Islam either has some of the best PR people (it doesn't since they are always killing people left right and center), or we are so willing to pull the wool over our own eyes that we act oblivious to some things.
The very meaning of the word 'Islam' is 'submission.' Submission to Allah. And what if you do not submit to Allah? Well, in the US brand of Islam you live in harmony; but outside our borders that is not the case. And every now and then, as it did on 9-11, those guys will come a-visiting and show us the true face of Islam. And as they did, and when they do again, you'll see people continue saying it is an abberation, the work of a murderous few in the name of a peaceful religion.
The funny thing is that you do not see Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, Daoists etc etc etc on the TV every other day committing some mindless atrocity. Hence, how come 'abberations' don't occur with these other religions?
9-11 was a warning of what was to come if we continued duping ourselves to what the true threat is. And no, it is not in the form of Islamic radicals! That is only a symptom ....and no matter how many we kill the problem, the real disease, will always be there. The root cause is Islamic Radicalism. Perpetuated by Saudi Wahhabism and finances, Pakistani madrassas, and the clerics who spread the 'word' from Indonesia to Benin. We need to continue what we are doing, that is killing the 'students.' But we also need to start destroying the 'universities,' even when those 'universities' claim they are our allies.
I also say that American muslims who insist that "theirs" is a peaceful religion need to be more pro-active (because it is their religion being radicalized). Islam must undergo a reformation movement if it is to survive (otherwise it must be completely eradicated as a dangerous blood cult).
Total elimination of Islamofascists/Islamonazis is not necessary. Aryan Nazis and Shinto Japanese pledged to fight to the last man (and sought global domination). It did not take killing them to the last man (in fact the Japanese emperor remained emperor). We can safely travel to Germany and Japan these days.
More nations need to wake up to the problems that they have ignored. More muslims need to close down the mosques that train/indoctrinate radical terrorists with videos (England has plenty of such mosques and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that mosques are where the American muslim terrorists get inspired as well). Some mosques even have weapons caches (in the religion of peace?).
Religious freedom MUST come to muslim nations. Freedom to openly practice any religion. Freedom to freely convert to any religion. Equal protection under the law; no distinctions between muslims and Christians/Jews and "others"/infidels.
The US government DOES have the ability to grant status identifying just what is a "religion". Consider how Dianetics/Church of Scientology got their tax exemption under President Clinton. Germany prohibits Scientology altogether (I believe this is still the case).
The government that can "grant" you religious status can also take it away. This is why the Constitution protects freedom of religion; to keep the government out of it.
I question tolerating the free exercise of Islam in America since muslim nations do not permit the free exercise of other faiths (Christianity, Jewish, Hindu, Buddism...). If this is "pure Islam" it signals what could happen to American freedoms.
In the absence of a reformation movement, it is almost certain (if not now, 20 years, 50 years, 100 years,...).
This war (WWIV) is not being fought because George W. Bush took action to enforce the negotiated resolutions from the 1991 Iraq war. There were major homeland strikes at least as early as 1993's WTC bombing and even more attacks against US interests as well as individuals.
Are mob rapes of non-muslims in Holland, Australia, etc. a result of US policy regarding Israel? Absolutely not.
That's better
My gramma, who was born in 1892, had told me that the Muslims only goal was to destroy the infidel. I asked her what that meant. I was four at the time. She said, "all of us are the infidel. They must be defeated, and the only one who can defeat them is the great United States. They will prevent the communists from defeating us ever, and they can and will defeat the Muslims. The can and must be destroyed." I didn't get it at the time, or why she was so worried. Later I had learned that Spain had been conquered, and atrocities committed. That people had been enslaved or killed if Christian, or any other religion not Islamic. She was right then, and she was right for today. History has a way of repeating itself.