We’ve killed your people.  You’ve killed our people.  In the process of doing that we’ve killed people that do not belong in our conflict.  We’ve destroyed homes, infrastructure and entire cities, things we all need to carry on.  I know you feel that we are infidels and don’t deserve anything but death and the judgement of your Allah.  However, you also need to understand that we don’t feel that you deserve the right to life either.  You want to kill us and send us to judgement, and we want to kill you and send you to hell.  Someplace between us is a solution that does not involve using primitive thinking and ideology, that does not involve using tools on each other only meant to destroy people and civilization.

I’m sure members of your group aren’t all jihad all the time.  I know you enjoy the same things we do; music, drink, fun and frolic.  I’m sure that there are many thoughts in your head that do not involve killing us.  We are the same way.  We do not think of killing you 24/7.  In fact, far more of us don’t want our governments to be involved militarily in affairs that are purely yours.  Most of us do not believe what our leaders tell us.  Although many of us – like you – want our brothers and sisters to return home, it is increasingly difficult to see a future where this is possible… but, we are still trying.  We are trying to retake control of our governments.  We see through their lies and propaganda and we know what our leaders really want in your area of the world.  But, you have to stop killing us, because when you do, you are killing those who want the same things you do along with those who don’t.

This bloodthirsty drive for war of attrition will only end in both of us losing.  That is the way of war.  I do realize that you feel that glory can only be achieved in this way.  Many of us feel that the only way to stop you from beheading people in arbitrary judgement, and slaughtering hundreds of people who only want to listen to music, is to bomb you out of existence.  Why do you not see that this is not getting us anywhere but oblivion?  Why do you not see that the only real solution, the only logical choice, is to put down the guns and pick up a phone and talk with us?  Talk with us, not to threaten us with more violence, but to tell us what you really want.  Let us work together to find a solution instead of against each other, because in more ways than you know, we are the same.

If you are unable to do this, we have no other choice than what we’ve already been doing.  I realize that you feel victory is guaranteed because of your love of Allah, but that isn’t how it really works.  By now you see that those of us with power can get to those of you with power.  You see that short term gains can quickly turn into long term disaster.  Perhaps, your Allah is telling you something?

Peace.