Do you think an impending war between the West and Islam is unavoidable ?
155044
The west is already at war with a small segment of Islam. The question is, will Islam go to war with itself and extinguish the radical element, or will mainstream Islam join the radicals.\n\nPeople should recognize that huge percentages of muslims are non practicing and don't even go to mosque. This is especially true in Europe where some estimates show 80% of the muslim population not really formally participating.
774503
I am afraid not. It will come down to fighting them here on our own soil before some ppl. will wake up. Are you ready?\n\nNotme--sometimes it's not our choice.
369783
I see a wide scale war, but not a World War in the traditional sense. I see the European countries very reluctant to join any war, since all of the wars were on European soil, i think they learned their lessons from all the devastation. However, I don't see the US and the islamic countries on the right foot. This "war on terror" is for a reason, especially since there are leaked documents that Bush wanted the US to attack Iran before it attacked Iraq. \nSo you have the US and Britain on one side and pretty much the Islamic world on the other side.\nThe US and Britain's objection is to dominate the Islamic countries and to establish the "rule of law, democracy" which in plain English means "take away all the natural resources from the Islamic countries", and on the other hand the Islamic countries would want to establish their dominance in Asia, Africa and parts of Europe as they once had and establish their fundamental (read extreme) rule of law.\nSo conflict is surely brewing, how large will it be, it depends how many countries will support the US and Britain, and how many more countries will support (iran, pakistan, afghanista, indonesia, egypt...)
266377
Prepare yourself for the unthinkable: war against Iran may be a necessity. THE UNIMAGINABLE but ultimately inescapable truth is that we are going to have to get ready for war with Iran. \n\nThe unavoidable reality is that we now need urgently to steel ourselves to the ugly probability that diplomacy will not now suffice: one or way or another, unconscionable acts of war may now be unavoidable. \n\nThose who say war is unthinkable are right. Military strikes, even limited, targeted and accurate ones, will have devastating consequences for the region and for the world. \n \n\nIf Iran gets safely and unmolested to nuclear status, it will be a threshold moment in the history of the world, up there with the Bolshevik Revolution and the coming of Hitler. \n\n\nAnd the kind of society we live in and cherish in the West, a long way from Tehran or Damascus, will change beyond recognition. We balk now at intrusive government measures to tap our phones or stop us saying incendiary things in mosques. Imagine how much more our freedoms will be curtailed if our governments fear we are just one telephone call or e-mail, one plane journey or truckload away from another Hiroshima. \n\nSomething short of military action may yet prevail on Iran. Perhaps sanctions will turn their leadership from its doomsday ambitions. Perhaps Russia can somehow be persuaded to give them an incentive to think again. But we can’t count on this optimistic scenario now. And so we must ready ourselves for what may be the unthinkable necessity.
179842
No.  That much is obvious at this point.  It will be a war in the end, I fear, The majority will win but it will be a bloodbath with many innocents losing their lives in the process.
132395
Absolutely!  A few years ago I had the opportunity to work with several Yemenis and Saudis.  They are the salt of the earth; hard-working, family men, always eager to learn.  And I could always count on them to show up for work stone cold sober.\nWe often discussed the differences between the cultures of the Middle East and the Western world.  Though they didn't like some of the things they saw in the West (this was in Hawai'i), they unanimously had NO desire whatsoever to use violence to change it.  They completely accepted the fact that the West was different, and they could live with that.\nI think that this is the case in most of the Muslim world; since then I've traveled to Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Oman.  In my experience Muslims are overwhelmingly generous and kind people, even if they disagree with the customs of the Western nations.
273612
If it does it most definatly will be the WAR to end all wars. \nThis war has been on the cards for generation's. \noh its gonna happen and i will tell you why I think this, the ordinary Muslim people Cannot have a say in their own country. \nNot because they dont want to its because they have no choice. \nTheir Fanatical leaders teach nothing but FEAR,HATE,and LOATHING. for the western world.\nThis war will happen one day, hopefully we will not be here when it does.
1082187
Maybe coz then the western people would come to know of the united strength of Muslims and the western powers fear the ideal system of governance Caliphate has to offer. In addition, I think the western powers are afraid that the negative impressions they have spread about Islam would vanish from Western people's hearts when they see an ideal and just government system.
118288
"It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims." Abdelrahman al-Rashid, columnist for al-Sharq al-Awsat, Saudi Arabia.\n\nI don't think we in the west consider all of the Islamic Ummah to be a threat. For instance, the Muslims of Bosnia tend to be even somewhat fond of us, since it was western countries that liberated the Kosovars and others, and kept the peace. And the west has had good relations with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.\n\nBut there certainly is a strong militant movement within Islam, and I think we are correct to see in this a threat. Even if there are only a few hundred thousand muslims in the world who think that flying planes into buildings is a noble act, or that the guys who blew up subways with backpacks were heroes, that's still a few hundred thousand people who are willing to use violence to harm us.\n\nWe would be foolish to ignore that threat, sadly.
