[Brian Allen]

I think we are essentially in agreement except perhaps your definition of "Civilization" is much broader than mine -- and falls under the heading, "Culture," in my book.

[And, having spent much of my adult life among the Arab Peoples, having learned their language -- and having enjoyed them all so much -- I understand and share what appears to be your admiration for them all! But, that said, knowing them as well as I do, I harbor no delusions about the intentions of the islamics!]

[annalex]

A civilization is something that permits cultures to ineroperate, like all those cross-cultural Californians or cross-cultural militant Muslim.