"I am a Muslim..."
There are two things about your post which cause me to be a little bit on guard. #1 - You just signed up to FR today to respond to me? #2 - You begin your reply with an insult: "why dont you do us a favor and stop sounding like you lack education."
I am not, nor will I ever be a muslim authority or scholar. I shouldn't have to study islam. If you want to, that's fine, but I won't. One of the most striking differences between islam and real religions is the idea of coexistance. Ann Coulter's latest article is very good in pointing this out. As a Christian, I don't care if you don't observe Easter, or Christmas. I don't care what religion you practice, or if you worship bricks.
muslims are very vocal about the inferiority of infidels. The Danish cartoon madness is an attempt of muslims to control others, and bend them to the will of islam. I would grant you that the majority of what I see are the extreme elements of islam. What distresses me is that I don't hear the "moderate muslims" denounce these people. There is real fear in the western media that observations, or books about islam that do not cast a favorable light will result in assasination attempts by muslims. This is a religion? Suicide bombers are celebrated... that's a religion?
There are over 1 billion people under the influence of this cult. It's impossible that all 1 billion are bad people. The best way to free the good ones is to destroy the cult.
Either you are blind to what is around you, or you're a troll.
If you want islam to be respected, make it respectable. Fix your house, and others won't feel the need to condemn it, and have it torn down.
The west, particularly the US is not 100% weak willed liberal. Some of us can, and will fight for our way of life. Freedom.
Ann's article is great.