Dear Forum Members,
Having gone over all of the posts on this topic, I realize that the biggest problem with Islam and the West is understanding of one another.
We all have baises that are predefined in us. The problem gets blown up when we stress on solving the problem from only one point of view. The problem between the west and terrorists ( I will not associate terrorism to any religion as none of them advocate violence) is that each of them are trying to impose their own version of the bias on one another.
The West wants to introduce Westerns Style democracy in the Arab and Islamic World, where as the terrorists see the re-birth of their version/interpretation of Islam in demolishing Western power.
What is the likelyhood of a Western Style democracy being successful in any Arab country. What works for one person does not neccessarily work for another, and here we are talking about chaning millions of peoples views. This can only come through self realization not by imposing it from the outside.
The same goes for the terrorist, their blind belief in their interpreation of faith is another for of imposed philosophy. What happened to the self realization and self understandign of faith.
Being a muslim my self who spent six years studyig in Canada and getting married to white Canadian (sorry for the mention of race) has helped me lots in understanding the world from both point of views. Now that I am working in Saudi Arabia, it is clear that the major problem in understanding one another.
Moderates from both worlds should work for and promote more open understanding and tolerence for each other. There is nothing wrong in having a differene of opinion but when it is imposed on one another we tend to react negatively.
Aren't teenagers and parents a good example of this.
Hoping to add to this constrcutive conversation.