Breaking News - Allegedly 10 people killed at office of satirical magazine in Paris

I don't think there is one single leader of Islam in Britain. For a start, the Sunni and Shia are like Protestants and Catholics in that respect. Try telling Scottish Presbyterians that they can be represented by a Catholic Cardinal. Then there are Arabs, Iranians, Turks, Kurds, Kashmiris, Bengalis, Somalis, Pakistanis and Indian Muslims. Sorry if I've missed a few. Some groups are more firmly settled here and others are relative newcomers. Many will also have their own mosques.

Maybe their Imam needs to broadcast that murderers and terrorists will not reach eternal bliss as the fanatics seem to believe. This has nothing at all to do with satire, it is hatred of a non-Islamic way of life, and it is missing the point to discuss the minutiae of whatever the cartoons contained. I am offended by many things including most religious beliefs but I do not plan on murdering people who find solace and comfort in their beliefs. This is a serious attack on our way of life, which with all its faults, is the way I want to live, with freedom to publish comments as we all do, and to bicker and discuss at liberty without fear of severe punishment.

And ask yourselves, what did the aid workers do to offend Islamic sensibilities, the ones who were beheaded? Jewish shoppers? This has nothing to do with perceived blasphemy.

www.islamagainstextremism.com/articles/qivwrvs-the-extremist-takfiris-and-jihadis-who-influenced-michael-adebolajo-in-the-woolwich-killing.cfm

They hope to get points for defending Allah and Mohammed against the infidels, and believe that if they are killed in the attempt, they will go straight to heaven.

Can anyone explain to me what exactly these people want to achieve? I'm not condoning the IRA in any way by saying this, but at least I understood where the grievances started from and what they wanted to achieve by their despicable actions, but I'm baffled by all this.

I think many Muslim leaders are speaking out, Does it get mediated?

What do you mean by old rag-head-riff-raff extremist nutter exactly?
Sounds a questionable description?

What terrifies me now is that others with the same beliefs as these terrorists join forces with them and this situation escalates to an extent that those who don't agree with them are sitting ducks.

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merlotgran I read today that one of the terrorists was mentored by someone from the Finsbury Park Mosque.

I do think that the majority of Muslims are horrified by what has happened and is happening, but I would ask why the leader of the Muslim community in Britain does not do more to stop such hatred being preached? If C of E vicars were standing in churches here and spouting such vitriol against Muslims then I am sure that the Archbishop of Canterbury would do something about it as a matter of urgency

Reasoned argument yet again Elegran thank you for your good sense, well expressed.

Once they start to kill as part of their religion, it is very hard for them to stop. Every shadow becomes a legitimate target to them.

And each time they kill, they sow hatred and revenge in the hearts of the family and friends and co-religionists of their victim. It is a snowball being rolled down a hill, gathering substance with every yard.

God forbid anything like this should happen in Britain. Would we have the manpower to deal with such situations?

An unarmed policewoman directing traffic was killed in Paris in November, probably by those who are now killing a holding hostages in the supermarket. Did she publish hatred?

Yes.

Oh yes, of course. Kosher is Jewish. Getting totally now.

It's like the shootings in the Brussels Jewish Museum. Do they hate everyone?

Good point Merlot

And we do well to deal with the situation with thoughtfulness, statespersonship and wisdom, not taunts in the media.

Please don't tell us to stop having our opinions, Anya. I thought this thread was largely about freedom of speech.

Possible scenario:-

They murder for that cartoon - so all journalists lower the bar, and only publish milder cartoons.

After a while those milder cartoons too become the worst slight that the extremists see, so they murder for those too. The bar is lowered further, and only the most gentle, sweet comments are made. Love is all.

After a while the extremists become accustomed to seeing only approval. They thrive and become the majority.

Then someone mildly criticises some aspect of their beliefs. He is arrested by those responsible for "defending the truth against attack" and put to death.

In the past, one sect of Christians has had the monopoly of doctrine, and put to death for heresy those who put forward other versions. The heretics were expected to go straight to Hell as well. History is full of examples.

Death is no longer the punishment for heresy, but "Well into the 20th century, Catholics defined Protestants as heretics. Thus, Hilaire Belloc, in his time one of the most conspicuous speakers for Catholicism in Britain, was outspoken about the "Protestant heresy"." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heresy_in_Christianity

Two people are now dead in the supermarket where terrified children who are being held hostage witnessed people being killed.

I agree Agus

These evil men are looking for trouble and targets. This time it was journalists, a few weeks ago it was school children, before that it was a lone soldier returning to his barracks, and before that commuters on a train...to name but a few.

Stop implying that those killed for cartoons brought it on themselves by poking angry lions, these people are out to kill and terrorise.

What stops them*soutra*? - well we have not got an answer to that yet, but deliberate provocation in the form of cartoons that insult ALL people in that community, moderate and extremist, does not seem to be doing the trick. Indeed it would appear to have quite the opposite effect.

Journalists, governments and indeed all of us, need to take the long broad view and look at strategies that might make a positive difference and I think this involves mobilising the moderate community not seeking to antagonise them.

Journalists do become arrogant - I have personal experience of this - and take actions which they see as clever. But clever may not be wise and they need to stand back as a community and think how best they might serve the long term peace of the world.

Two people have been killed inside the supermarket

Soutra and Agus. No, people cannot stop them.