For the most part yes.
” I don't buy that idea that Muslims in Europe would embrace the concept. Seems to me there are a number of Muslims, everywhere in the West, who are "faithful" to their religion w/o being fundamentalist.”
I would rather go with polls:
From the article:
“ According to a poll taken in 2004, over 60 percent of British Muslims want to live under sharia—in the United Kingdom.”
"So why would a vocal minority of fundamentalists sway all and any of them in country?"
Muslims in general want to live under Shari laws, that is why a fairly western thinking country such as Iran has been taken over by the whack jobs. They don't have 'elections' the people are content with what they have, so there is no revolt.
To the statement that, "Democracy may have problems but it's better than any other form of government," the people of five Arab countries strongly agreed. See the table below. Note with amazement how this agreement is greater than that for the sample from other regions, such as Western Europe. Agreement for other Muslim nations is a little lower, but still greater than for Latin American and U.S./Canada/Australia/New Zealand..
Given what you have said about polls, what's your take on this? Note also his conclusion:
Therefore, if the democratization the Arab people value is to come, it must come from pressure from the outside. In this, President Bush's "Forward Strategy of Freedom" is well aligned with our understanding of the Middle East, and it is working.
Another point tht could be made, based on the article is, given that Muslims living under dictatorship are not inclined to raise their heads above the masses, why wouldn't they embrace democratic ideals when they are away from the oppressiveness of such regimes?