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Thank you for your comments, and I am afraid you are more right than wrong. I have no doubt that there are "moderate" Muslims sprinkled about, such as westernized secular ones or illiterate peasants on their farms. But the radical jihadis are the ones who define Islam, and teach the true radical Islam to the masses. And the non-radicals are afraid to say or do anything in opposition. They don't want their heads cut off either.

The history of Islam has been one of aggression, forced conversion, rapine, looting, military takeovers and bloodshed from day one. I wish it wasn't so, but wishing does nothing. Facing the truth is the only sane course of action. Appeasement only prolongs the ultimate confrontation. And those of you in India (by which I mean her old borders as well) know better than anyone else what Islam is capable of doing.

Most Americans cannot differentiate between a good Muslims from bad ones.The term "moderates" is misleading. A "moderate" Muslim invariably means someone who is "westernised" in his outlook, appearance and education. They are not necessarily the good ones. In fact they are very often as bad as the radicals. The western world finds them more acceptable since they have adopted "western" ways and discarded every last trace of their outwardly "Islamic" appearance that the western societies might find offensive. It does not make them good Muslims. In fact these are the Muslims to watch out for. They are shammers and pretenders hiding their political agenda under their "western" mantle. Mohammed Ali Jinnah (founder of Pakistan) was one such westernised "moderate" while Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad, the Congress party leader and prime opponent of Jinnah, was a devout Muslim. Our current President APJ Abdul Kalam is a devout Muslim and the most tolerant of Hinduism and other religions. In contrast all the Pakistani dictators (with the exception of Zia ul Haq) were always "moderates". The "moderates" are not as powerless as you make them sound. Almost all governments of Islamic countries (with the exception of Iran) are headed by "moderates". What makes them "moderate" to western eyes is the fact that they are America's lackeys and they do America's bidding .......at least infornt of them. What they do behind them is another story. The "moderate" leaders of the Islamic world uses the radicals as weapons to further their political agenda. The "moderate" leaders deny their people the most basic rights and uses poor Muslims for indoctrination who later on become the foot soldiers of terror groups. Its the "moderate westernised elites" who control the Islamic world not the other way round. They even enjoy the support of the western media and liberal political parties of the west. The west has been supporting the devil thinking it to be an angel. Staying in India I have known many devout Muslims (not the wahabists) from average families who are actually the most tolerant Muslims that you can find. These are Muslims who hold on to their Indian ethos and have rejected the Saudi Arabian brand of Islam ......but they are not "moderates" by western standards.