608717
Only for the most radical and extreme elements of the Islam nations. Most rational people in that part of the world know that only bad things happen when WMD's are "in play". Being the cynic that I am, I could foresee all kinds of social and political unrest between the extremists and contemporary citizens, that is IF they stand up to the extemists....we'll see, if not, Holy Sh*t (no pun intended).
108667
We are not going to have a WWIII anytime soon.  The polarization that affected the world in the 20th century is not present.  Democracies rarely if ever go to war with one another.  Since almost the entire worlds wealth is in 10 countries, all democracies, I do not see a political conflict ever arising.  The only wild card is China. When they do rise to economic and military prominence, there could be a destabilization of Asia.  If they also convert to a social democracy there will be no real threat of a world war.\n\nCulturally there is a war, between Jedo-Christianity and Islam.  The birthrate in European countries is so low that their Islamic immigrants will outnumber the original inhabitants of France, Italy, and Germany in 100 years.  The distinct differences beftween the cultures will have to blur or there will be another holocaust, which side will do it, who knows?  Remember Bosina-Herzogovina??  Orthodox Christians decimating and raping muslims to wipe them out.   If nations are pushed to the brink of extinction, they will use all means available.  Another cultural wildcard, India.\n\nNo one knows what will happen, I just hope that the Israeli-Palestinian confllict is resolved fairly and justly for both sides, that moderate and tolerant religeous leaders of all faiths prevail, instead of the fear and hatred that is growing all over the world.  \n\nI have hope, that with no facist or expansionist communist regime with any money or resources, our world will eventually learn to be at relative peace.
451961
The arguments against a war are formidable.    Those who say we shouldn't send our boys (and girls) to some far off land to die are right.  Those who say war will increase Middle East violence are right. Those who say war is unthinkable are right.\n\nMilitary strikes, even limited ones, will have devastating consequences for the region and the world.\n\nAll the arguments are fearful and powerful. But taken together, squared, then cubed, they don't come close to matching the case to stop a rogue leader from acquiring nuclear power...especially one espousing apocolyptical Islamic fundalmentalism.\n\nIf Iran gets safely and unmolested to nuclear status, it will be a threshold event up there with the coming of Hitler and the Bolshevik Revolution.\n\nAm i ready for another war?  Not really, but i guess we must steel ourselves for the UNTHINKABLE NECESSITY.
889904
It seems so. The USA with the blessings from Pope and the backing of the Zionist Jews has been raising almost a crusade and claims that it would last another 40 years. It seems that till the last Muslim is killed the UK/USA duo will not live in peace. Oil could be the immediate gain but the ultimate target is annihilation of the Islamic community. It is also written in the Quran that by 2011 the Islamic community may be finished. But we pray for peace and China will hit the last nail into the coffin!
590798
I think you have a point, but there is another alternative.\n\nThere are *different* interpretations of Islam.  Right now, the "let's kill anyone who we think is in our way" is winning in most circles, and (obviously), this attitude isn't going to lead to peace in the Middle East or anywhere else!\n\nIslam isn't going away.  It is probably more realistic to hope that the more moderate voices are heard (before they're killed off by the extremist elements).
714071
Personally, I believe Israel has the right to exist but at the same time Palestine's rights are being violated by not existing. If you read Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations", he'll say yes, this war is a clash between Western civilization and Islamic civilization. Much of this conflict, according to him, was brushed under the carpet during the Soviet era both the Islamic World and the West were fighting communism. Do I agree with him? Not really, but he does bring up some strong points.\n\nThe West (particularly the US) interfered to a great extent in the Islamic World in the post- WW2 era and supported some very corrupt regimes such as the Shah's government in Iran. Many of the governments of this time were Arab Nationalist, but people got tired of these governments with their abuse and corruption and turned to Islamist governments. In some instances, the US encouraged the Islamists because some of the Arab Nationalists were too anti-American for their tastes. Israel is the most blatant example of Western interferance because the US uses it as its foothold in the Middle East, to the resentment of the rest of the Arab World especially since they were so thoroughly defeated during the Six Days War in 1967 because throughout most of Middle Eastern history Jews and Christians have lived in Islamic states without a lot of abuse. So, really, the West cannot be considered innocent of the current situation in the Middle East and though, of course, much of it is a reflection of events occurring there, a large part of it is a reaction against the West and Western ideology.
143493
Yes, it is more then possible that World War III could be coming. It is not as close as you think. Muslims around the world are angry at the European Nations whos free press printed the caricatures. Many of those European Nation's have high muslim minority populations. Their Governments must decide between a free press or respect of Qu'ran law which states that Muhammad is never to be depicted. The Third World War will no doubt be religiously related with Russia and China on the side of the extreme muslims.
775409
The Middle East IS overrun with terrorists. Where have you been? Europe seems to be stocking up on white flags. all out war is a definite possibility. That's why we should do everything possible to stop them now. If we don't, they will only get stronger & the war, when (not if) it comes will be bloodier.