Racial/ religion harmony

Due to the fact that im really bored and the recent outroar over the mohammed's cartoon, i feel compelled to add my 2 cents worth of thought to it. I was sourcing the net for the controversial pictures and finally found it and this is how it looks like.

Disclaimer: by reproducing the cartoon is by no means of disrespecting the muslim religion. on contrary, its my small attempt to vindicate the uproar caused by the aggrieved muslims.

You just have to hand it to the danish newspaper for publishing something so controversial and irrelevant. The bomb clearly depicts terrorism and islam goes hand in hand. What blasphemy! surely a highly literate and modern country like Denmark will have more sense than to publish such a picture?

Agree that some of the terrorism are caused by muslims. however it be foolhardy to attribute all the acts of terrorism to muslims and islamic teachings. first and foremost, im certain that NO religions be it islam, christianity, catholic, buddhist, hinduism etc preaches violence as a way to end violence. far from the truth, i actually find islam teachings very agreeable.

Being in the insurance line, i have the privilege and what i genuinely consider my good fortune to know many muslim clients. they are always so welcoming and warmth in extending their invitations to me. we dont view each other as a form of business transaction but more friends. a young, inexperienced agent like me normally incite distrust and contempt from other races including my own-chinese. no such things for my muslim clients thou. without attempting to over generalise the malay population, i indeed does feel that they are really trusting to friends. come on.. just go downt to any beaches during weekends in singapore. u can see countless malay families having small picnics and campings around. what im trying to convey is that malays enjoy each other company and would prefer quiet picnics than to boogy away or even worse, rattle their machine guns and set off dymanites.

I am aware that singaporean muslims are living in vastly different conditions as their counterparts in poorer and tougher countries. but one must agree that part of the current wave of terrorism are caused by the western countries including america. while their idea of maintaining peace is highly righteous and noble, one must wonder if it is indeed better to maintain a policy of non-intervention in certain contexts.

Crime rates in America is one of the highest u can find in the world. we dont however find any countries offering to extend "expert" help to eradicate the crimes. what im trying to say is it is totally unfair and biased to condemn a religion based on certain unfortunate episodes. i understand those poor victims of 9-11 have no right to suffer such a premature and unfortunate demise. but neither do those in iraq, iran, north korea who have had to suffer the might of the westernised countries' bombs and firepower.

I emphatise with america to a certain extent. it have risk jeopardising its entire economy by participating in so many wars in an attempt to maintain order in the world. left to their own vices, most countries will simply degenerate and regress to an era of violence, crimes, hate and killings. the western countries i fear have come too far to simply pull out of the contentious zones. the seed of hatred and violence have been sowed. what i lament is why cant such countries be left to fend for themselves in the beginning? singapore recieved no help when it seek to put down the maria-hertogh racial riots. vietnam inspite of the best intentions from america in the vietnamese war, coast through their time of pain and sufferings and is now a complete countries on the path to recovery. South africa once plagued by racial tension is doing just fine. China has decide to rid itself slowly of its communist origin and embrace capitalism. slowly but surely many such countries are picking up their feet and crawling towards a better life and with little intervention or "help" from america and its allies.

this does not seems possible for countries like iraq anymore.. the grievances felt by them towards western countries are too great and will not dissipate in the short run. america and their allies cannot abscond now as their previous misdeavours will not be forgiven. what looks set to continue is a vicious and continuous cycle of hate and violence.. if only, what could have been....?