For immediate release. Free to publish. For more information email frank.ocollins@ucadia.com (Founder of UCADIA Books P/L and Architect of UCADIA)
 
 
July 14 2005 (free for publication)
  
  Is it mad to hope for a better future, a future free of the fear and terror of mass murder and violence? In such a terrible as our such thinking might be considered delusional considering the very real terror of having people willing to kill themselves and us in their midst.  
  But is the answer to raise walls and erode freedoms through national ID cards and personality checks? Have we simply given up our freedoms for the hope of some benevolent Orewllian dream?  
  Sydney based philosopher and futurist Frank O'Collins believes is everyones duty to still keep thinking of ideas that may solve the ever present fear of suicide terrorism and find new ideas to promote peace.  
  "The war on terrorism is really a misinformation. What is being lost midst all the death and destruction of terror acts is that the people who are doing it have a very specific end game. To win, you have to out smart their ideas first. "  
  O'Collins pointed to the upsurge in violence since the Iraq war. " If a person wants to kill themselves, and enough of them want to do it for a cause, then one or two will always get through. That is the Israeli experience", he said.  
  "But it is the idea that makes a person want to kill themselves that is the real challenge and not enough has been done to tackle that issue".  
  A global constitution for Islam  
  In response, O'Collins has written 12 open letters to the 12 most feared and hated figures on the planet today to ask them to consider alternative ideas to reach their goals.  
  They are called the 12 soul letters in respect that these are still 12 human beings, not ogres or fanged monsters.  
  "Some people are going to think I'm mad writing these open letters", O'Collins said. "A lot of experts are going to say who in the hell does this Aussie think he is."  
  In the end, O'Collins claims his only required qualification to talk on the subject of compassion and humanity is to be a human being "I think I qualify", he said.  
  Bigger ideas than Islamic super states  
  O'Collins pointed to ideas that are bigger than the end goals of current terrorists.  
  "Many of the terrorists such as bin Laden want the end goal of an Islamic super state and end US presence in the Arabian peninsula.The claim they want to destroy the whole west is fanciful. Its never been their ambition. But what about a global well organised Islamic religion with an elected spiritual leadership on par with the christian church.  
  "That's a much bigger and more important idea than any super state and will appeal with the whole Islamic community."  
  You have to fight ideas with better ideas.  
  In the end, the current conflict of cultures that has resulted in yet again the death of dozens of innocent people in London will only be won if people come up with better ideas than bombs.  
     
 

 

  
 

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