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.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz

Jihad in New Zealand! Yeah Right! Or is it?

Kia Ora,

I was trying to work out how to use Youtube better last night when I came across two threads.

One was a person from Britain who immigrated to New Zealand & had re entered the area of door security. I aim to look more into his postings but seems good & professional, I would like to keep an eye on his take on issues.

The second was much more disturbing.



The initial post that caught my eye was "I used to work for the SIS (Secret Intelligence Service)" & it goes into how he was used undercover to identify Jihadists in Auckland.

Is he the real deal? Not sure but there were some things that made me take note & think maybe he is.

First his Arabic seems very good.

Though his letter to the Prime Minister is a bit of a ramble (something I have been accused of at times myself) there are a few parts in it that peaked my interest.

That is the part where he talks about his SIS handlers saying he didn't have to go fully into the role of a Muslim (since he now says he has converted to atheist & everything must be based on science). That is on the point I have been trying to make. If they don't really know or haven't experienced anything like a suicide bombing then Kiwi's will not understand.



Jihadists are not just nutters who take the Koran, as he calls them literalists (they exist in all religions & are generally the extremists), literally in their interpretation, but usually very good at counter surveillance & reconnaisance.

Through his chats though it emerges as he identifies himself at one point a picture of a young guy who was lost & his nature comes across as addictive, He now requires everything to be referrenced in a scientific nature. Time & experience will tell him that not everything is absolute. Alot is gut instinct & experience.

As my experience has shown along with some of the comments to his postings, the average Muslim is very accepting, in fact more accepting than most westerners. But it is not them you have to worry about.



There are a few comments though that seem to come within NZ that back up some of his claims with their rants against his postings on Islam.

Then there is the postings above & below which back up some recent comments on some Maori forums. I have even read one Maori convert say Islam is the black man's religion. Doesn't know his religion as well as he thinks.

NZ has issues mainly concerning the Treaty of Waitangi & racism that we need to sort through & to a great extent are. Neither side is fully happy, so we must be doing something right.



Islam may actually be good for many Maori unless they take up the radical side & there are already enough Maori advocating armed conflict that this could turn nasty.

Will mean that "you will have to give the pork bones a miss though bro. More for me".

These videos have been getting posted for a while. So is Jihad possible in New Zealand? Most definitely.

Are the authorities on top of things? I doubt it as they have never experienced this type of thing it will be hard for them to envisage it. When they speak to their foreign counterparts although the words used will be the same, they will mean different things.



The day after a TV programme to my way of thinking confirms what I already thought that a mass murderer was allowed to walk free, NZ has to look at the way it views the world & acts in it.

http://www.foxhoundsecurity.co.nz