These are the people in your neighbourhood

I'm still trying to get a handle on last weekend's arrest of 17 Muslim extremists with a supply of explosive components here in Toronto. It's worrying, but I suppose it should have been expected. Religious extremists seem immune to both cultural and moral realities.

I think these groups spring up as a misplaced expression of identity and desire to have power over others. Apparently their leader maintained that Canadian troops had been sent to Afghanistan for the purpose of raping Muslim women. Anyone who believes that is either comprehensively stupid or well trained in ignoring reality.

My superficial understanding of Islam is that it is about personal morality and faith. I find it troubling that its current cultural expression seems to boil down to "we'll tell you what to think." What happens when the person doing the telling has a terrorist agenda? I'm afraid we are starting to see the results of that.

Tomorrow of course is an important date in the history of another fanatic, this one a politician who believed that Germany had a natural right to control Europe...

Listening to: Two Little Hitlers by Elvis Costello from Armed Forces.