[mani]

excellant thread and some very very good posts.

as someone said the bomb is the ultimate deterrant. when ur faced with a rival country who is next door and is bigger and better than u - u dont have much choice but try to match it. not quite next door but the whole ussr vs usa is a prime example of this.

i know alot of people are going on about the people who mocked the tsunami and mocked the hurricanes. but think of this. what wud make a great tabloid headline - a joe average guy sayin how upset he is about this or a rare loony who shouts out from the rooftop?

there's been quite a strong feelin of anger amongst asians themselves at those who said such things bout USA and the tsunami etc. what u have to remember is that there are twisted people who will shout at the top of the voice that an american bomb blew up a mosque yet they'll fully support a group who's muslim and blown one up killing 50.

i'm not sayin that anyone deserves a natural disaster or death. but the asian community and most the muslim pakistani community needed a reminder that no one is invicible from the wrath of god. as it says in the bible let he who is without sin caste the first stone. but people forget that. yes it is ramadam right now. and maybe it was the best time for god to remind his followers i am here.

i dont know how much u guys follow the goings on in pakistan but my view is that since the general took over the rule by force a few years back this is the best thing to happen for a long time. long has corruption been bleeding the country dry - people linging their own pockets. yes its goin on now but things have been done never before imagined. the strict control on the mosques and madrassas would never have been dreamed of. yet it is coming into place. the mention of pakistans weapon expenditure, it wud've been unimagined that indian soliders would be in pakistan BY INVITE helping out the old enemy. yet they are. 50 years of hate. 3 wars. many major skirmishes cannot be forgotton in 5 years. how long will it take for the people to trust sinn fien and the ira? imagine that then you will know what steps pakistan and india are taking to eliminate that hate. in the earthquake in india four years ago it refused all aid yet accepted two plane loads of aid from pakistan. steps are being taken to mend those bridges. it isnt easy both sides have people who hate the other more than you can imagine.

it was inevitable that people wud make such comments aobut pakistan, its people and the british pakistani's here. in some way the comments are a harsh reply to the community's two facedness. they are more than willing to spew the hate for uk and usa yet are more than happy to stay here and live off the system. as a muslim i feel there has been an almost deafning silence to terrorism and al qaeda until 7/7 happened. then it was our back yard and people spoke up. but still i felt it wasnt enough. instead of saying look at how we integrate i feel that the response of the muslim council was protect us and our interests.

but thats my two cents i think... i cud go on all day