about a hundred years after the muslims of spain decided to become introspective, to purify their faith, there were no muslims left there.

A few centuries after the muslims in the middle east followed the same pattern, it leads to where we are now, through many bloody periods where people such as ibn wahaab took the purification to such degrees that they considered it not only halaal, but their duty to shed the blood of other muslims who had a different Aqeedah (they considered them mushrik).

So why is it that muslim scholars find this instropection by muslims to be such a beautiful thing?

">http://www.hdislam.com/video/13/Jinnah]

Murder is wrong. We all know that, right? So it's easy to say that it should be condemned.

We can take that one step further, when there is a murder, organisations and people should get out there and let people know they will not stand for such things. They should issue a condemnation, right?

And then when there is another murder the next day they should do the same again. The day after that too, inevitably there will be another murder. There may even be multiple murders in a day! (the world is a big place)

However this gets tiring - even for those simply reading the condemnations on a clock-like basis- and then just updating a press release on a daily basis would be crass and ignored by everyone as well, it is issues only so often.

And if you want them to do something, the best way is to step up and take ownership yourself.

People are busy and if you think a better job can be done, step up to the plate and show people how instead of just bitching about it. It may be appreciated more than donating a quid or two whenever there is a collection too (not that the two activities are exclusive.)

Something I was linked to earler and spent the last 45 minutes watching - very good, even if you are not interested in oil.

It has humour and knowledge.

What surprised me was how World War 1 was NOT started by the assassination of a nobody, but by the British invasion of Iraq. (about 4 minutes into part 2)

Part 1:
">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQhhrzHKMhI]

Part 2:
">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqHKwlHwXbI]

A popular question seems to be to ask where are the muslim scientists? followed by much lamenting about the glory days of muslim scientists and how Muslims are not progressing.

Well, I have news - there are still plenty of Muslim scientists, businessmen, pioneers in the world. You just don't hear of them as much because they are working.

There are many Muslim scientists. They just do not have the recognition as muslims because they do not work in the middle east. Instead, many work for multinational corporations such as GLaxoSmithKline, Shell, IBM, intel, AMD and many others, or even have prestigious research positions at universities.

Richard Dawkins, even since writing a book titled "The Selfish Gene" has been a proponent of memes as a form of social evolution.

A meme has no physical existence and is just ideas, practices or symbols transmitted in some sort of viral manner from person to person, community to community.

It is a clever idea that through interaction with others societies adapt, evolve and change, exchanging ideas, transmitting knowledge and adapting to other changes. And on paper it all sounds great.

From Wikipedia:

">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5k-jotksSM]

Befriend an extremist - because they're worth it.

Once upon a time there was a man. He was angry, murderous even. He decided to act on his rage and set off to find his target. When he arrived, He accepted Islam. He was Umar ibn al-Khattāb.

If someone so angry, so enraged by Islam can have a change of heart, why can't other non-muslims who are less angry? I think it is time to engage them with dialogue.

"Operation Peace and Love" is to join such groups and then... be nice. Give answers where possible and these are ripe hunting grounds for people who are afraid or angry for the wrong reasons.

This is moved from comments in Fighting fire with fire with some amendments and additions etc and has been posted to a couple of Casuals United Facebook Groups.

Questions from a few people over at http://www.therevival.co.uk/blogs/beast/fighting-fire-with-fire :

1. Why are Muslims bad people?

2. What aspects of the British way of life are threatened by Muslims?

3. Do you think that Anjem Choudry is representative of British Muslims?

4. Do British Muslims need liberating from themselves? Should women be forced to abandon wearing what they want to if it is a headscarf?

5. Why do you feel threatened by a building which is not insulting you, nor demanding you to even acknowledge it.