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Of course, there is a need to distinguish between the 'terrorist', real or potential, and the use of terrorism as a political weapons.  This is necessarily so, considering the fact that the state or government, will and does uses the weapons of terrorism to pursue its own objectives,when it considers it expedient to do so.. When Israel invaded Gaza on the last occasion, who can deny that, doing so in the manner in which it did, would have terrorised large if not every part of the population? We can multiply this example to include all wars - whether or not they were seen as 'legitimate' ones - as acts of terror and there fore as a way of terrorising the innocent populations caught up in them. It would have been the case when the Americans invaded Iraq in 2003, eg, and when the western coalition invaded Libya, when Saudi Arabia and its coalition began their on-going bombing against the Yemenis, and when the French went into Mali. Terrorism, whether perpetrated

Following the deadly terrorist attack in the Belgium capital of Brussels this week, which resulted in the deaths of at least 31 innocent people and over 250 others being injured, and the later disclosure on Face Book of an Israeli soldier shooting an immobile alleged Palestinian knife attacker,  someone has posed the question: Should Europe take a page out of Israel's method of dealing with terrorism? Similarly, the president of Turkey, Erdogan, has also sought to capitalize on the tragedy, by restating that, in effect, 'a terrorist' is a 'terrorist', and that there should be no distinction. In putting forward his expedient argument, Mr Erdogan will doubtlessly have in mind his renewed vicious war with the PKK and its supporters; a war in which the Turkish state is showing no hesitancy in ruthlessly prosecuting against both the PKK fighters and their supporters all along the spectrum.  President Erdogan, he put forward his argument, will also have in mind th

This is a rather noisy video of a moment in time at the Pontcysyllte Acqueduct. Have a look at it, and see what you think! OWOHROD

Trying to resolve the child protection enigma Recent I was listening to a morning programme on Radio 4 - a British Broadcasting Corporation radio station - when I heard someone who has access to a recent investigation into the issue of child sexual exploitation rubbishing the police about their perceived ignorance in dealing with this crime. This woman was rather patronising, and gave the impression that young police officer were out of their depth in trying to deal with this problem, and that, consequently, they were not competently dealing with the issue. Now, normally, I do take a critical approach pertaining to matters involving the police, which is probably a reflection of my social worker background, and emphasis on being an agent of social change, rather than one of social control, which, probably unfortunately, places the police further along the  right of the control spectrum.  But, notwithstanding this starting point, I did feel that this was further evidence of what co

Let there be peaceful coexistence between people, and not religious-driven strife! First America, then Britain, then France and now, Belgium. But long before any of these countries experienced, at home, the merciless sword of Islamic extremism, hundreds of thousands of people, Muslim people, had themselves been put to the sword of what I consider to be a deformed and virulent form of Islamic extremism. More Muslims than people of any other religious faiths, have been killed, injured and oppressed by other Muslims, both of the 'terrorist kind' such as Al Queda, Daesh and/or IS, and of the nation state kind, such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Sudan, and others which apply the harsher forms of Sharia laws. Islamic extremism is on the march in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and America.  Yes, except for the Middle East and parts of Africa - such as Nigeria and Mali - the foot soldiers of IS and Al Queda might not be moving about in their thousands and tens of thousands,

A view of Malta, where Islam and Christianity came into contact Once again, the demonic soldiers of a version of Islam which many of thought and many more had hoped, had died  some centuries ago, along with Christian crusades, are stalking the Middle East, Africa, Asia, America and, now, Europe. The latest outrage in Belgium, which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives and injuries to innocent people is just the latest chapter of this perfidious battle being waged by these Islamic fanatics, in their attempt to 'make Islam great again.' As I write the words 'innocent people', I cannot but be mindful of the fact that this demonic version of Islam, as practised by Daesh, IS and Al Queda, has no meaning, because, for them, the only lives which have value are those of the spurious Jihadis who would sacrifice their own miserable lives in the pursuit of killing and maiming those who do not pay allegiance to their, the Jihadists' vile doctrine and god. In oth

Aspiring towards a better life?! President Obama, the President of the United States of America is currently visiting the inspirational island of Cuba, which is a de facto jewel in 20th Century revolutionary history. Of course, Cuba, before it became a pariah for her giant American neighbour to the north, has had a quite illustrious history in fighting against slavery and Spanish and American colonialism. Had it not had the good fortune to be separated by 90 miles of the North Atlantic Ocean, Cuba might have suffered  the same fate as Mexico, in having her territory appropriated by the United States, as this already massive country try to gain more land mass. And now, after over 50 years of imposing a cruel and spiteful embargo of direct and indirect sanctions on the people of Cuba, in an attempt to bring to heal Fidel Castro's Revolutionary Government, President Obama, the first African-American President, and Raul Castro, the second President of Cuba, have brought ab

The historic Lichfield Cathedral, UK. According to Psalm 14:1 of the Christian Bible, 'The fool says in his heart' , "Their is no God."  The inference is therefore that there is a god or gods. This might be reassuring for Christians and others who do believe in the existence of a prescient god, yet, an alternative and probably scientific approach to contemplating whether or not such a god/s exist, might be to begin by asking the question: Is there such a god? Or even to stipulate that such a god does not exist. Today is Sunday, and millions of Christians will be making their regular journey to their churches to meet with each other and give praises and thanks to god, while beseeching him/her, again, to heal the sick, protect those who are at risk of harm, and to bring peace to the conflicted people and areas of the world. The congregations of these churches will be made up of people of all races, nations, genders and ages, with all of them having one thing in