What is important to understand is that Islam itself is not the problem, but Muslim extremists, who do not represent all of Islam.
Yes, it is important to recognize the cause of extremist growth.
Until you understand that, and attack the root of extremist thinking, and also understand who and why certain people are susceptible to extremist thinking, you will never be able to nip these extremist movements in the beginning.
Blame is actually useless.
Laws are useful, and prosecuting those who break the law is useful.
Getting extremist movements to combat other extremist movements, generally leads to racism, bigotry, etc.
If there were currently an extremist group who were Christians, who looked to the Bible and spun something to rationalize their violent movement...would that be the fault of Jesus or Moses, and Christians as a group?
Of course not.
If you want to stop the spread of anything that is dangerous, you have to understand what you are dealing with.
Did Japanese internment camps really help the US win the war against Japan? No. There is no evidence of that, which is why internment camps have been denounced for what they were.
Idiotic flame throwers like Mann Coulter with her "Convert them to Christianity or kill them" are extremist thinkers, and they do nothing but inflame situations.
"Christianity does not preach bombing."
The IRA were Catholic, and bombers. They were also extremists and terrorists.
Some extremists are violent and employ violence to promote their political causes.
Some Muslims are extremist and employ violence.
Therefore, Islam is the cause of extremism....just does not follow logically.
Why are there so many unemployed young men in the middle east, who get wrapped up in extremist movements?
That's the real question.
Quote from jem:
Now... we have this extremist label... and leftists are telling you that Americans are too stupid to understand its not Islams fault but the extremist brain...
I have a questions... if americans are too stupid... how dumb are the suicide bombers themselves... and if people are that dumb shouldn't we be holding the Imam's who preach that stuff accountable? I have no desire to hold all of Islam accountable... but lets blame the radical mosques at least.
optzz pieces is well written but you have to ask yourself if understanding the motivation matters.... because if you concern yourself with the motivation... you develop a society which rots from its core as pyshrinks tell you its not the criminals fault.
When you say oh McVeigh is an extermist and suicide bombers are extremists and then fail to a do an analysis of what really caused the behavior because its is not P.C. you have no chance of improving society.
Christianity does not preach bombing.
If a Christian preacher is preaching violence... he is immediately isolated... his preaching is not condoned by others.
McVeigh was not acting according to the teachings of Christian leaders. There are no Christian preachers teaching suicide bombings.
Yet we have liberals... after every act of terror firing off the articles for slate and CNBC and the times and everyone else immediately saying don't judge the teachings or what caused the mind set... look for some other cause..
to every situation we get a series of:
Don't blame the traitorous politician blame the electorate.
Don't blame the criminal who commits the act... blame the schools.
Don't blame the shooter blame the gun manufacturer
Don't blame the Imam who rotted the brain of the congregation and created suicide bombers... blame their lack of education or something else.
In short... don't blame anyone but the society you wish to hold responsible (and change so ) for some other reason.