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Yes, I know the story, but I am not interested in the details. Point is, it does not change my opinion. I did not ask some "Southern Baptist Minister", and I don't give a flying Fck what muslims think the Koran says, because either there are enough of them who don't have a effing clue and take what some evil people tell them it means, or the document itself is an evil screed, and the Islamowhackofacists are interpreting it correctly. Bernard Lewis is considered to be the foremost western authority on Islam, and I have read most of his books on this subject. I am no expert on this subject, I leave that to him. He appears to know what he is talking about. If there is any problem, I am sure it is not with his interpretation, but with my comprehension. I do not hate muslims and I do not hate Islam. I don't care if people want to worship Allah and a bloodthirsty misogynistic "prophet" (as I see Mohammed-though it is only MY opinion). That is their business, and I have no issue with it. I know a few muslims, and they seem like good people to me. Perhaps they are secular, as I am a secular Catholic, and believe that people should be free to worship the God of their choice without interference. But when people start flying planes of screaming people into buildings of screaming people who must choose between burning to death or plummeting to their death, and do these deeds in the name of a religion, and the silence is deafening from the main body of the religion and the people who practice it, well, I DO have a problem with that. The problem with Islam, is, that there are people who are aware of those who pervert their religion and do violence in the name of their God, but do nothing to stop it. I have heard only a very few outright denunciations of these murders. Every other disavowal comes with a qualifying statement about "But...the Palestinians....Israel...your poisonous culture... has made these acts happen." That is the damned problem. The problem is NOT what the Koran does or does not say, or if there are virgins after death, or if suicide murdering islamowhackofacists get to go to paradise, or if it is okay to stone your little sister to death because she made google eyes at some young guy, or if one does not believe in Allah. So thanks for the story. I appreciate the detail. But if Islam has a bad name, it is NOT BECAUSE SOME SOUTHERN BAPTIST MINISTER GAVE IT A BAD NAME. IT IS BECAUSE BARBAROUS SONS OF BITCHES ARE CUTTING INNOCENT PEOPLE'S HEADS OFF ON CAMERA WHILE CHANTING ALLAH IS GREAT! That, muawiyah, is why Islam has a bad name. People could give a damn about who worships what. Sheesh.

Picky, picky.

I've been reading Lewis for years. Many times he's cited research and dissertations written by one of my old teachers, Dr. Jwadeh, now deceased, at Indiana University.

Both Jwadeh and Lewis avoided the sort of emotional response you seem to like so well. Quite possibly this is because they noticed that out of the hundreds of millions of Moslems in the world, only a handful of crackpots seem to be into the terrorism business.

You have to keep your eye on the real enemy if you want to defeat him ~ the guys cutting off heads are part of it. The ladies wearing their Friday best to go out and vote are not the enemy.

You did know those women were all dressed up because that's what you do in their part of the world when you know you may be going out to face death ~ you do, of course, want to be buried in your very best clothes ~ the better with which to meet God.

When is the last time you feared being killed as you voted? What was your response?