[Norse]

It isn't a lie. Islam has been in the past and can be a religion of peace and tolerance. During the days of the Ottoman Empire, Christians and Jews alike would flee Christian Europe to live and work in the Ottoman Empire, because they had more religious and economic freedom there. There is nothing wrong with praising what Islam has been, is to many Muslims today, and can be nationally in the future.

[CWOJackson]

Well spoken.

[eyespysomething]

And they were second class citizens, more than welcome to renounce their faith and become Moslems to attain first class citizen status.

[Monty22]

Norse, you are buying some pretty bad propaganda there. You'd make a good Saudi spokesman.

[B Knotts]

Ha!

How, pray tell, did the Ottomans gain their empire?

Did they play tiddly winks against the King of Bulgaria?

[Prime Choice]

Islam has been in the past and can be a religion of peace and tolerance.

This reminds me of the stories from battered wives who reminisce on how sweet and thoughtful their battering husbands were before they got married.

The past is the past. We have to deal with the present and plan for the future. And right now, we have followers of a specific faith (Islam) who either planning to kill us outright, or are turning a blind eye and giving tacit approval to those who plan to kill us outright.

Islam may have been a religion of peace once. It sure doesn't look like that's the mainstream anymore.

[antiRepublicrat]

You said it better than I could have.

There were also many Christians caught in the denominational wars, hunted as heretics, who welcomed the Muslims taking over North Africa in the 700-800s. It was better to live under Muslim rule than to be slaughtered by their own church.

[TheCrusader]

"During the days of the Ottoman Empire, Christians and Jews alike would flee Christian Europe to live and work in the Ottoman Empire, because they had more religious and economic freedom there."

You gotta be sh*tting me, right? The Ottoman Empire was the most vicious, most barbaric, most anti Christian group of killers that ever existed. The Ottomans tried to attack and destroy Western Europe via the major naval battle of Lepanto, but fortunately were destroyed by the Christian fleet under Don Juan. Found on that Ottoman fleet were over 15,000 Christian slaves, who were forced to row the the Islamic warships against their own countrymen. Christians would flee Christian Europe to live with the Muslims? hahahahahahaha

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Important note here: Bush never says at anytime that Islam is the way to the Father. He does not replace Christianity, he is not denying Christ.

He is wise to choose his battles. Seems to me he is setting them up to be one against the other, so maybe we won't have to be involved in policing a religion we want nothing to do with.

[missyme]

ISLAM is a FALSE Religion always has been always will be. Muhammed can do nothing for the Muslim people accept lead the radical Islamic terrorists to there deaths.

[Clintonfatigued]

That's an interesting point, one I was unaware of. You certainly have impressive historical knowlege. Are you a college professor?