Apologists for Murder

I read an article in the Guardian the other day - which argued that the recent spate of suicide bombings against civilian targets in Baghdad - is the legacy or responsibility of years of war and occupation in Iraq.

Somehow the murderers of innocent people had no option but to blow themselves to bits apparently - along with scores of fellow Muslims belonging to the 'wrong side' - in what amounts to factional and religion-fuelled civil war - with Shiite and Sunni groups vying for control in the name of their own brand of Islam.

Now the Guardian has lots of loony people writing guest opinion columns - from time to time.

But this one seemed utterly offensive to me - because it's really just an apology for murder and the murderers who commit these crimes - whether in Northern Ireland in the past - or Iraq today.

To my mind it's just the same as arguing that the 'jihadists' who flew their planes into the Twin Towers in New York on 9/11 - were somehow justified in their actions.

Which they were not of course - and anyone who says they were needs to be challenged head on - because they are trying to perpetrate a vile myth.

The myth is that the jihadists are embarked on some kind of noble cause - to free their people from foreign imperialism, oppression and tyranny.

Whereas they are simply out to impose their will and fundamentalist religious views - by killing other innocent people whether they are fellow Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus - or just unbelievers and infidels.

Now I should have posted a comment about the drivel being written by this individual at the time - but I did not - which I regret.

Since the people peddling such lies in the Guardian - or anywhere else - deserve to be given a hard time.

So my New Year resolution - or one of them at least - is not to walk on by next time.

Apologists for bloody violence and murder should have no easy platforms - from which to spread their views.