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We hear some Muslims describe the extremism of fellow Muslims as crazy, and lately we see again some Muslims involved in terror who possess some intelligence. In my opinion they are not crazy, just politically naive. It is you few Muslims called extremists who have a brain that I address this commentary. Do yourself a favor and pay attention. Or you who know such Muslims please pass this along, and please bear the peachy tone, which I can't avoid.
Blowing up, assassinating and otherwise killing people works under restricted circumstances. I'm talking about some kind of political goal, not the mere self-pleasure of revenge.
A century ago assassination and blowing up people produced nothing for anarchists. Instead it made it harder for people who were trying to change society, be they revolutionaries or reformists. Marxists back then had enough sense to oppose it, while many uninformed people were not differentiating between the anarchist-terrorists and the Marxists or other socialists.
And for the Provisional Irish Republican Army later in the century, setting off bombs gained them nothing that could not have been gained more effectively with some other expressions of disapproval of conditions in Northern Ireland.
Violence did work for the Mujahidin in Afghanistan against the Russians, because a substantial number of people in Afghanistan were opposed to Russian soldiers having entered their country. Theoretically violence is supposed to work where guerrillas are recognized as fighting an oppressive and unpopular government. It is supposed to work against a foreign army viewed by people as occupiers. But it cannot work for a minority who lack public support. It will not work against local tribal leaders in Iraq who have the support of their people. It cannot produce gains for Islam in places like the Britain, Spain, the United States or any country where mass opinion would not see it as a liberating act against an oppressive enemy. If Hitler could not intimidate Britain with his bombing, which killed almost 7,000 people in September 1940, how could a bombing campaign by a few miserable terrorists do so?
As for rage and contempt for your enemies, it too is a product of naiveté and will not produce gains for Islam. Since the beginning of civilization variety in opinion has been the rule, and it is developed so among those who consider themselves Muslims. Variety of opinions will continue. There will always be people with opinions that differ from yours - too many of them for you to shut up. So cool off and save your rage, like you adjust to the weather.
address of this article: http://www.fsmitha.com/com/extremists.html