[punster]

The point I am trying to make is: We cannot make a blanket judgement of Muslims, just like we cannot make a blanket judgement of Christians.

Some of the extremist Islamist religious leaders do not serve God, or Allah as they call him. They are only fanning the flames of hatred and intolerance to further their own power and wealth. I believe that religion must be able to reach an accomodation with increases in knowledge and wisdom. The more extremist elements will not do so, because that would endanger the power structure.

The common practice of the time, when the Koran was written, did include some of the actions you have condemned. Behavior such as killing of women who had been raped (honor killings), treating women as second class citizens (beatings and killings), were common practice at that time in the middle east.

I will not defend the Muslim leadership in those countries, because they are unwilling to work for change to make things better for women. Furthermore, those leaders are bigots, because they will not acknowledge that others have virtues. But, I can also level the same criticism at the more rabid among the Christian Fundamentalists. Neither do they have a monopoly on truth.

[samtheman]

I am not a Christian Fundamentalist, or a member of any other religion. But I call it the way I see it. The actions of torturing and enslaving women in the Arab world are not the work of "extremists" but of the vast majority of muslim men.

Then there's the issue of how non-muslims are treated under Islamic law. What rights they DON'T have. Are you aware of this situation or not?

Again, I carry a torch for NO religion. But there is one religion on this planet that is plainly and clearly evil.