[WillowTheWhisp]

Try to see it from a muslim point of view. Muslims are horrified that such atrocities can be conducted in the name of Islam. These suicide bombers are not the typical muslim. It's like seeing all white Christians as IRA bombers. Not all Christians are Catholics and not all Catholics are Irish and not all Irish Catholics are IRA bombers. It's the same with Muslims.

I may lose karma points for this but I feel for the families who are reeling in shock and horror to have learned that their son/husband/brother was behind one of the bombings. These people grew up in this country and for most of their lives appeared to "conform" more to the western way of life than their parents did/do.

These men spoke English with Yorkshire accents. They were born here. They went to school here. Somewhere along the lines they were misguided by extremists and ended up believing that dying in a suicide bomb was a noble thing to do.

I spoke to someone yesterday who said she was afraid to sit near a muslim on a train and I said I had just come up from town on a bus sitting next to a muslim guy who lives down the road and I don't see him any diffrently today than I did last week before the bombings. Her reply to that was "That's different. You are talking about someone you know." But these suicide bombers were "someone people knew". They were ordinary people, living very ordinary lives.

What I'm trying to say is that it isn't people who are "different". These guys were far less different than a non-English speaking robes wearing person who you may see as not fitting in with our way of life.

One of the great things about this country is our freedom which includes freedom of religion. It doesn't worry me that across the road from my church there is a mosque. We have a pretty good relationship with the mosque. When we've not been using our car park and they need extra parking space we have let them use it. Why not? Co-operation and understanding is what we need. We might need the extra parking spac ourselves one day and ask them for a loan of a bit of theirs.

I know I've grumbled about having to bend over backwards to please others but I don't think it's actually the immigrant population who make demands so much as the PC brigade who presume things. Like the idea that celebrating Christmas offends muslims. it doesn't offend any muslims I know. The local PO is owned by muslims and they have a lovely selection of Christmas cards at Christmas. I got some of my nicest ones fom there. They put decorations up and wish people "merry Christmas". We get Christmas cards from muslim friends.

Yesterday I attended a school leavers assembly at Springhill CP where my youngest daughter attends. (She leaves this year). The majority of pupils there are muslim. ALL the children, brown, white, pink and yellow stood proudly together to sing "We are the young" and it brought a lump to many throats and a tear to many eyes. I live in hope that the future will be safe in their hands and that we have taught them well enough to give them the strength to make it so.

I can see the objection some people have to the "severe" form of muslim dress where a woman is totally covered apart from her eyes and I can see where this may lead to fear and suspicion but I can also understand what it means to someone to have a deep religious conviction about a dress code. I'm LDS and we have a dress code, not as severe and not all members adhere to it (just as all muslim women don't wear the total outfit) but those who do and to whom it means a lot would rather suffer almost anything than compromise that. To others that may not make any sense at all but it helps me understand where those muslims are coming from even if I don't share their beliefs.

I hope that we can all grow stronger together and work together to eliminate this evil from our midst because we all suffer because of it.

I have just read in the paper an article by a muslim leader declaring that the bombers have sullied the name of Islam and that they have no right to claim it as their religion. He isn't the only one who feels that way. They have the same commandments which include "thou shalt not kill" It's amazing that throughout history people of Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions have found excuses to disobey that commandment and even convince themselves that they have God's blessing.

To quote Bob Dylan "I cannot think for you, you will have to decide, whether Judas Iscariot had God on HIS side"

Ooops, well there's my political speech for the day.