Brussels

[LovelyLadyLux]

Just turning on the morning news here to the terrible tragedy that has happened in Brussels. Another God awful incident by the human plague of ISIS (although I'm not too sure the word 'human' should even be applied to them).

The writing is on the wall and if we don't beef up security soon and get ourselves INTO their enclaves especially in the cities more and more and this type of tragedy is going to happen. Seems obvious to me that Abdeslam was able and capable of moving about freely without fear knowing he was not going to be turned in to authorities.

Can't believe the suffering this has caused to so many. Another terribly sad tragic day.

[Grandad]

I am sure that the majority of Muslim people are good citizens but is it any wonder when someone like Abdeslam can live for all his life in what sounds like a Muslim district, and plan his vile actions, that there is so much Islamaphobia. You simply do not know who is living in our midst. And that being the case, the intelligence services have failed us...

[LovelyLadyLux]

Exactly Grandad. We can have ALL these terror strikes from those who are living next door and nobody seems to know anything. I find it hard to believe that other Muslims do not know WHO in their midst is preaching or practicing hate yet they are saying nothing yet wondering why the world is becoming fearful of all Muslims.

[Jayway]

Its about time we all turn into racists, bigots and islamaphobics, preferably before we lose our heads - - -

[Horus]

"He who sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind"
I have made this prediction many times and I will say it again, the rest of the world are getting seriously brassed off with what they perceive to be the adherents of Islam.
It is no good us all saying that there are many good Muslims, that will eventually count for nothing, in Germany there were no good Jews. Also it is no good all those ‘good’ Muslins telling us it is not really Islam because it is. It is just as much Islam as any other version of it is, its roots are in Islam, they adhere to the Koran and its teachings. OK they may have a different interpretation of it, but it is still their holy book and all the Hadiths are the same, they don’t have a different version because you cannot change the words of the Koran and there lies most of the problem. When you have a book that is based upon the words of some long dead prophet, a prophet who lived in another time and place, with cultural norms and practices that were so backward when placed in a modern context, then you have the basis of a major problem. Couple that with no senior person who speaks for all adherents of that faith and can guide the way, then you are left at the mercy of just about any mullah who interprets the Koran and Hadiths to mean exactly what he wants them to mean.

Just as in the Middle Ages the Catholic Pope could call upon all Christians to free Jerusalem from the Muslim hordes, we have a similar cry today from many branches of Islam. The main difference is that today the Pope would be ignored, we are free to question his actions and we are free to make our own judgement on the church and the bible. We are free to question the meaning and the writings within that particular book, we can put alternatives to those beliefs and indeed if you are a King you can even write your own version. All of this is impossible within a religion that insists upon basing its beliefs in another time and place and will accept no deviation or modernisation, it is set in stone forever. For Islam to gain respect and be accepted it must revise its base tenets and disregard those that have no place in a modern world, the modern Christian world would denounce any call for a ‘Crusade’ and as such Muslims should denounce any idea of ‘Jihad’ being acceptable in the modern world.

I make no excuse for despising any religion as just a crutch for the feeble minded, why anyone would want to ‘submit’ to any god is beyond my comprehension. Religion in all its forms has been responsible for more death and destruction throughout our history, at one time it was the Christians, then the Catholics, and now we have the religion of Islam that is the perpetrator of most of the ills of the world today whether or not it is a twisted version of that faith or not. I am 100% certain that even without a god to worship I am just as righteous as the next man of any denomination or faith, the one difference is that I do not have a god to fight for on his behalf or to be offended by him being being ridiculed in some way and as such would consider myself to be the better person for that.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I see they've caught a couple of these criminals and have named them. Seems they were known to police as criminals. Interesting they were brothers again.

The best reaction to terrorist is not to react and to continue life as before.

Practically though I do think that 'no go' zones MUST be eliminated. There should be no more praying in the streets and stopping traffic. You can pray anywhere you want whenever you want but NOT to the point where you're stopping traffic. I'd hope this would help FORCE integration and I really think that is what is needed.

[Horus]

The best reaction is to clamp down hard on extremists wherever you find them, whether that be hate preachers, activists or those that go abroad for training or run websites and I would go as far as to say anyone who frequents these sort of websites. The punishment should be harsh with no pussy footing around, if you are connected to these people you are just as guilty if you say nothing or give them shelter or support, then long imprisonment or extradition should be the norm. As it is a global problem the world should get together, buy a remote island, turn it into a super secure place and then any terrorist of any country could be sent there for life, a sort of Devils Island.

[LovelyLadyLux]

I don't disagree. I think there needs to be a separate category under the law for terrorists and/or terror activities. IF you're a terrorist you're NOT going to get any appointed lawyers and all the benefits of our law. You're going to be deal with very quickly, harshly and then isolated somewhere where you can't hurt anybody else. And if you're relegated to some remote place you'll be totally FREE to practice your religion in any way you want.

IF we'd punish those who are guilty quickly and hard it is the lesson for everybody else. Right now even if you go out and kill massive numbers of people we basically treat you with kid gloves AND I'm more than positive ALL THE TERRORISTS know this!!

[Horus]

The best laugh is that the guy they arrested said he will fight extradition to France and intends to sue because the information that he intended to blow himself up but chickened out was made public The mind boggles, just throw him in a van and send him to France, no infringement of HIS rights, who gives a toss, he never considered anyone elses right to live and not be blown up or gunned down by a religious fanatic, just string the ******* up or better still fix up his suicide belt and detonate him in a public park surrounded by the viewing public.

[Grandad]

I watched a very good Panorama programme on BBC1 last evening about the planning for the Paris bombing and shootings last November. And with some last minute editing they included links of the Paris organisers to the Brussels carnage. It is worth watching because the Beeb did get well into some background info.

It did however raise some questions in my mind about the whole IS thing. The programme illustrated how incredibly well organised they are and the vast numbers involved in things like planning. I believe a figure of 1400 was mentioned. But the thoughts that came to my mind were, is this really a religion based organisation or do they simply use religion to indoctrinate those who become suicide bombers in the belief that it is Allahs will? I am more inclined to believe that this is all about power. Power to inflict as much pain on those who have more and are better off than most in Islamic countries. I have no doubt there is a sick will to dominate much of the world but this is done under the guise of Islam to hide the perverted desire for power over peace loving people......

[Horus]

You could use the same argument for any religious based war, no doubt that many Crusaders only went for the rewards they could get, the same for the men of the Catholic Conquistador armies, most of them were murdering thugs, but at the root of both of those armies were the religious zealots who form the base of such beliefs. So although there may be some truth in what you say I am not convinced that the main reason behind Daesh is the desire for an Islamic State although within that organisation I am sure that there are those that are doing things out of self interest and are happily using the religious fanatics as expendable cannon fodder to further their own agenda.