An Open Message To Those Who Hate Us

We don’t hate you - we are horribly, horribly saddened that you are driven to these awful acts.

However, if you can’t abide …

* Open, democratic government
* Freedom of speech
* Equality of gender race and religion
* Freedom to wear what you want, do what you want (within the law) and be who you want to be

… and you want to change our society to match your own ideals …

Then …

Use the methods that have governed us for so many years
* Democracy
* Legislation
* Campaigning
* The ballot box

Your current methods of indiscriminate slaughter of people of all races and religions, including your own, achieves nothing. It hardens us against you. It makes us *more* determined to fight for the things we value and that you hate.

You could never win either through violence or through legislation and regime change … because none of us wants what you want. We see a dark, misogynistic, parochial, bigoted perversion of an Abrahamic religion, from the same root as Christianity and Judaism. Even those of your own faith reject you … except those who preach hate and drip poisoned words into your receptive ears.

* You are being used - offerings burned on the altar of a warped ideology that is practised by a tiny minority.
* You are being exploited by those who would never dream of doing the things they incite you to do.
* You are being made fools of, with promises of impossible happiness in the next life … and we can’t believe that you fall for it.
* You are being hated because of your actions when you attack a society that has welcomed you with open arms.

Here’s an action plan:

* Give up your armed struggle and your vainglorious attacks on those who mean you no harm.
* Reject the twisted words of those who manipulate you.
* Set your own agenda instead of being the tool of others’ agendas.
* Most of all, seek help - it’s there for the asking, in your community.

Don’t be a loner and a loser. It can only end badly.