Our politically and economically shoddy attitude to the Middle East is clearly a huge driver here. And I don't think it's at all giving in to the terrorists if we took some responsibility and likely blame for destabilizing the region. But putting that aside, the rest is Them and Us tribalism. So while peaceful muslims condemn IS extremism, perhaps we can also do more to condemn and reject the ethnic nationalist populists who have brought this tribalism into our political debate? Whether it's neo-Nazi, Britain First, UKIP or even the rhetoric of major political parties and the vile commentary of much of our mainstream media. I'm sure the vast majority of the UK's population has no problem with each other on a private and personal level - or indeed immigrants and foreigners. Which makes the cheap and divisive rhetoric particularly unhelpful. | |