You know, I think many religions go through phases where they become a state religion and the reigning powerful ones use the religion as one of many tools to retain power.
Or radicals can use a religion to inflame people to follow them and thus gain power.
Christianity, of course, went through that in Europe and various European powers tried to use it to control their colonies around the world.
I believe Islam is going through a phase, too. And it is greatly hoped that the power struggles going on in that part of the world will not result in success for those who are trying to use a radicalized Islam to gain the accendency.
I sometimes wonder when our President says "religion of peace" if he isn't so much stating a reality as trying to encourage a more levelheaded segment of Islam to make that a reality.