So how *do* we beat terrorism?

[SenoraPostrophe]

I have been reading about this a lot and have read lots of views that are generally either one extreme (we must pull out of Iraq and Afghanistan immediately and sort out isreal) to the other (the terrorists themselves are to blame - nothing we could have done. reading between the lines seems to suggest we keep fighting in the way we have been by invading more countries.)

So what do we, the great mumsnet policy think-tank, think?

I'll have to organise my thoughts slightly before I can post my view (read "rant")

HD - couldn't agree more. Am not trying to plead their case in any way, just pointing out that they think they've got a valid cause just as we do. If both sides keep using violence to defend their cause it just escalates, one side has to be prepared to say enough is enough and work out a sane way through it, and sane does not mean blowing things up.

...and obviously its going to have to be the Western side as that the one we (as a nation) have a say over, we can't sit here and wait for them to make the first move.

I hope that the G8 agreement on Palestine and Israel is a signal that diplomacy will win out. If not, it at least gives them one less excuse to trot out when they carry out their next attack.

Incidentally, did anyone see that the British Muslim Council is issuing a fatwa, declaring that the terrorists have no right to call themselves Muslim? A fine move, I think and not a moment too soon.

No tortoiseshell, with 120000 virgins.

In regards to the mention of support networks needed to support terrorism and the specific mention of ETA. Please don't forget that terrorism is sometimes supported by terrified inocent people. In the case of ETA, a way to finace their acts is by the payment of the revolutionary tax, which is mereley kidnapping a perfectly innocent next door neighbour and ask the family to gather enough money for his/her release. They have no shame and would shot a hostage in front of a national TV camera if given the oportunity.

but Chandra - why don't the neighbours simply shop the culprits to the police? that's the kind of tacit support I meant - not necessarily actual cash support.

People must know and give their tacit support.

Happy Daddy - I am thrilled that a fatwa has been issued on this!

As i've quoted before:

"He who has killed an innocent soul, it is as if he had killed all humanity"

• Qur'an 5:32

NO to terrorism!!!!!

Senorapostrophe, because they will kill somebody of your own family for your acts? Believe it or not, those sort of atrocities still exist. My sister had a friend who had 4 brothers, his father worked for the police. I don't know what did he do but one night the five brothers and father disapeared just to be all found murdered in the carboot of a car a day later. This didn't happen in Spain but I think that if you ask around for the story of Miguel Angel Blanco, you will find horrible similitudes in both. His murder was a tantrum of ETA when most Spanish population went to the streets to claim for his freedom. So... guess we don't live in fairyland though it takes a whole load of knocks to realise about that.

There is set criteria in Islam for a Holy War and terrorist acts break all of the criteria. According to Islam {word means peace} terrorist have a one way ticket elsewhere.

Pedantic point about Islam: I was always taught that it means submission (to the will of God) not peace.

Arabic speakers please adjudicate!

Muslim means one who submits to the will of Allah.

Just did a google and yes, it does mean surrender to God (although I have heard it meaning peace too!)

but chacha, doesn't a fatwa mean a death sentence? To kill makes us a bad as the killers, from the quote you used from the Qur'an, doesn't it? I'm for very long prison sentences myself.

The problem is we can't judge these creatures by our standards. We can't work out what will make them stop by working out what would make us stop. Anybody who is willing to commit some of the atrocious acts we've seen in major cities is not doing it in the name of any religion, they are doing it because they are warped and evil.

And since there will always be warped and evil people, we can just hope that our security forces stop the majority of incidents.

The 9/11 terrorists didn't live by the standards they purported to stand for, nor did the Taliban. So not just warped and evil, but hypocrites too.

Ruty, very long jail sentences, but with access to cyanide...

Salam means 'Peace'

Islam is a branch of the same word.

When a person enters into Islam, one becomes a Muslim - submitting his will to the will of God.
So Muslim - submits.

Ruty - A fatwa (Arabic: فتوى) plural fatāwa (Arabic: فتاوى), is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue. Usually a fatwa is issued at the request of an individual or a judge to settle a question where ??fiqh,?? Islamic jurisprudence, is unclear. A scholar capable of issuing fatwas is known as a Mufti.

Think this is a good interpretation

fatwa is a legal statement or official opinion. Correct me if I'm wrong!

that's just what I was going to say, chacha

Sorry, didn't realise the Arabic would not come up on screen. Here I try again:

Ruty - A fatwa is a legal pronouncement in Islam, issued by a religious law specialist on a specific issue. Usually a fatwa is issued at the request of an individual or a judge to settle a question where ?fiqh,? Islamic jurisprudence, is unclear. A scholar capable of issuing fatwas is known as a Mufti.

Wrote a long posting and then lost connection, so here goes again!

Sorry if I am repeating the same opinion as another MN, anyway i think some of the ways we could help to prevent future terrorism is:

• make poverty history and trade fair. Spread global wealth and hopefully stop the spread of anti-western feeling.
• more ethical foreign policy. stop selling arms to dodgy govts.
• solve the middle east crisis, but have to ensure it is a fair compromise for both sides otherwise peace will not last.
• ensure international institutions such as UN and world bank are not dominated by US demands, perhaps a fairer and more transparent decision making process.
• engage young disaffected muslims in our own country. This is tricky as we have problems engaging all, not just muslim, disaffected youth in our country. Although yes we are a multi-cultural country, we only have to look a bit deeper to see segregation does exist, how do we stop this?

Am sure there are lots of other things, but it is too late in the night!

i absolutely agree with you yingers. I don't know if it would halt terrorism, but i do know these things would make the world a much better place. And why do we have such a problem having so many alienated young men in this country, as you say, not all muslims, but it is the muslim young men [a few] who find an outlet in extremism. Something MUST be done.

bump