I had a very interesting argument with a random guy on Google Buzz last night. An argument that resulted in me stopping being the nice modest guy that I am and ending the conversation in a bad mood and for being me, a quite pissy way. It’s easy to forget that depending on where in the world we live, we have different opinions and views on things and one of the greatest qualities you can inherit as a person, is to understand that. This chap didn’t.

Now, I see myself as someone who take different perspectives in to consideration, someone who has the ability to see both sides of the coin without drawing any assumptions or jumping to conclusions. I try not to judge people I don’t know. This chap judged me almost straight away and refused to even ponder my side of the coin.

The argument was about the events in the Middle East and Ship to Gaza. Now, this chap was American so sure, I understand that we have different views on things, but he made it very clear from the start that he had a quite serious condition of hate towards Muslims. It was so obvious and nasty that it made me really scared. I don’t know if that is something common in the States, the suspicion towards everything Muslim. Another guy joined in the argument and said that I supported the terrorists in Gaza by supporting human rights activists who wanted to make a political stand by shipping supplies to the needing.

I don’t know, but in my (fantasy) world, all Muslims aren’t terrorists. Here’s a difference - these two guys thought differently. Helping the needing in Gaza was the same thing as supplying the terrorists. And that is a disturbing way to see things. He also “warned” me of the growing Muslim community we have in Sweden indicating that probably all of them are Muslim radicals.

I can’t stand this kind of hatred and immoral behavior. I can’t stand it when people generalize like this. I can’t stand it when people show no empathy or understanding. People who talk about “the Western world” as if it was the best world and the only alternative, have a lot to learn. People who can’t see the two sides of the coin.

I wonder if this is a difference between people or if it’s a difference between different corners of the world. It’s no secret that the US has a hostile approach to Islam. I say that the real danger and threat to a better world, is when people become too blinded to see the real problem. And the real problem isn’t Islam, Israel, Palestine, terrorism etc - the real problem is that we, the modern man, have lost all sense of moral and let greed and hate control our actions. Terrorism is born out of that. Conflicts are born out of that. Inhumanity is born out of that. Famine is born out of that. And you find more of this in the Western world than in the Eastern.