Muslim Moderation and Confronting Radicalism

In recent days we have come to be reminded of the tenacity that drives the will of men when possessed,driven by hate to reap death and destruction upon civilization.Undying credit must be placed to British authorities for thwarting this latest attempt to spread fear and panic.In the wake of their success,both Prime Minister Blair and President Bush,however have been met with criticism.Blair has been criticized because many have insisted such a plot is concocted due to our policy in Iraq.Bush has been criticized because it has been said our priorities are misplaced,and not enough has been done here at home.It is unprecedented it seems in my eyes that one can be criticized because nothing went wrong.
The criticism of Tony Blair in large measure is from "moderate" Muslim leaders in the United Kingdom.It has been repeatedly suggested that the Palestinian question and Iraq are to blame for the radicalization of Muslim youth.Whatever one may think of the present conditions in Iraq, no one can objectively assert with any empirical documentation that it serves either as a deterrent or as an inflammatory agent.
The present relationship between the west and terrorism is due to the preaching of hatred in certain radical segments of Islam throughout the world.They have used Iraq and the Palestinians as the means to exploit vulnerable minds.Hatemongers,however are never at a loss to find an issue to radicalize individuals or communities.Radical (not all) Muslims do not limit their objectives to Israel and the Palestinian issue,no matter how hard more moderate leaders suggest.Iran,Hezbollah,Al Qaeda and many more have a visceral hatred of everything the west represents.It hates elections,equality for woman and it views our prosperity as undeserved in the eyes of god.
The more moderate Muslim leaders in Western nations are either naive or ignoring the reality that hatred,not foreign policy is driving terrorism.Radicals merely exploit issues as a means of converting willing vessels to their hateful ways.
I have a few questions for the moderate leadership in Muslim communities.What have you done to confront this radical trend in the community? Have you confronted these zealots that drive youth to murder/suicide? Have you challenged their authority and engaged in a vigorous debate to win the minds of those they target for suicide?I don't know the answer, but it certainly is not on public display if such a debate has been engaged.A change in foreign policy will not end terrorism.If Iraq is abandoned and we resolve the Palestinian question,hate will find a new issue to drive its machine.It just never ends.It can only be combatted by confronting those who define life by acts of murder.
In order to avoid a clash of east and west, moderate muslims must concede the threat that radicalization presents and its destructive infleunce.It is destructive,not only as a portent of future conflict,but also as it tarnishes a great faith whose positive history has been all too willingly overlooked in the shadow of our present state of affairs.At stake is not only peace and prosperity,but for muslims it means avoiding the stigma that has plagued Germans since World War II. If all of us,but especially peace loving moderate Muslims stand up for life we can avoid an epic conflict,unparalelled in human history.In order to do this muslims of good faith must fight the good fight and challenge this radical hijacking.