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Religion and certainly Catholicism isn't a buffet where you pick and choose what to believe. You eat the whole enchilada.

Actually, it is a buffet. The world is TEAMING with people who are browsing complacently along, picking through their religions, choosing which rules they agree with and sort of shrugging off those they don't. All anyone needs is a holy book and the ability to read it, and immediately they'll gravitate to some elements of their religion more than others. And the Muslim world is teaming with vague types whose notion of Islam is as generic and shallow as the many "Christians" who aren't even sure if they believe Jesus rose again.

Look, I'm no fan of Islam. But there are moderate muslims. They are muslims because they were raised that way (so they certainly aren't anything else) but they are moderate because they are just not that into religion. You've seen the Christian equivalent. Is it really so hard to believe there are Muslims who have some vague notion that being muslim means, essentially, you don't eat pork and you pray to the east... and not much else?

Clearly, American Catholics have a big problem with endorsing everything that emanates from the Vatican, and even without the pedophile priest scandals, this caused huge losses among the faithful. Islam is even more vocal when it comes to making sure believers stick to the Koran. That said, fanaticism in any form is dangerous, and wars over religion have killed more people than you can shake a stick at.

The US has a large resident Muslim population from Middle Eastern countries, and among them are surely many who just want to live a peaceful life, etc.. But some of these people have families in Pakistan or Iran, or wherever. What happens when just such a Muslim is told relatives back home will suffer or die if he doesn't join in the Jihad against the West? This is a very real dilemma.

Is it really so hard to believe there are Muslims who have some vague notion that being muslim means, essentially, you don't eat pork and you pray to the east... and not much else?

In Christian countries yes. Not in countries where civil law is the Sheria/koran/whatever the mulah/ayatolla says.

In Iran, Saudi Arabia, southern Iraq, Pakistan, and others, the law is Islam. It does not matter whether you are interested in obeying it or not because you may or may not be a moderate muslim. The LAW IS ISLAM.

You will do what ISLAM says.

"And the Muslim world is teaming with vague types whose notion of Islam is as generic and shallow as the many "Christians" who aren't even sure if they believe Jesus rose again."

Teaming? Hardly. There are some, and in Muslim countries they are the ones lashed for drinking beer, or talking to someone of the opposite sex. In western countries they are ostracized by fellow Muslims if the are men, killed if they are women. Islam is a very strict religion. It's life and death strict, especially for Muslim women.