7/7

My review of Milan Rai's book 7/7 was published in August's Red Pepper. I agree with him that the Iraq War led to 7/7. I also agree that the Sufi tradition of the majority of muslims in the UK is non violent and tolerent. I am sympathetic to 'neo-traditionalism' and opposed to both Salifist fundamentalism and the Euston Manifesto. I am less convinced that Milan really gets behind the bloodshed to the individual motives for horrible carnage.

Islam has a tradition of peace and diversity - writers like Seyyed Hossein Nasr have looked at Muslim approaches to ecology.




The choice is not betweeen hatred of Islam or acceptance of reactionary Islam: it is about dialogue and support and, where necessary, disagreement with Sufist traditional Islam.

I suppose this seems easy for me, as a Zen practioneer; I too belong to a tradition that has produced suicide bombers (see Zen at War) but such distinctions are vital. Neither Norman 'Normblog' Geras nor Galloway have the answer.

Let's strongly oppose Bin Laden/Salifism and the violence of the West and Israel.