Dear All,

Like Uncle Dave, Scott Yee, and others who bring happiness into the lives of people on a daily basis by providing entertainment, we as a civilization have done the same for the world in a our own way. Like it is easy for the audience to overlook the hardwork and painstaking sacrifices made by Uncle Dave and Scott Yee to provide the entertainment, I believe that the Islamic world is overlooking the hardwork and painstaking sacrifices made by our peoples in lieu of our broad smiles, and happy-go-lucky attitudes, or the portrayal thereof.
What I am going to say is what my eyes have seen for years and my mind has begun to fathom today. Without going into too many details, I will reference a part of my life which will bring light to what is happening right now in our world. I have lived in the middle east for 15 years of my life. In light of the WTC bombings I put forth my personal observation.
First of all, through my experience, generally (there are always exceptions) , I have found middle easterners to be racist ( not black and white like in states, but a xenophobic and against non-Islamics racism), unaware of the sacrifices it has taken to build countries like the US and Canada (because they more or less fell into the cradle of oil without going through the motions of building a civilization), ignorant of the social sacrifices that need to be made to tolerate people of other ethnicities, and religions, ignorant of the sacrifices that have been made by peoples in civilized countries to maintain the “peace” between the various ethnicities. As well, I have found Islam the way it is practiced in the middle east, specifically, to be a “hate-builder” against non islamics, and islamics of different flavours (Iranis for example). Literally, the Islam practiced in the middle east is a daily dosage of hate, injected into the peoples minds for the rest of the non islamic world. I believe the Islam practiced in Canada and US is relatively tamer since Islamics who have come here have realized the heart aches and painstaking sacrifices made by the peoples of these countries to build these countries to what they are today. As well, they have realized that an all out holy war will only be to their own detriment.
Secondly, development wise most of the peoples living in the middle east are not ready for civilization as we know it in the western world. Theirs is a recent transition from nomadic life to sudden riches through oil excavation.
Thirdly, the middle east has united against the rest of the world ONLY due to the American presence there. Without the American presence in the middle east (Saudia Arabia), there would be NO unity there, just all out war against each other. There are plenty rivalries between the arab countries to continue war for years to come. These will not be fueled by religion but by economic resources, or lack thereof.
Fourthly, I will say that the practice of Islam in the middle east is mostly for political purposes, to unite the people against the rest of the world. It has little to do with Social Development, Individual Development, keeping the peace, and our relationship with GOD. My personal experiences (talks with influential islamics) in trying to strike spiritual exchanges with moslems in that part of the world invariably led into how the rest of the world was trying to destroy islam rather than the individuals relationship to God, and the individuals responsibility to God.
Finally, I will say that this “Terrorism” has little to do with God, and our relationship to God, but with the distribution of resources, and the perception of the Western world in the eyes of the middle easterners.
In conclusion, for those Islamics that are genuinely fighting a jihad or holy war, I will recommend that the US and Canada create marketing campaigns to enlighten the world of the sacrifices that were made by God-fearing peoples, and by all peoples, to build these countries to what they are today, of the self control and tolerance practiced by peoples here to keep the peace on a daily basis. As well, I will recommend that we learn about the daily atrocities occuring in the world, that make the WTC bombing look like a bee sting, and NOT take for granted the peace that is so fragile here. We as a people need to create awareness in our peoples about the peace that is so unique and beautiful and precious in our countries that we take for granted, that peoples of some countries rarely get to experience. Most of all, we as a people need to advertise the amount of hardwork, planning, tolerance, patience and FAITH in GOD that goes into building countries like ours, so that the rest of the world doesn’t take us for granted, and does not have the wrong impression that we are living a life of hedonism and bohemianism (that is usually advertised through our movies (windows to our world) to the rest of the world) without hard work, restraint, and without GOD.
We have the obligation to let the rest of the world know that a civilization such as ours cannot exist without the FAITH in GOD that our peoples already have. We have the obligation to let the people of the world know that behind the glamor, and Rambo, Termintor, showbiz hollywood façade, we are a hardworking, God-Fearing, and tolerant peoples.
There is a lot more in mind that I want to say, however, I don’t want to create a thesis, but just to provide a snippet of my experiences with the peoples of that part of the world, in hopes that it will shed some light on the recent events.

Sincerely

P.S. I am a God-loving man, but do not attribute myself to any one religion. I believe in the right of every individual to find and communicate with God on his/her own terms. Furthermore, I don’t believe in imposing my own way upon others, but facilitating there unique way by providing a window into my personal struggle for finding God.
To the administrators of this forum, I apologize for posting this message on this forum, that it has nothing to do with arrangers or music, I hope that you will forgive in light of the recent events.

Well spoken.(written)
Remember - God did NOT invent religion. People did. Your faith is what God wants...not books and man-made rules. He made the rules, and there were really only two.....remember?
1) Love your God above all
2) Love your neighbor as yourself

2 ways to sure fire peace and happiness.

And to add a little I wish to say that to love God for many is to love love . If theres a difference I would choose love. I do not fear God I delight in Love. I even came to the realisation that if I love for Gods sake it is not love. If I love out of fear it is fear. I like the topic and I love the awareness that fear is the opposite to love and as such much of our responses will be unloving or if you wish unGodly. I will re read your topic later. Pierce in Ireland.

Thanks for your responses.
Uncle Dave: I support those two rules. And believe that is the way towards peace and social advancement. Unlike some peoples thoughts, science would not exist were it not for the peace created by those two rules. I believe science and knowledge of God go hand in hand, and like energy and matter, are one, but in different phases.

Flowersupply: I agree with you, I wanted to convey "God Loving" rather than "God Fearing", as my P.S. mentions.

I re read your post and it is interesting -- I sincerely did not wish to draw attention to the word fear in your post I merely used the chance to underline love and fear.I see another opportunity to comment also in relation to making people aware of the road we travelled so to speak and I am leaning towards loving peolple into spontanoeus loving.I am aware of so many instances where people I know were loved to wholeness and indeed where regimes were toppled with love. I am aware that love is not only some "little" idea of a God it stands out on its own disarming and drawing us. I say this because it seems to get slotted in as a God thing and in many cases there are so many different Gods for people and no God for some and some have a God that perhaps they are trying to teach how to get it right. With absolutely no disrespect to anybodys God I am now clear that love stands out as a winner even if one has no God and dare I say it even if there never is a God. So I am really underlining the Global love that is not teachable but when we use it we find that people respond. In working with victims of abuse and violence I became aware that, to listen is to love, to ask the "terrorist" how do you feel now and perhaps keep his/her candle alight untill it is visable, is to love, to throw my arms around one of my foster daughters when she nearly choked another one of the girls(letting her know that I knew she was in pain and letting her feel it with my support) is to love. In that particular case it was the first time that she got in touch with it all - prior to that she got indifferent as people condemned her and gave out to her. So how to get a balance between talking to people and letting them know our ideas and our frustrations and indeed our hard efforts and to listen to them.I am aware that there are ways to minimise "terrorism" but they are largely untried. Every human being is loveable and loving. The idea "love your enemies" has been largly misused and misinterpreted. We have been led to believe that it is to do with " because God Said so" -- but it is not a command it is a loving suggestion that if we do all will be "well" and if we dont neither them or us will be well. So as I have talked on a bit am I really loving you at all. So the question is I suppose how to love our enemies and what is love. I have simply talked on and on and this is not listening so there you are. Pierce in top gear --slow down Pierce.