Peace be with you!

Yesterday, in Luton, a bunch of people hurled insults at a bunch of squaddies who had just got home from a war that many of us dislike (two wars that many of us dislike. One in Iraq and one in Afghanistan). These people have deep felt beliefs that these wars are against them because they are Muslims and as such part of the world wide brotherhood that is Islam.
Hurling abuse at the perpetrators of war is a long and justifiable action. I have done so myself on a number of occasions starting with anti-Vietnam war demos in the 1960s and 70s. Over the years I and many others have hurled abuse at numerous countries, or I should say the leaders of numerous countries. It was always recognised that the the squaddie or grunt who is out there being shot at, on both sides, is in the true sense of the word, cannon fodder and as such should be treated as misguided friends, not the enemy.
But these people in Luton were hurling abuse at squaddies and that is where they crossed the line and are being vilified. Of course what they will say is that they are being vilified because they are Muslims and we all hate Islam and wish to destroy it. Patent nonsense of course but it is a good way of churning up feelings for Islam and getting some very dodgy interpretation of the Holy Books accepted as the way it should be. And I should say that it is not only the radical parts of Islam who do this, Jews, Christians, Hindus and even good honest atheists do it. Most religious texts are so written that they can be "interpreted" by any passing holy man who has been inspired by a God to do so. This is because they were all written down by humans rather than being brought into being by a miraculous act by a God; okay the followers of the writings will claim that the human was inspired by a (usually the one and true) God, but that human factor has made them all imperfect. A strategy by God perhaps to keep himself undefinable, remote. If I was a God I would want my message to be unequivocal and clear to everyone who read it and I would have the Godly power to make it so.
I hope that people will continue to protest at these senseless wars and all the other senseless wars that are happening now and to come, but I hope that they will aim their slogans at the right target, the governments on both sides of the wars. No squaddie or grunt has ever stopped a war, they get shot as traitors if they try, so where they are concerned silent mourning is the best way to protest in their presence, calling them names won't help but will hinder.