Hi Guest,

I don't know if this fully answers your question but newspapers tend to graze like the large herds of old, following the fresh grass wherever it grows best. Muslims were not particularly 'newsworthy' until of late (which is probably why you remember them living away quietly in your community years ago). But in the last 5-10 years, certain 'western administrations' (obvious examples being the Bush-Blair axis) have set themselves on a collision course with much of the Muslim middle east. Historically this is nothing so new, it goes all the way back to the Crusades etc., But since the oil crisis of the 1970s, it has developed a new sense of urgency.

The Middle east's Muslims quite simply happen to have the misfortune of sitting on the world's largest reserves of crude oil. As you know, western economy and life as we know it, would simply not be possible without this stuff. It is not enough for some people that the OPEC countries are willing to export the oil for use, some governments sadly do not feel secure unless they actually control that oil directly. There are two main risks to oil: 1) the price: OPEC countries could put up the price at any time (as they did in the 1970s when they realised they were being paid WAY too little per barrel). This would have big consequences - as we have seen at petrol pumps etc., even in recent times. 2) supply: two things could happen here - a staunchly anti-western Islamic government could get into power and refuse to export oil to the west (plenty of other customers), i.e use it as a bargaining chip to force uncomfotable foreign-policy changes. Or an oil hungry country like China might overrun the region itself and hog the supplies. I know this last explanation sounds fanciful, but 'all's fair in love in war' and we are heading toward an era where there will be stiffer and stiffer competition for whatever resources are available, and if it's a question of survival of a way of life, most countries would be willing to go to war.

It is 'nightmare' scenarios like these that send leaders like Bush into 'pre-emptive' wars (read 'pre-emptive resource grabs') in places like Iraq. UK and US fears and foreign policy are helping radicalise Muslim populations (who see this kind of intervention as an actual attack and an attack on their culture). To put this feeling in perspective, imagine if London or Washington were full of Iranian or Afghani soldiers, manning checkpoints, stopping US or UK citizens, turning them back, bringing in Iranian comapnies to run US or UK businesses and 'manage' their resources, setting up a government known to be openly pro-Iranian and talking about bringing the enlightened benefits of Middle Eastern civilisation to the backward West etc., etc.,

All this in turn pushes Muslims onto front page news, and suddenly everyone is interested in them Leaders like Bush, Blair, Straw etc., are little by little alienating these populations - at home and in their own countries - and isolating them from the 'mainstream'. Our societies were supposed to be inclusive, but suddenly the UK or US Muslim is being seen as an enemy, a fifth column, his / her sympathies suspect, and pre-emptively harrassed. Something like this also happened during WW2 when thousands of US citizens of Japanese ethnic origin were locked up camps for the duration of the war, it being assumed these 'less than US' citizens would be disloyal. I'm not saying thousands of Muslims are being locked up at present, but they are being regarded automatically by some as the 'enemy', a stance which helps reveal both WASPS inherent racism and sense of superiority (I'm not saying ALL WASPS feel that way, either!!).

All the talk and media coverage of Muslims does help to generate the idea of them as being something alien, something different. And if we are to be conditioned into seeing them as an 'enemy' it helps to generate distance between the cultures. It's harder to fight against the people you know. In a sense that's what Straw and Bush are doing (wittingly or otherwise). Straw's comments about the veil being 'frightening and intimidating to some' speaks volumes about the hidden fears within 'western' culture of difference, despite decades of talk about pluralism. I suppose it's hard to change old habits, and these things run deeper than skin deep when the crisis comes.

Natrurally, Muslim communities, who previously were left alone and uncommented on, suddenly find themselves at the centre of a big debate on how they should conduct their lives. They in turn are sure to respond to the things they regard as eroding their beliefs, values and culture, as anyone would. Indeed, Christians and Muslims have a lot more in common and to gain by co-operation in repsonse to 'attacks' (the word may be a bit too strong in many cases) on their way of life and values. There are theological differences of course, but many of the values are actually shared.

Long answer, I know, and even at that it doesn't address many points. Hope it helps, though just my thoughts.