can suggest the Quran is 'nice' to people of the book, because it sounds like he has never read Chapter 9:30

"May Allah DESTROY them, they are deluded, away from truth" (because (wrongly) it says Jews believe "Uziah" or someone is Son of Allah and Christians believe Christ is Son of Allah)
Note.. the call for destruction was not based on any particular 'action' but on core BELIEF.

.. F.H.. any comment?