[cake_crumb]

Islam isn't a real culture. It's tribal Saudi culture imposed on the conquered, which in many cases had far more advanced civilizations than their conquerers.

Because there's no freedom, not even freedom of thought, the cultures of various Mislim nations can't evolve. Reform will give them that chance. What the terrorists hate and fear about THAT is that it'll be the bebirth of diverse local cultures and the and of forced, Pan Arab hegemony.

[MissAmericanPie]

I know what the goal is, but I think these folks are so psychotic in any circumstance that it's impossible for them to be normal.

[Stultis]

Islam isn't a real culture. It's tribal Saudi culture imposed on the conquered, which in many cases had far more advanced civilizations than their conquerers.

Exactly. Most of the problems with Islam, IMHO, stem from it's (almost unabashed) role as an instrument of cultural hegemony.

Christianity almost had a similar problem, btw. The difference was that there were "universalists" like Paul within the movement who succeeded in wresting it away from early leaders in Jerusalem who wanted to saddle the new faith with obsequious observance of Jewish cultural norms.

I believe that supporting "universalists" -- advocates of cultural diversity, regional diversity, sectarian tolerance, etc -- within Islam against the Arabist monoculturalists is every bit as important as supporting "moderates" against "militants".