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You didn't have to edit your post, surely?
Well, I didn't have to, no, but in the face of Illmatic's far more reasonable and acute summary of the problems with your position, it seemed reasonable to do so. I'd probably start by suggesting you have a look at your use of the term "feel the need" above - it can be removed from the sentence without affecting the sense, and creates a certain and rather psychologised gloss.
However, actually I did not mention deleting your post. I mentioned that the fact that I was not moving your post for deletion was perhaps a sign of a general slipping of standards. Misquotation, by intent or through inattention, is unlikely to be helpful.
So, as for constructive social activism. Well, starting small, you probably work and live alongside members of the muslim faith - how are you treating them? Do these protests change your perspective? Did 7/7 change your perspective? On a purely personal level, you could think about that.
Next up, it might be worth thinking about the social causes of the radicalisation of muslims. Think of segregation, poverty, linguistic separateness. Consider how these thing might be addressed. If you are a parent, perhaps discuss with your child's school what sort of provisions are made.
Of course, one wellspring of what you describe as total, mind wrenchingly depraved lunacy might be deep senses of injustice at broader relations between East and West. Alienated and deprived of a voice, seeing their concerns ignored and their families left in poverty, people are susceptible to being radicalised. So, there's a case for political lobbying there to try to help address some of these injustices, both socially within communities and politically, for example by supporting moves to free muslims currently being held without trial in defiance of international law.
On the ground, people seem to be strangely more expert on what is real or not real Islam, often through a process of inspiration. It might be profitable to read up on Islam and its curent interpretations - possibly with a view to joining an inter-faith group and talking in that environment about what might constitute constructive engagement within a particular community.
At a higher level, one of the points where this situation could have been averted was when the Danish government was contacted by muslim groups inside Denmark. At that point, an opportunity for dialogue, which may or may not have been constructive, was apparently muffed. So, a bit of a look at how governments interact with religious groups might help one to work out hwo one would like to encourage one's own government to behave, and steps to take to achieve that.
However, all of these practices and others are assisted by discussion, thought and consideration. Your first post to this thread, laughing - that's laughing - at how from your enlightened position you saw all of this as theatre seemed somewhat at odds with what is apparently something you take very seriously indeed.
So, to change tack slightly - Money $hot is concerned about violence on the streets of Europe. What parallels and differences can we draw between these incidents and other incidents of mass action and/or violence (although the deaths so far have taken place outside Europe) in Europe? For example, the riots in France in November? The unrest in Bradford? Violence at the WTO meeting in Genoa? Can these riots be treated as national incidents, or is a transnational, transcultural respons required? |
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