Islam, the religion, is it really under attack??

What makes you say this golden eagle

very simple...they kill people all the time with their suicide bombing...the only way they know how to fight is like cowards

Ok, but many of my friends, colleagues and other people are Muslim, they are totally Islamic, but they do not kill anyone, nor do they promote this. In fact the deplore the use of suicide bombings and I believe the majority of Muslims I come across are of this view. So are you saying that a minority who believe this action (say about 5%) represent any authority on Islam as a religion?

I would have thought, since it is such a small number, that collectively we all aim for peace and marginilise those hardcore radicals. This would prevent sympathisers joining.

So, I don't understand your connection with Islam? In Northern Ireland the conflict was mainly between Catholics and Protestants as well as against British rule. Did we ever call the IRA, Christian terrorists? Rather, they were mostly referred to as the Irish Republican Army.

Actually some of the IRA people have been called terrorists, and our counter-terrorism units have been working against them for years. Our people have helped other counter-terror unit from other countries train to fight the IRA...

As for the "peaceful" muslims, I don't see any of them standing up to fight against the "radicals", nor do I hear them publically telling them to stop. Seems to me that the ones who are against this behavior would be taking some actions to try to prevent it.

Funny how the part where I agree with you, that the IRA were also used to be called terrorists is conveniently placed in your theatre. The IRA was their common name and their activities were often referred them as terrorists, but it was less common - it was always the IRA which came first. I never said they were not referred to as terrorists for which they were. But the PLO, Hamas and Hezbollah are referred to as a bunch of terrorists but they have similar claims against Israel.

But what I said, which you failed to answer, why not 'Christian' terrorism, since the conflict was about Catholics and Prostestants. Never once was the conflict in Ireland dubbed 'Christian'. This is because the overwhelming Christians to not support such acts. Then why, a suicide bomb, becomes Islamist or Islamic when Islam and the majority of its followers reject this outright.

Moreover, to your comment on efforts to defeat IRA - I must inform you that the biggest payroll master for the IRA was the USA. Arms and caches of weapons don't come from a group of disillusioned people with modest incomes. They have some political clout and an ability to take on the British. These were sophisticated attacks, and vast amounts of ammunitions and guns in their arsenal.

I beleive there are two sides to the coin, if you are to present one side you must be prepared to present the other, with equal measure. After we are all human on this planet.

I echo your sentiments, but Islam categorically denounces such actions in its name. Arab countries should look at their own practices and assess whether what we are doing is Islamic.

Persecution is part of faith, and if these people beleive they should not give outsider fodder for ill founded truths. For example, for the last 60 years the Palistinian suffering and humiliation at the hands of the Israelis goes largely unreported. These people become desperate and desolate in refugee camps and often lives can be a misery. They refrain in most cases over the last 60 years to attack the Israeli authority (believe me if the whole population rose against Israel.....). Yet out of these people develops radiclisation, preaching of wrong attributes and eventually justifications of suicide bombings. These are desperate people, and forced in a corner. But it still does not justify their actions, and certainly not in the name of Islam.

Islam means peace. By definition all must be done to attain it.

Is it really? Islam by definition means 'peace' and/ or 'submission'. Peaceful is a definitive connotation of the Quran, submission is the connotation to God and when they go hand in hand. So by definition peace and submission to God are pre-requisites of Islamic practices.

However, putting this aside for a moment, your comments do fall true to an extent, except they are void of substance of fact. Why should a negative perception occur be blamed on Islam, when human nature over the centuries have brought chaos via greedy Kings, imperial power, attrocities etc?? This is not confined to Islam but human nature.

But you seem to imply the Muhammad unified warlords. Maybe you need to study the life of Muhammad before making these comments, because this like saying, all Tony Blair did was unite Northern Ireland as Prime Minister. We know he did alot more than that.

But you are correct, because after 25 years of the death of Muhammad, fighting broke out amongst Muslims which the Muhammad expressly forbade. And yes each sect developing in the way it did, does not do justice to Islam.

But as I say, the coin is the same and when polished looks new. The reference in Islam is simple, the Quran and the character of Muhammad as an example. This gives an accurate picture of true Islam, as Jesus' character and early biblical scripture would do of true Christianity. Forget what people are doing today, but apply that analogy, and I would be the first to agree, that modern practices in Islam are not always Islamic.