[William Terrell]

But it's always amusing that because I defend a people's right to peacefully practice their religion and expose prejudice and bigotry, that people question if I am "one of them".

Those who "peacefully" practice their religion of Islam are not following their holy book and that makes them infidels by the criteria and commands of the prophet as recorded in the Koran.

If you defend their actions, you may as well be one of them.

Play close attention: a "moderate" Muslim is not a follower of Islam. A follower of Islam MUST obey the words of the prophet vis a vis Islam's goal and means toward that goal for the world and the religion of others. The words of the prophet are clear, unambiguous and any "interpretation" otherwise cannot be made and keep any kind of credibility with those written words.

Do you understand? The people you are defending are not Muslim, by definition.

Since you are a "nuconvert", what are you newly converted to?

[nuconvert]

"a "moderate" Muslim is not a follower of Islam."

You will have to convince the moderate imams and their muslim followers of that. You can start with the sufis.