[rmlew]

Turks are rarely Islamist. Historically, they have been the most tolerant of Muslims. This has to do with a cultural tradition of allowing peoples to practice any religion they wanted. Heck, they all coverted from their Shamanistic traditions because of this religious tolerance. No one spoke of religious oppression under the Huns, Blue Turks, Avars, Bulghars, Magyars, Khazars,Uyghurs, Pechinegs, Black Hats, Ghuzz, Seljuk, Tatars, or Mongols. There was some opression when teh Osmani/Ottoman Turk consolodated power over the reminants of the Byzantine Empire, but this is an exception that proves the rule.
Steppe peoples were either indifferent to religion (sacking churches like anything else) or tolerant.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Steppe peoples were either indifferent to religion (sacking churches like anything else) or tolerant.

Then they have my sympathies.

My point is that, normally, without the recent worldwide demonstrations of Islamist perfidy (9/11, suicide bombings in Israel, dancing in the streets in Palestine and Detroit, apologia from Farrakhan, CAIR, MEMRI, Cynthia McKinney, etc, etc ad nauseum), I would have naturally been sympathetic and believing. Now, the burden of proof in the propaganda contest for my goodwill (for the little value that it has) has been shifted. I'm thinking of America first, and I'm suspicious. Can you blame me?

[FreedomPoster]

Turks are rarely Islamist. Historically, they have been the most tolerant of Muslims. This has to do with a cultural tradition of allowing peoples to practice any religion they wanted.

Like being tolerant of the Armenians' Christianity? That said, the Turks are as secular as Islamics get. Still, there's not a lot of religious diversity in Turkey.

[liberallarry]

...the Huns, Blue Turks, Avars, Bulghars, Magyars, Khazars,Uyghurs, Pechinegs, Black Hats, Ghuzz, Seljuk, Tatars, or Mongols

How in the world do you come by such detailed knowledge of an area of the world that hardly exists in American history and tradition?