Apparently this diagram has something to do with changing people's minds ...
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Yesterday I wrote a slightly shorter version of this piece for Crikey. Today, one Crikey reader named Brefney Ruhl sent the following thoughtful response:
Re. "Greg Sheridan catches up on Hamas" (yesterday, item 20). Now, now Irfan Yusuf. The realisation that terrorist demonising attitudes and activities such as the war on terror are actually counterproductive to the cause of peace, takes an intellectual leap that few neo-cons are able or willing to take. If Greg has in fact had a revelation in relation to what Islamist terrorism is really all about, this should be nurtured not denigrated. We all need to be positive and supportive with this newly inquiring mind. One never knows, he might even influence others on that side of the fence, dare we hope ... Brendan, Philip, Janet, Chris?I guess he has a point. Perhaps I went a little hard on Sheridan. Maybe in future I should be a little more patient with him and those of similar views. Certainly Sheridan is nowhere near as jaundiced as some of his other colleagues. And unlike most of them, Sheridan has actually travelled outside of Australia and New Zealand.
So thanks to Brefney Ruhl for giving us all something to think about!
Words © 2008 Irfan Yusuf
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