What sort of actions result in Extremism?

Kia Ora,

That might seem like a silly question, but as has triggered memories even innocent jokes can set off extremism.

Of course the most widely held example is the Islamic worlds reaction to the cartoons featuring the prophet Mohammed & the death threats against the cartoonist.

Over the last few days there have been the reactions in the US to comedian Ricky Gervais quip about God.

Now people will tell me that the reaction is nothing the same. Isn't it?

Ricky will have people stalking him now like Jared Loughner ready to kill.

Just writing this blog might earn me my own hate squad. Christian Extremism is only different in how it is delivered.

If people think that is far from fact then consider this example.

Shortly after leaving the army I assisted in security for a US TV evangalist. They had a team of bodyguards & all us extra security. The reason was death threats. Seems a lesser known evangalist had returned home to find Christian extremists in the US had killed his whole family because they didn't like the manner in which he was delivering the word of God.

Many in Islam consider suicide bombers as the only way they can fight the weapons of the Christians who are trying to destroy them with overwhleming force.

It all comes back to understanding each other. Many Americans in their first real contact with the likes of the British, Australians & New Zealanders in Iraq were taken back by the poor taste jokes about our Prime Ministers, governments & even the Royal family. US citizens(at least those who have not travelled alot) might not like the President but they would never tell bad taste jokes about them or an American disaster the way we do. Another British comedian recently told jokes about the Nuclear bombings of Japan, in NZ we were telling jokes about the plane crash into MT Erubus shortly after even though most people knew of someone who died.

Ours is a decidely black humour as evidenced when one of our US clients came out to hear in Baghdad, one of our British team members saying "into the valley of death rode the four landcruisers. Are you ready to die? We are all doomed!" Suffice to say it took her back & she did not wish to travel with us that day.

But yesterday by way of the Times the news of the scorched earth policy now been used in Afghanistan. It appears to be a version of tactics used in Vietnam but also throughout history.

It again shows the US has not taken time to know the people. Like the Maori of New Zealand we are of those areas,connected through body & spirit. It is Maori custom to bury the placenta in your home area to keep you connected to the land. I am sure the Afghans have similar customs.

The US actions will create more extremists in the same way innocent jokes have provoked outrage both in Islam & the US. It is that not understanding the other.

During some study in the army I once said that it appeared to me that religion was behind 90% of wars, where a mate said "no if you dig deeper religion is behind all wars."

These days I would say religion is used as the tool to get people to fight wars & as an atheist who thinks all religions are con jobs it just doesn't make sense.

But I do understand that that is how each finds their peace. Just don't expect me to support the extremist views it can generate with even the slightest upset.

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