I was given a glimmer of hope recently though by a fascinating individual. Jamestown, Heaven's Gate, YEC's etc. (yes, I lump YEC's in with rest because the conviction involves delusion) will continue to happen because individuals can be easily preyed upon. The difficulties in the Middle East however, are the result of a traditional culture being forced into modern society. Eventually, the transition will be accomplished, but you are quite right, not without a lot of violence and bloodshed.
Perhaps that's their problem. If so, the future for them is very unpromising. When you view the sweep of history and see what's happened to such societies when confronted with more advanced cultures, it doesn't look good. Consider the fate of the native societies of the Western Hemisphere -- even those with relatively advanced civilizations -- the Incas, the Aztecs. Or consider the current condition of Africa. Russia certainly botched itself up trying to modernize. Very few cultures have handled the transition successfully. Only Japan seems to have made the leap. Perhaps India, but I think the jury's still out there. Turkey is perhaps another.