Trump And Islam, The Need To Think Wisely

     Politicians like to tell the public what Islam is or is not, without ever having read (most likely) the Quran. Islam can be a religion of peace and goodwill, but it can also be a religion of war and intolerance, depending on what passages are followed in the Quran, and how Islam is taught and disseminated.

     There are oil rich Islamic regimes in which individual citizens or the government, or both, are aggressively spreading the most intolerant interpretations of Islam. Many children throughout the world are being taught hate, bigotry, rigidity; everything the opposite of goodwill to those of different faiths and beliefs. 

       Nations that think just because something is a school, therefore it must be good, better rethink what is being taught in some of those schools. Oil wealth used to promote intolerance and hate sows the seeds for the wars and terrorism of the future. It makes no sense to continuously fight enemies produced by allies spreading hate and intolerance.
       It is naive to think ISIS type organizations can be defeated on the battlefield alone. This is a battle for hearts and minds. Winning the battle includes no longer ignoring or excusing the spread of hate and intolerance by so called allies (or adversaries). Winning hearts and minds means supporting those that are the voices of moderation and tolerance.
       The Islamic world is vast and still diverse. Every effort should be made to support the places and people where there is tolerance and goodwill, and to not ignore those that promote the opposite. This includes well thought out policies that are not arbitrary, and that win hearts and minds.