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Not to attack your Saudi friend directly, but what he said just flat out ain't true. The House of Saud supports terrorism around the world in numerous ways, by funding madrassas in numerous countries around the world (12,000 in Pakistan alone) which teach young Muslim warriors to hate and kill the infidels. There simply is no faction within Christianity or any other religion which even comes close in scope and extent to the terrorism given meaning by Islam.

I went to Enginnering School in the US with a large number of international students which included quite a few ME Muslims. Their hatred of Jews and Israel and our support of Israel I would say appears to be nearly universal. Almost every evidence we see from celebrating in the streets after 9/11 to polls in the ME contradict what your friend has stated.

Anyone who has any questions about Islam GET OUT THERE AND READ.

Since 911 I have read:
What went Wrong
Islam Unveiled
Among the Believers
Hatred's Kingdom
American Jihad
Sword of Islam

These are just off the top of my head. The more informed I have become the less impressed I have become with Islam as a religion and organizing principle of society.

Not that I don't agree with you (and I don't necessarily agree with him), but what I meant to convey in my post is there are some practicing muslims who view some others as fanatics and lunatics. My friend doesn't practice it devoutly, so maybe he and many others aren't as aware of it as you are.