How should peaceful relations between USA/Europe and Muslims be achieved?

[Rodion Romanovich]

Clearly an explosion of Islamic fundamentalism has followed in the backwater of the Iraq war. Waves of riots and hateful talk has swept across Europe and USA. Some time ago, USA and Great Britain invaded Iraq, beginning a campaign where ten thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed, tortured and deprived of their homes. What's even more scary, is that representatives of both sides are comparing these developments with the Medieval crusades and Jihad. Since the Iraq war, terrorism, hate speech and islamic extremism has increased dramatically. Muslim immigrants in European countries are stealing, gang raping and killing, and in mosques built by European tax payer money the muslim religious leaders preach hate and violence. USA now have half-serious plans of an invasion of Iran, which will get even bloodier than the war in Iraq if carried out.

The entire situation is absurd - millions of people in Europe and USA give money, food and other support to muslim refugees, while a few hundred European and American extremists do what they can to spread fear of muslims, and attack countries with muslim inhabitants at random. When the muslims respond to massmurder with petty crime and somewhat hateful speech, the muslims are immediately pointed out as the extremists. Does it really matter to a muslim whether he becomes a terrorist or not, when he's pictured as a terrorist no matter what he does, because of his religion or race? And then there's the terrorism and warfare in the middle east, two factors that both strike innocents, that haven't previously been involved in this ridiculous fight. More people join up on both sides, to fight a war which has no reason, a war which is the result of petty misunderstandings and leaders of both western and muslim societies having the communication abilities of a debile.

Here's my word of advice - do NOT join this fight. Do NOT fight terrorism, because those who lead the fights against terrorism fight a thousand citizens for each terrorist they kill. Do NOT fight as a terrorist against the extremism of the Bush and Blair administrations, because the leaders of terrorism strike a thousand innocent citizens for each guilty man they kill. By joining and fighting, you do not fight terrorism or imperialistic extremism, you support both terrorism and imperialistic extremism. If you want to fight, fight alone, and only go against the guilty. Fight with words, and if words can't stop crimes against mankind, fight with violence, because if you begun by fighting with words your opponents are warned, and have been given a chance of peace. But when you fight with violence, bear in mind that killing 1 guilty and 0 innocents will bring you closer to victory than killing 1000 guilty and 1 innocents. The problem isn't western society, or muslim society - the problem is a 100 extremist leaders in the west, and a 100 extremist leaders in muslim societies. You might see a hundred thousand soldiers fighting for western extremism, but they are doing their job, like German soldiers did their job during the second world war. You may see a hundred thousand muslims shout angrily and demonstrate in the streets, but they are led to it by their 100 extremist leaders.

I think a policy of independent thought, and causing no damage to civilians is the key to success in this war against extremist leadership. It's not a war against terrorism or a crusade against Islam. It's not a war against imperialism or a Jihad. It's a war against extremist leadership and weaknesses in the systems for how leaders come to power - in both America, Europe and the Middle east. Just like the Iraq war has only fuelled hatred and bad relations with the Middle east while costing an awful amount of money and lives for all participants, the planned war against Iran and the planned future terrorist actions against civilians will do so. You might not like the idea of having 1000 terrorists in the world preparing themselves for attacks against your civilians whenever they can. But attacking an entire country full of civilians for what a few individuals in those countries do is not justifiable, and will not solve the problem. Similarly, muslims need to not speak hatefully about entire countries like Denmark for what a few extremist people at an independent newspaper in that country have done, it will not solve the problem.

Truly the situation for Great Britain and USA is horrible now, even worse than when the 9/11 attacks happened, but attacking Iran will most likely only make it worse, just like attacking Iraq made it worse. Do not seek battle, seek victory. Attacking innocents and neutrals will not bring victory over the enemies.