Look, the religion is irrelevent. And I am not talking about large grey African animals with long noses.
Many Muslims DON'T practice what is written in the Qu'ran. They want to lead good lives in peace with their neighbours and to praise god. They may well see some of the passages as being redolent with the culture from which they sprang, just as the Bible is seen by many Christians nowadays.
They are not literalists, they re-interpret a cultural religious tradition in a humanistic fashion. Like most Christians. Just as literalist Christians can have the most ludicrous beliefs, just as all Christians can potentially act in a despicable fashion regardless of what their text says or doesn't say, so too can literalist Muslims believe errant nonsence (by any modern standard) and liberal Muslims choose to live in peace regardless of what their text says or doesn't say.
The literalist Muslims are governed by their hateful take on the text, just as some Christians can have a hateful interpretation of the text (like some churches in aparthied South Africa, or silly conceits of inerrant accuracy). Others of both religions choose to be governed by the desire to live in peace (rather than what a book does or doesn't say) which is arguably what religion should be all about.
Isalm will become more secular - just as surely as Christianity has. It's societies and cultures will develop to have the same values as ours, as 'the slow curve of humanity is towards justice', as MLK once said. Humanity expresses it's religions. Religions do not express humanity. As a culture aspires to greater levels of humanity, so too will its interpretation of its cultural spiritual history change.
Can you give me one good reason why it won't happen to Islam as it has happened to Christianity? In other words, it isn't the religion. Looking at the religion is like staring at the fists of someone who proceeds to kick you in the balls.
Two hundred years ago women were chattel, and we've not let them vote for 100 years yet. Black people were second class citizens IN LAW 50 years ago or less, even outside of South Africa. Our culture has changed and it is STILL Christian.
Just as liberal Christians ignore the uncomfortable bits of the Bible, as "it doesn't matter, it's not like god dictated it, use your head", so too will Muslims ignore the uncomfortable bits of the Qu'ran.
Please, let's get the BAD guys, no matter what pathetic excuse they have for killing people? And not lump in people as desirous of peace as you and I?
I live in Holland. For all the fact that we do have a problem with fundamentalists, it is equally a fact we have shit loads of Muslims who are as dangerous as you average (insert inoffensive Christian denomination with regular church attendence and high moral standards), and don't want more than one wife, and whose daughter marries who she wants, as well as quite a few Muslims who are exploring 'nominal' as enthusiastically as many Christians are.
That my friends is the future, with the trouble-makers getting less and less numerous, as working in a bank and having a family is far nicer than being a suicide bomber. Can you think how ignorant and decieved someone has to be to do that? At the end of the day, a BMW will be a far more attractive status symbol than being buried in a zip-lock bag.
Some young people in developing Islamic cultures with big problems turn to a radical path, as do the young in any culture with big problems. The sooner they can have a basic, reasonable life there will be FAR better things for the majority of the diseffected to do, and they won't BE diseffected.
And then you're left with the mad nutters, but you get those in all religions and ideologies..
Hunt down the criminals.
Eliminate poverty.
It's enlightened self-interest; altruism is a side issue really. By eliminating poverty we will all live in a more peaceful, richer world. The rights and wrongs of terror are obvious, but what's as important as catching terrorists is starving the monster of despair that provides the foot soldiers of terror. Break the circle.
Now, behave, or I'll type a meledy of 'Melting Pot' and 'Give Peace a Chance'.
ADDED
AS for showing respect, I agree; the greatest respect we can show is by acting to ensure it stops happening, by catching such fundamentalists and taking action to stop people becoming like that. Hyperbole is not respectful.
