Gunmen attack mosque in Pattani

[northernjohn]

What is it with local muslims that make them behave like animals? The Islamic states and caliphates in the rest of the world seem to exist in supreme harmony, peace and prosperity earning Islam the moniker "religion of peace". Come on Thai Islamists, stop letting your religion down.

I think my aging disables me from noting sarcasm as often as it appears; is this sarcasm? First, there are no "caliphates," and it wouldn't be plural if there was. Of course, this is the goal of Islamists, at least Sunni. The Shia wait for the Madhi. Yet if sarcastic, there should be a hint of truth to enable the sarcasm. There is no "supreme harmony, peace and prosperity" anywhere in the Islamic world. Since 9/11 there have been 23,285 terrorist attacks claimed by "the religion of peace."

In two days of Ramadan, 2014, there have been 15 terrorist attacks, 100 dead, and 78 wounded. This data is derived from multiple sources processing local news stories throughout the Islamic world. The Religion of Peace is more accurately described in its arabic to "Surrender." Sounds kinda wonderful, doesn't it? To so believe that one surrenders into communion with their god? Yet the surrender intended is very here and now, as Islam offers no surrender to their dualist concept of deity. Indeed, this is why Sufi runs afoul of Sunni and Shia. The surrender does not only apply to adherents of the faith, but to everyone! Everywhere!

They kill each other and others because it is a duty, sometimes explicit, but clearly authorized. Whether southern Thailand or anywhere else on earth, no progress will be made to halt the expansion of such ideology and hatred until it is first recognized, and declared for what it is. As long as people continue to delude themselves, disregard history and the valuable lessons it offers, then we will be doomed to experience this butchery and heinous humanity on increasingly greater scales.

You are wrong about the caliphates.

They just declared one in Iraq. Prior to it there had been none since the Ottoman Empire. Just a minor point. [probably won't last]

You are quite correct about the violence inherent in the religion. Seems like Pakistan is averaging over one a day killing of women for Religious or educational reasons. Somalia, Nigeria, Afghanistan along with parts of Africa are being turned into a living nightmare by these peaceful religious people.

It is wonderful to have a book that talks about love and peace in it. Then comes out and says kill the infidels you just have to wonder. All over the world this peaceful religion is bringing disharmony.

They say it is the extremists. Well the extremists seem to have the backing of the normal peaceful people..

Here in Thailand the average Muslim citizen is peaceful. Yet in the last ten years the extremists have managed to kill 600 a year and show no sign of slowing down. About a year ago they caught about there of them because some citizen did the right thing and told the authorities where they could be found. I have no doubt in my mind that the normal every day Muslim's if they wanted to could tell the authorities of where at least 75% if not more of the extremists are located.

But do they? NO

There has been a number of reports stating the local Muslim / Buddhist population are sick and tired of the conflict. It is claimed that the nine different insurgency groups comprise about 10k - 20k members that are countered by around 150k Thai security forces, with increasing success in killings of armed insurgents. Killing alone is not going to bring about an end to the conflict. As always stated by counter insurgency specialists there has to be a political component, a political solution that to date has evaded the Thai government.

Informers are regularly murdered, even Imams (example below) calling for peace are murdered by the "insurgents". The death toll is not just insurgent killings, but includes all sides of the conflict, of which the majority of deaths are Muslims. The Thai authorities have admitted that the death count allocated to the conflict is very likely inaccurate as many of the killings are gang / personal dispute related - not unique to the deep South as prevalent thoughout Thailand.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Leading-imam-shot-down-as-violence-escalates-in-So-30211971.html

You bring up some valid points there. Hard to say the exact figure on the killings by extremists. How ever I really don't think every killing in the southern three provinces is included in the 600 a year.

There is in my opinion no political solution to the problem. The solution must come from the government showing them that it can be trusted to not infringe on their religious beliefs. That they have the same rights as the rest of Thailand. Which I admit has it's shortcomings also. But the Government must develop a rapport with the every day citizens.

Little as I think of Yingluck I believe she could have done this but chose instead to go on tour of the world.