[wizardoz]

I have met too many tolerant, friendly, Muslims to say that it´s the religion to be blamed for that.

I've met some really nice, friendly, tolerant Communists, too. Often they have lovely manners. They smile at you in the hallways, they hold doors, they talk about "peaceful change" and they remember your birthday. Really, seriously. Some of the nicest folks I know.

That doesn't change the fact that they support an ideology that would eradicate all political rights. If a revolution came and landowners were rounded up and shot in the head, they would murmur among themselves that this isn't right and it shouldn't be done LIKE THAT.

They'd say that landowners should indeed be stripped of their property... but in a civilized manner. That they should be "re-educated" by caring Communists who, with love, only seek to bring them to an understanding of the superior, necessary, inevitable nature of Communism.

In other words, some folks are indeed quite nice. They still want you under the control of their ideology, eventually. They want you to do it of your own accord, but if one of their more violent brethern puts a gun to your head, they won't say he's doing the wrong thing, only that he's doing the right thing in the wrong manner. And they won't try to stop the gunman or save you.

[cardinal4]

When I lived in Saudi, I played soccer with Saudi kids, and pretty much roamed the streets near the embassy. I certainly wouldnt do it now. Arabs love kids of any culture, nation, gender, race, etc. But when they hit a certain age, they then become malleable. To be shaped into an Islamic ideaolgy. The girls don a veil and the boys start looking for a wife. A caveat here, if you will; any culture or religion that condones, participates in, or encourages, arranged marriages, is still stuck in 1200's.

[Eastbound]

Good cop, bad cop. Either way, the suspect knows he's no longer in control of his own destiny. Once the civilized world recognizes it has been 'detained' by islam (with the blessings and collaberation of governments), I suspect 'going postal' will take on a whole new dimension.

[The Westerner]

Good post. Somehow it applies to the pro-Arab stance of President Bush and Powell. They want peace in the Mid-East, but if a few Israelis are blown up, it's unfortunate. Doesn't deter them in the least from their chosen path of appeasement and "moderation."