I agree it is tough to lump all persons of a particular faith as following the same belief. In my area there is a large Muslim, Sikh, Islam community. Similar and different. One common thread. After the 9-11 attack, they were among the first to wave the American flag. Partially our of fear and embarassment, but out of pride as well.
This country has given them opportunities that they could have never realized in their own countries. Many Islamic people here are on their second and third generations of being American. (How many here on this site are fourth generation or less?)
I do agree with one thing. I believe the philosophies taught by Islam tend to lean towards intolerance, but mostly out of defense of their philosophy. Remember, most of the theologies of Islam are taught to illiterate and poor people.
What they learn is limited to what they are told. (Not dissimilar to biblical times). How they react to what they are told is limited to how they are taught and under what circumstances. True Islam is not very different from Judaism. The benefit Judaism has had is that of written education and the ability to think for ones self.
Imagine yourself a school age child living in a rubble strewn village.
Every day you see jets scream overhead dropping bombs on a neighboring area or village where you have some friends and relatives. The elders point to those planes and say they are American /Israeli / Russian / British etc. They tell you they are bringing death and destruction to your people and country because you are Muslim and they are Christians and Jews. You don't get newspapers. You have seldom seen a television set. You are ripe for extremist training.
On the other hand, take Bagdhad or Tehran (or any number of large middle eastern cities). Those were party towns. People knew the good life. They lived with their religion but not for it or because of it. They had wealth, cars, bars, movies, cable TV etc.
They don't hate us. They don't like the way their govenment and religious fanatics make them live when even their own officials and leaders don't live that way. It is opression right now.
The opression is brought on by a few greedy nasty Hitler-like leaders who are using the Church to recruit poor ignorant illiterate country bred extremists to carry out their tyranny.
We have similar extremists in our own country bred in extremely religious surroundings. They usually join groups like the KKK. Extremism and intolerance are not the sole property of Islam. Don't forget the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades (probably responsible for more deaths than the Jewish or Armenian Holocusts. Even the Roman Empire was a form of extremism and (definitely) intolerance. The Roman Empire was dedicated to Paganism, odd mysticism and hedonism. But they were spreading the word and power of their own G-ds from 753BC to 476 AD. Long time and a lot of people killed.
Understand, lumping a people or belief system into a group and saying "kill them all they are terrorists and they hate us" is pretty intolerant in itself.
Our target is the source. That's all. Not the entire religion or people...just the leaders and dictators.
Yes....we are the world's police department. We are not all that is good and pure, just well equipped for the job and capable. Now lets get in there and and open up a KFC.
