[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?

[rmlew]

I don't blame you for distrusting Muslims. I just think that histroy matters.
Today, there is a band of countries from Greek to Chinese borders with 3 things in common:
1. They are Turkish
2. They are Muslim but not Islamist
3. They are Western oriented.

The only exception I can think of are the Volga Bulghars and Burtas who are in Russia and see their "homeland" occupied by increasing numbers of Russians.
I suppose that the same could hold true for the Uyghurs with Chinese colonists.