Lasting Peace.

One way to establish peace between the Christian West and Islamic extremists is to follow the example of Tony Blair in Northern Ireland.

Tony Blair manufactured a political solution to the violence.
By engaging the political wing of the I.R.A. (Sinn Fein) he was able to offer them power.  And all parties retired to their churches to pray for peace.

This model could be followed in the struggle between the West and Islamic extremists.

The first step is to engage their leadership, or their political wing, in dialogue.
First we must listen to what they truly believe.

[I believe that the problem is more economic than religious.  Which target did they choose on 9/11?  The World Trade Center (symbol of Western economic wealth) and the Pentagon (symbol of Western military supremacy).  This is the Western military/industrial machine which oppresses the rest of the world.]

But we must listen to what our enemies say.

Then we will be in a position to manufacture a solution - political or otherwise.

And then all parties should retire to their churches, their mosques, their synagogues and pray for peace.

This is one way, perhaps the only way, to establish a lasting peace.


Photo Credit: dougwoods via Compfight cc