..."...the story we keep hearing of terrorists being the minority in Islam is nothing more than a fairy tale."...
Indeed---the fairy tale is that the terrorists are the minority. Terrorism is Mainstream Islam. That is why Terrorism is not confronted and not defeated in the Muslim World. Terrorism is essential to Islamic beliefs. Anyone who trifles with terrorists will be killed by the true Muslims--the terrorists themselves.
Today is Friday--how much money do you think the local Mosques in the USA raised today? Those funds that will be used to plot to kill non-Terrorists?
The naive infidel thinks the Muslim is going to turn his back on God(Allah) to accommodate the non Muslims.
For Muslims this isn't about getting along with non- believers in this world. It is about getting them to submit and or killing the nonbeliever. Why? Read the 114 or so chapters in the Koran. I have, and have come to the same conclusion as Bin Laden and Zarqawi as to what Allah wants done.
Unfortunately for Osama he had all the worldly goods, in the form of a personal fortune of hundreds of millions of dollars and the USA kissing his ass and that of his family.
But he realized gaining the world and suffering the loss of his soul wasn't worth it. So he gave it up to follow what God (Allah) wants done,as have many other well to do Muslims.
What religious beliefs you or I have is not a factor in this religious war. It is what they believe and they are willing to put their lives on the line for their beliefs. Unless you realize it is strictly a religious war you will never understand the problem.
Another group as bad as the infidel are the Muslim heretics (Shias) who want to accommodates the infidel. They won't be safe from Allah's wrath even while praying in a mosque.
Stop trying to look at this from any standpoint other than God (Allah) wants them to kill us and our Muslim collaborators. -Tom