[simonh]

For Asylum Seekers this year the figures are 72% male and 54% aged from 18-34. So maybe about 40% of them are young men of military age.

I somehow doubt there are many toddlers indoctrinated by ISIS among the refugees fleeing from a conflict in a large part caused by ISIS. A lot of people seem to be under the illusion that the victims of ISIS that have been driven from their homes must, because they are mainly Muslims, be ISIS supporters. But I'm afraid that's the level of coherence I've come to expect from in anti-refugee rhetoric.

[twobits]

We don't know if all of them are victims of ISIS. We don't know if one in a thousand isn't ISIS, planning on attacking. ISIS actually has said they are doing that.

[scrollaway]

So now we need to listen to the terrorists?

I find it fascinating how readily people will act and behave based on what ISIS does. Here's a riddle for you:

Step 1: Let's assume for a second that the marginalization of muslims leads to more hostility and radicalization.

Knowing that ISIS benefits from the radicalization of muslims, what do you think happens when their actions lead to islamophobia, which in turn leads to more marginalization? (Go to step 1).

If you think they're blind to this cycle, you are a fool.

[sbmassey]

Listening to the terrorists is always a good idea, especially when they are discussing how to attack us. I suggest you learn a little arabic or turkish, and browse their popular websites to find out what they think of westerners as well, while you're at it.

[simonh]

The vast majority of them support us. In polls, no Muslim country has more than 15% of the population supporting IS. Even the most supposedly damning statistic heralded in the hysterical press that '70% of Muslims are sympathetic to IS' is a distortion. Predominantly they are sympathetic that IS supporters have become so deluded and bitter, not that they are sympathetic to their cause.

The truth is that the majority of the victims of Muslim terrorism are actually Muslims. More children and teachers were killed in an attack on a single school in Pakistan this year than were killed in Paris. Every single one of those children and teachers were Muslim. Most Muslims all over the world are perfectly aware of this. Just this week Islamists captured a bus in Kenya and ordered the Muslim occupants to separate from the Christians so the Christians could be killed. The Muslim passengers refused, shielding the Christians with their bodies and saying they would have to be killed as well. Eventually the Islamists gave up.

Ultimately we are all either part of the solution or part of the problem. We need to work together and support each other to solve this. It turns out most Muslims want to be part of the solution. How about you?

[sbmassey]

Firstly, 15% supporting ISIS is a huge amount of people. Secondly, there are lots of anecdotes about Islamic refugees throwing Christian ones overboard, or maltreating them at refugee centers and so forth too. Thirdly, you don't mention what solution you are thinking of that you claim we are all for or against, and that we all need to work together for, so I cannot really be for or against it.

Polls and anecdotes are not as good as internet discussion fora for getting to grips with how a particular culture actually thinks.

[simonh]

15% is disappointing, but then the number of racist xenophobes that equate Muslim with terrorist is disappointingly high so what are you going to do?

All an internet discussion group tells you is what those particular people on that specific discussion group thinks. Anyone who believes otherwise is beyond help.

[scrollaway]

> there are lots of anecdotes about Islamic refugees throwing Christian ones overboard, or maltreating them at refugee centers and so forth too.

Especially when your main source of news is the daily mail.