So Abu Hamza is a bad man and got 7 years....out after a couple. The whole world is up in arms one way or the other. Freedom of speech is at stake and the press say they should have the right to write what they want. Islam and the Muslim world has been offended by the printing of cartoons that are pretty insulting. So where to now? Further polarization of the global society is ongoing. Our "leaders" seem at odds as to what to do. Mudslinging abounds. The papers were wrong. Some of the militant protests by some Muslims were equally appalling.

I don't know what the answer is. What I do think is that we, in the West, need to make sure our side of the street is clean before we start taking the "moral' highground. I'm not sure that this out pouring of anger is entirely due to the "cartoons", though they are certainly part of it. Remember that Islam transcends political and country borders. Looking back, even in recent history, the West's dealing with the Middle East have been pretty heavy handed. Our dealings with the Palestinians and the Israelis do appear to be pretty one-sided. The formation of Iraq, the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, the failure to protect Muslims in Bosnia et al - and all this is not to mention some of the intricacies in our oil dealings. There are countless other examples of what could be taken to be "Western" interference etc.

Now what strikes me is how peeved I get some of the time at Western leaders. Bush and Bliar constantly irritate me. Yet they have not "invaded" my land and, Bliar at least, has been elected by my own people. How would I feel for example if say, Pakistan or China, for example, tried to tell my country it could not pursue a nuclear programme? Or maybe if Russia invaded because they beleived Bliar was a facist dictator...errr....hmmmm....maybe not such a good example! I get angry enough with Sepp Blatter sticking his nose in over the football and would quite happily give him a piece of my mind!! If he had been constantly interfering over the last 50 or 100 years or more, and in such an infuriatingly heavy handed way I might well be moved to give him a bop on the snout!! Would my action be justified? No, probably not. Would they be understandable? Yes sir!!! (I think anyway!!)

I'm not trying to condone the loss of life or the rioting etc over these cartoons. All I'm thinking is it is so easy to sit back an condemn it wholeheartedly and then not look to the lessons to be learned. It's not as if Christianity has not been through the same thing. Pre Descartes peeps were quite often damaged for even thinking of studying humans in a scientific manner!! Like I say I'm not trying to condone, but I do think we should do all we can not to create a breeding groung for the extreme elements. Perhaps the press might even stand up and occasionally do a positive story on Islam!