Blind hatred and religious fanaticism

In July 2005, a group of young British Muslims bombed the London mass transit system, killing 52 and injuring many more. They claimed they were merely retaliating against the killing of Iraqi Muslims by the coalition forces. "Until you stop bombing, gassing and torture my people, we will not stop the fight," vowed one of the bombers in a pre-recorded video statement.

This perverted logic cannot hide the fact that it is extremist Sunnis who are bombing the Shiites in Iraq. Sunni extremists have bombed Shiite mosques filled with worshippers and schools and markets crowded with children and women. And the only person responsible for gassing Iraqis is Saddam Hussein, who used poison gas against Kurdish Muslims. Recently, the Sunni extremists destroyed the Golden Mosque, one of the holiest Shiite shrines. Now the Shiites are retaliating by attacking Sunni mosques. In both cases, it is Sunni and Shia fanatics who are slaughtering each other.

Religious extremists are also spreading their gospel of hatred around the world. Now they are using the Internet to poison young and impressionable minds. Hatred is a powerful tool to incite people to commit acts of extreme violence. But the Internet can also be a useful tool to promote understanding between different religious groups. In Iraq, moderate Sunnis and Shias should be encouraged to use the Internet to oppose violence and promote understanding between the two Muslims sects. It is a great pity that while calling themselves Muslims, the Sunnis and the Shiites are blinded by hatred and killing each other. During Saddam Hussein's reign of terror, the Sunni minority brutalised the Shiite majority to maintain their total grip on power. Now having lost their hold on power, the Sunni minority are murdering the Shiite majority with a viciousness never seen in the long brutal history of Iraq. This cycle of hatred between two Muslim groups must end. The Sunni and Shia fanatics must not be allowed to continue their butchery of innocent Iraqi women and children.

As for the Palestinians, they should stop shooting each other before they can ask for international support.