The fact is that the Arabs have had their Muslim Martin Luthers and John Calvins. One was the 18th-century Mohammed Wahhab, founder of Saudi Arabia's austere version of Islam called Wahhabism. It's funny — the press often refer to Wahhabism as "puritanical" without noting that the Puritans were, well, Protestants.Actually, a very good case can be made that Wahhabi is the Islamic version of Calvinism. Calvin himself certainly adopted his own brand of sharia when his principles ruled 16th century Geneva.
Both are versions of the faith which are rather unattractive to nonadherents, and perhaps as a result both are often willing to use force to compel obedience to their respective beliefs.
Indeed, a good definition of an Islamic fanatic would be one who favors the imposition of sharia and its application to non-Moslems. The Wahhabi certainly qualify.
One interesting point: The Islamic Conference, many of whose members undoubtedly support sharia in their homelands, met in a city where it is not in place.
-Eric
And the missing piece of the puzzle is that these "Islamic Calvinists" are backed by an immense amount of money, thanks to Saudi oil. The Saudi plan is to Wahhabize (to coin a word) all of Sunni Islam.