Mr Ettefagh talks of the UK Government having "not attended nor responded to a SUBSTANTIAL part of its population" Muslims do not form a substantial part of UK society. They are a minority along with a huge number of other ethnic minorities. Some years ago the London borough of Hackney counted 52 different languages spoken in its area alone.
Mr Ettefagh also submits that "Its citizens are spun out of the inclusive process". On what basis does he justify this when we have Muslims in ALL sectors of our government, from the House of Lords all the way to local councils, which in many areas are made up of totally ethnic members. Ethnic minorities also appear in all forms of our sporting life and are often more popular with the whole population than those with Anglo Saxon origins. Our current world class cricket team has both Muslim and Hindu members, one Muslim and one Hindu being amongst the most popular cricketers in the country, fully lauded by all the media. The British citizen has always been quick to support someone who has succeded by his own ability. These criminal who plan and perpetrate appalling crimes on innocent people are NOT people who have been excluded by the UK government. They almost all have enjoyed good free education, health care and employment. Several are University educated and all have been allowed to practise their religion unhindered. In what way have they been excluded ?
What the British people wil not tolerate is people who wish to live by a separate legal system and have religious views imposed on them by others.
So called Muslim Leaders yesterday demanded separate public holidays and the right to live by Sharia law. If you choose to live in England you live by English law, in Scotland by Scottish law NOT by Sharia law.
Our society gives opportunity to those who are prepared to learn the English language and work within our legal framework

It would help apply Mr. Ettefagh's comments on the situation in his own country, Iran.

Grand Ayatollah of Iran Hossein-Ali Montazeri said: "Either [Iranian] officials change their methods and give freedom to the people, and stop interfering in elections, or the people will rise up with another revolution ... There is no freedom, repression is carried out in the name of Islam, and that turns people off ... All these court summonses, newspaper closings and prosecutions of dissidents are wrong. These are the same things that were done under the Shah and are now being repeated. And now they are done in the name of Islam and therefore alienate people." http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/12/opinion/12KRIS.html?hp

Mr Ettefagh said "Their act of hijacking Islam (or other religions) for criminal purposes is as much of a crime as mass murder in airplanes." Yes and Iranian support for terror across the planet and the repression of its own people in the name of Islam is also such a crime.
Mr. Ettefagh wrote "All [democracies] are charged with the duty and the obligation to include all social groups in the political process and reach out to all citizens." Arab, Persian, Kurdish, Jewish, Azeri, Armenian, Women, etc alike should be represented in the Iranian political process as well, not just passively and freely but actively as well, nobody should be excluded from being elected.
Mr Ettefagh also wrote "...terrorism can be defeated and reformed with inclusive and responsive politics." Iran can set the example in Iranian Kurdistan and Arab Khuzestan.

Mr Ettefagh would have much in common with the brave Ayatollah Montazeri if the former would apply his advice to the situation in Iran. President Ahmedinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei perhaps can be moved by the above liberal dissenting comments and see a need to push a positive change away from the religious overlordship of the Guardian Council in Iran.

Perhaps it is possible to step away from the brink, to stop the "repression carried out in the name of Islam" and the "Hijacking of Islam for criminal purposes" in Iran itself, and seek a more amenable, peaceful and democratic leadership with the support of people such as the Ayatollah Montazeri. Much can be gained including a true chance at peace and democracy in Lebanon and Iraq.

It may well be easier for 2nd generation
immigrants to alienate themselves
further than to work hard & become
asimilated in the country adopted by
their parents, but, if any of them
were given to believe that their journey would be easy, they were, sadly, misinformed.

Grand Ayatollah of Iran Hossein-Ali Montazeri said: "Either [Iranian] officials change their methods and give freedom to the people, and stop interfering in elections, or the people will rise up with another revolution ... There is no freedom, repression is carried out in the name of Islam, and that turns people off ... All these court summonses, newspaper closings and prosecutions of dissidents are wrong. These are the same things that were done under the Shah and are now being repeated. And now they are done in the name of Islam and therefore alienate people." http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/12/opinion/12KRIS.html?hp

Like you said, Mr Ettefagh, "Their act of hijacking Islam (or other religions) for criminal purposes is as much of a crime as mass murder in airplanes." Ah, yes Iranian support for terror is indeed such a crime. You wrote "All [democracies] are charged with the duty and the obligation to include all social groups in the political process and reach out to all citizens." Yes they are! Arab, Persian, Kurdish, Jewish, Azeri, Armenian, etc alike should be represented in the Iranian political process! You said "...terrorism can be defeated and reformed with inclusive and responsive politics." Absolutely, and Iran can set the example in Iranian Kurdistan and Khuzestan. I had no idea the Iranian regime tolerated your extremely critical and liberal views.

You have so much more in common with the Ayatollah Montazeri than you may have thought, in fact you are a very much a westerner and a reformer like one would find in certain neoconservative circles in your thinking. We should all feel encouraged to write President Ahmedinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to ask them to allow you to express your liberal dissident opinions and seek a democratic change in Iran! You seem eminently capable of helping dissidents such as the Ayatollah Montazeri reinstated.

''All [democratic governments] are charged with the duty and the obligation to include all social groups in the political process and reach out to all citizens.''

In the USA only the government is permitted to have a foreign policy. No one cares what some fringe group thinks. That applies double to individuals who disagree. 'Reaching out' to what purpose?

Citizens are soverign. Democratic governments work for them, not the other way around. Unfortunately, there are a lot of lazy adults who don't see government as their second job and who opt out. No one listens to them. No one should. If you're not helping lift the load, you're not a citizen, you're useless.

WANT PEACE? WORK FOR JUSTICE!
The criminal justice system is the best way to pursue criminals; the political system is the best way to express political grievances. Society is best served when valid political grievances are justly redressed in the political system, otherwise, these grievances are expressed in ways less beneficial to society.

Agreed: Terrorism is when violent CRIMES are committed against ordinary people in order to express a POLITICAL grievance.

It seems eminently useful to compare different strategies against terrorism, to identify effective and in-effective tactics. Britain/Northern Ireland may not have arrived at an ideal solution, but it is a raging success when compared to Israel/Palestine.

The successful tactic seems to be: to earnestly address political grievances within the political system, and to fairly use the criminal justice system to address criminality.

Thanx, LD