a breath of fresh air from the conservatives

[shamrock_uk]

http://www.conservatives.com/news/ar...?obj_id=105536

Michael Ancram's (shadow foreign secretary) answer to al-Qaeda: Michael Ancram has called for renewed co-operation and dialogue between mainstream Islamic countries and the West - in a move to outflank the international terrorist organisation al Qaeda. The Deputy Conservative Leader has written to Tony Blair highlighting his paper "From Clash to Dialogue: An Answer to al Qaeda", in which he proposes a "big initiative" based around a new Grand Congress of Reconciliation. Based in Istanbul - the historic bridge between Islam and the West - the Congress would bring together representatives from leading Islamic nations with those from America, Europe, Russia and Australia, to discuss areas of dispute and difficulty, and thrash out a declaration of agreement and reconciliation. While the West should dispel all fears of colonial intent, the Islamic participants should recognise the fear caused by fundamentalism, and openly distance themselves from it, Mr Ancram said. Urging the Prime Minister to use his proposals as a contribution to the G8 summit - to be staged in Georgia USA later this week - Mr Ancram said: "The need for dialogue between the West and Islam is something I believe we have tended to sideline for fear of rebuttal avoid. It has now given rise to what is a dangerous stand-off. If we fail to address it urgently, history will judge us ill."

It just shows that it is possible to be right-wing yet adopt a positive measure like this.

[Timber Loftis]

I have reservations -- because if you get these groups together to talk it out the words Israel and Palestine will come up and it will degenerate into bickering and name-calling. Call me a cynic - you'd be right.

[shamrock_uk]

I think that's a pretty valid point. But still, the message that the West would send out by considering a thing such as this would be very positively received.

Personally, I would rather have a dialogue that has a chance of degenerating into bickering than no dialogue at all.