I read in our local paper (The Chicago Sun-Times) that Marine Cpl. Hassoun's family said he was "forced" to join the Marines and was "forced" to serve in Iraq, and that he is not an American nor has any American allegiance. In their own words, his family said he is a Muslim, Lebanese Arab. After reading that, I concluded that we had better not allow any mohammedans into our armed forces. It would be nice if we could get them out of our universities, as well, as those venues seem to be breeding grounds and hotbeds of fanatical anti-American mohammedanism.
Muslims consider themselves Muslims first and formost. All non-Muslims are placed in another category.
In the past, other religious groups like Quakers, Catholics, Mormons, etc., have been discriminated against, in many instances for truly bigoted reasons. Hence Americans tend to transfer their repugnance at such behavior towards any aversion to Islam, think it just another religion.
What other religion condones, indeed demands, the death of any of its followers who convert to another fait? What religion calls for the death of anyone trying to convert its followers to another faith? What relgion calls for conversion or relegation to second class citizenship, or even eviction from the country (Saudi Arabia) for not belonging to its belief system?
In any country in the western world, Muslims are permitted to build their mosques and madrassehs, practise their religion openly, seek converts, and hold positions of trust and responsibility in government.
WHERE in the Islamic world are such considerations extended to non-Muslims???
NOWHERE. On the contrary, in most or all Islamic countries non-Muslims are persecuted, killed, prevented from openly practising their religion, or building houses of worship.
The same treatment should be extended to Muslims in the west until Islamic states reciprocate tolerant behavior in their countries.