[Sabertooth]

We're told that Islam is somehow inconsistent with a democratic culture, yet more than half of the world's Muslims are today contributing citizens in democratic societies.

It is suggested that the poor, in their daily struggles, care little for self-government, yet the poor especially need the power of democracy to defend themselves against corrupt elites.

People from the Middle East share a high civilization, a religion of personal responsibility and a need for freedom as deep as our own.

It is not realism to suppose that one-fifth of humanity is unsuited to liberty. It is pessimism and condescension, and we should have none of it.

This is the gamble that must be taken, but might well fail.

The question is not simply whether Islam is compatible with a democratic culture, but also whether Islam is compatible with republicanism and pluralism, even in neighboring, non-Islamic nations.

The risk of Islam's ultimate incompatibility with our values is not so small, I'm afraid, as President Bush proposes. However, the experiment in Islamic democracy must be conducted, because the only alternative is a Deathmatch of Civilizations. If the experiment fails, we'll be that much more certain of our subsequent course.

[alancarp]

Well said - fear of failure is not an excuse for not trying. Our culture and our lives may be at risk otherwise.

[teldon30]

well said!