Can I encourage everyone (who hasn't already read it) to read a book called "Three Cups Of Tea". This book tells the story of mountain climber Greg Mortenson who, after failing to summit K2 in northern Pakistan, found himself being cared for by the people of Korphe, a small village of the Balti people who work as porters for the many climbers coming to the region. Korphe was not on the map and Mortenson was the first westerner ever to arrive in the village. Mortenson was appalled that the children of Korphe had no school and scratched out their lessons in the dust in a field outside the village. He promised to come back and build them a school. Greg Mortenson has now built over sixty schools for girls in the mountains of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan. He continues to build schools and his NGO is now called Central Asia Institute. What is most compelling about Mortenson's story is the way in which he argues that the way to fight terrorism is with books not bombs. His unique glimpse into the Islam of the mountains in that region has convinced him that if America had responded in the way that Simon suggested in his post then the hearts of ordinary Muslims would not be swayed by terrorists. A key in this is the education of Muslim girls. Any Muslim embarking on a Jihad of any kind must apparently seek the approval of her or his mother. If mothers are educated people then violent Jihad is less likely. Another point that is made in the book is the failure of America to deliver much of the aid promised to Afghanistan after the war with the Soviet Union. Imagine if at that time America and the UN had invested even half of the money now spent on the war machine on schools, hospitals and infrastructure in Afghanistan. I imagine that extremism would have had no foothold in the region as it does today.

Greg Mortenson's story is an excellent example of the foolishness of the way of Jesus bringing peace and reconciliation. While the nations of the world cry WAR WAR WAR in retaliation to one extremist act, small people on the ground cry EDUCATION JUSTICE LOVE and win the hearts of a people who would otherwise be their mortal enemies.

The war has failed. It has failed Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, America, Australia and all the other nations who responded to the call for war. To walk into enemy territory and offer to build your enemies children a school is a very risky proposition. Read about it in "Three Cups Of Tea" and I will be surprised if you are not inspired by the call for love in the face of hate and peace in the face of violence.

Hope you enjoy it.

Chris Turner