to suggest that if we start to hate eachother, the terrorists have won?

[perfectlybroken]

Having glanced at some of the threads on here since the Paris attack, I can't help feeling we are eating into their hands. Their actions, while tragic in their consequence only become far reaching if they increase suspicion and hatred between Muslims and non-Muslims. I'm amazed by the suggestion that many Muslims support these attacks. Dh and I are Muslim and we have never met a single person, here or abroad, who has agreed with the terrorist attacks of the last few years. If I did meet someone like this I would tell the police.
Could I ask everyone to remember that most humans want to live in peace and know that they and their children are safe and want the same for others too? Thank you.

[WorraLiberty]

Of course you're not BU to suggest it. If you read the threads properly you'll see it's been suggested tons of times

But just to comment on this "Dh and I are Muslim and we have never met a single person, here or abroad, who has agreed with the terrorist attacks of the last few years. If I did meet someone like this I would tell the police."

Do you think that's possibly why you think you've never met anyone who has agreed with terrorist attacks? I mean they're hardly likely to be vocal about it, if they think someone is going to call the police.

Other than that, YANBU at all.

[drudgetrudy]

Yes, you are right-it is extremism and fundamentalism in all its forms that we need to be concerned about. Especially when it is so extreme that it leads to terrorism and violence.

[Royalsighness]

really happy to see this post as I was going to try and post something similar, but didn't know what to say. I love Mumsnet and have done nothing but argue on ot for 2 days.

Don't want to argue anymore!

[Royalsighness]

I really hope this one doesn't turn into the other threads

[PacificDogwood]

YANBU at all.

We need to remember and celebrate our similarities and everything we have in common rather than concentrate on differences.

Extremists of any persuasion are dangerous and frightening in their single-mindedness. They frighten me - whichever corner of the globe of what religious conviction they might have.

This is not about religion anyway, it's about power.

[perfectlybroken]

Type your message here

[Madagascanparadise]

I totally agree with you OP. I am not Muslim but I often think how hard it must be for Muslims at the moment.

I really hope that today's march in Paris goes without incident.

[Madamecastafiore]

I think the issue is more that we rarely see Muslims speaking out against these attacks and thus mistakenly leads people to believe that they agree/are sympathetic to them.

I really think the best thing for the Muslim community to do would be some sort of march against terror or some such publiscied event which would show the rest of the UK because I

[Madamecastafiore]

Sorry, I feel it is something that is, sorry struggling with words today, I am trying to say most other European countries don't have the casual undercurrent of racism we have here.

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

YANBU.

[LokiBear]

I agree with you. I am not religious. I respect the rights if those who are religious to believe what they want to believe. It angers me that there has been such vitriolic backlash against the Muslim community. People have a right to be offended by those cartoons, they have a right to feel upset by anything that mocks their core beliefs and they have the right to express their upset. They do not, however, have the right to kill people who offend them. I believe that true Muslims believe this too and want to coexist. I actually believe that the majority of people want this. The exception being terrorists who have their own agenda fuelled by extremist religious beliefs. Some terrorists claim to be Muslim, some Catholic, some Christian. The only way we can beat them is by pulling together and educating our kids. We need to protect our vulnerable kids from having their minds warped by those who simply want to see the world burn. The Paris shooters were orphans who considered themselves 'part time Muslims' until they were warped by a Cleric who used the western intolerance to the Muslim community as justification for their extremist agenda. It has to stop and we all need to play our part.

[fairyfuckwings]

I think you're right and it has worked to a certain extent. And the more attacks the greater the divide will be.

I don't agree that other European countries aren't as racist as the UK though. In fact I couldn't disagree more!

[chopinbabe]

I think a good, cheap and quick way of stopping negative comments would be for every mosque to hang a banner over their door declaring, 'Not In My name.'

[sandrapanda]

Muslims do speak out all the time against such attacks, but I guess the media don't want to show you that.

[PacificDogwood]

Yes, other European countries are not at all less racist or Islamophobe

Islam as a religion has no 'pope like figure', no 'head' who could speak out and thereby isolate the fanatics.
Plenty of individual Muslim leaders have spoken out against the attacks.

[cleanmachine]

Yanbu. Some thread from this week have been shocking to read. Especially the posts by mnetters whose posts i have laughed at and enjoyed.

Links to news stories about muslims denouncing the attacks have been ignored or trivialised. Posters have been flamed and soon this thread will go the same way.

Until recently i never realised how hard it must be for ordinary muslims in europe. And how hard the terrorists are making it for everyone else (including muslims) to live. Bastards.

[Greysanderson]

The police officer shot was a muslim, the man who escorted customers to the basement in the kosher shop and then hiding them in a walk in freezer and locking the door whilst he stayed outside is a Muslim.

[grimbletart]

Ah yes - the media's fault as ever. Google 'Muslims condemn terror attacks' and see the media coverage of it.

[cleanmachine]

I just did that grimble and found this:

www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/01/46-examples-of-muslim-outrage-about-paris-shooting-that-fox-news-cant-seem-to-find/#.VLGipfCajFM.facebook

[RaisingMen]

A quick google search will show you page upon page of Muslims and muslim leaders condemning terrorist attacks. You only see what the media want you to see. And no, I'm not Muslim.

[sandrapanda]

So why aren't muslim being heard and are being accused of not speaking out?

[RaisingMen]

Sorry OP - in answer to your question, YANBU

[beeny]

I am muslim my husband is a convert we are both lawyers all the muslims i know condemn the attacks. I make a point about being very vocal at work about my views.

[grimbletart]

Indeed clean machine: it's extraordinary how people only see what they want to see. Muslims have been all over the media condemning the attacks. Thus my sarcasm. As a former journalist I got pissed off about people saying they hadn't seen any coverage of X or Y when I had been doing articles for months about X or Y. People can be highly selective in what they observe.

[babbas]

Sandra i was thinking the same. I've been wondering where all the Muslim mnetters are. From some of the recent threads it seems maybe some posters have been deterred from joining in by the tone and arguments put forward by some hardcore islamophobes.

Or maybe they don't feel they have to apologise for the actions of murdering bastards. I don't know, but i agree with the sentiment expressed by the op. I also agree that this thread will end the same way as other on this issue. It's the usual few posters making the same antagonistic narrow minded comments on every thread of this nature leaving no room for meaningful debate or free speech. Oh the irony.....