Boris on Islamic terrorism

Love him or loathe him, Boris is a highly articulate and intelligent person and although I am regularly shouted down by my Londoner DDs, I think he speaks a lot of sense.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2015/jun/27/its-not-the-religion-that-creates-terrorists-its-the-politics

Giles Fraser, who was excellent on Question Time last week.

Thank you for posting that. I do entirely see what he is getting at; but he is still implying that islam is a peaceful benign religion and that the terrorists are out of kilter with the mainstream, when millions of people (women in particular) are oppressed by it and its primitive systems of justice.

And thanks too jen. I do agree that it is (as was N. Ireland) basically a tribal conflict that we have got sucked in to by our interference in cultures we do not understand. How far should we have turned a blind eye to oppressive regimes? How much good have we achieved by our actions? I see little positive that has come out of our excursions.

But we do not get people to change by saying Islam creates terrorists. If you tar them all, they will say why bother. We've been condemned anyway.

So do I, I always admire people who say what they believe even though it may not be popular. The hard truth can be difficult to stomach but I'd far rather that, than only be told what you want to hear. I don't always agree with Boris, but, like Mrs Thatcher, at least you know where you are and the reasons rightly or wrongly for it!

theconversation.com/day-of-terror-reminds-us-that-extremism-must-be-a-problem-shared-43964

Another interesting link about terrorism.
One statistic that does not get mentioned is that more Muslims have been killed than non-Muslims in all these attacks.

I think that does get mentioned quite a lot DJ. I think it is the main two groups who kill each other or is it just one doing the killing?

Boris is correct. It is important in all of this to get the terminology right.

"Boris is correct." Sorry, but that's definitely wrong.

Only in your opinion.

A very good article from BJ.
It seems to me that the biggest problem with these terrible killings is who to blame and where are they?
I believe there's one main group who started up in Syria, now moving into Lebanon and Kurdistan. But there are so many offshoots who join in via the internet, and take action independently.
I've read too that many ex-supporters of Fatah in Gaza have now become disillusioned with lack of action and now identify with the extremists.
So they are impossible to pin down.

Was that to me, or soon, Ana?

You, of course.

I've just read Boris Johnson's article in the Telegraph. I think it's a good article.

Am I alone in wishing we could have a discussion about Islam without it almost instantly polarising? Surely we ought to be able to acknowledge that both Boris and the Guardian article make good points - thanks for doing exactly that Mishap.

I sympathise with peaceful Muslims, particularly in the context of the most recent atrocity in Tunisia, the Tunisian people. I've visited twice, loved the country and found its people to be friendly and open. Young men and women walked home from school/college together, young women worked in the shops and restaurants and the atmosphere was relaxed and positive. It seems to me to be a tragedy that IS has attacked tourists, no doubt as a means of de-stabilising the move towards a more secular society.

I think that Boris makes a good point. Giving there terrorists a name somehow legitimises them. There is no such place as Islamic State.
Have you seen the Muslim demonstration in Luton. There is a video on fb. They are chanting "British Police burn in hell". I'm all for freedom of speech, but if I marched down the street chanting that, I'd be arrested!

Some country or organisation is funding these terrorists, or freedom fighters depending on your point of view, that's the people who need to find and deal/ negotiate with. Giving any terrorist air time only increases their behaviour.

I agree Iam64 we should be able to have a sensible discussion between ourselves, if we can't as older, experienced adults, what hope is there for younger people? The squabbles on here make me despair for our world.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=psZBaJU_Cvo

This is a link to the demonstration mentioned by hildajenniJ. Apparently the demonstration was triggered by the UK police arrest of a Muslim woman.

It is very worrying.

Brendawymms. You ask ' who is funding these people'
Look at Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. .

They have captured oil wells in Iraq; there are rumours that they are involved in people trafficking and possible in the drugs trade. They are a criminal organisation.

I wish I hadn't seen that video.

Is this the inevitable result of a society/religion [or whatever it is] where women have no moderating influence?