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in the basic tenets of their respective religions. How, exactly, does it follow that these 'non-practicing moderate Muslims' therefore support those who are burning effigies of the Pope, rallying in the streets and killing people? Are killing, burning and rallying basic tenets of Islam? And while we're at it, why not look upon the burning of effigies as an expression of an opinion in a free society? Why be so sensitive to anything that is 'deemed critical' of a religion? It's just an effigy.

- Although it is true that this did change later, with the Iraq War fiasco, the weeks following the shocking 9/11 terrorist attacks had more Muslims sympathizing wholeheartedly with the US than for decades before - in spite of the many, many times people in Muslim countries (and not just Muslims but Christians also) have asked themselves, in the wake of massacres and attacks, why so little sympathy is extended to them from the West.

- Where in the UN Charter does it say that that organization is entitled to request clerics to please be kind enough to revise the teachings of their religion? Any religion? I thought the whole idea was to separate Church and State? What a preposterous idea!

- I know Islam (as well as Christianity a few hundred years ago, Judaism and Hinduism today) can, and obviously have, been interpreted as condoning violence - but that never was the intent of any of those religions.

- Intolerance, bigotry and violence exist wherever men (and women) are found - and advocating peace and human dignity is not a western monopoly. It feels foolish to even have to write something that is so obviously true.

- Is Islam not present in the here and now? How can one seriously refer to tensions 'between Islamic theology and the modern world'?

- Finally, Muslims live in more than one country, more than one region, more than one culture. They cannot be lumped together as one. In fact, that is precisely the goal of many radical Islamic movements. They want to turn the clock back several centuries, to the days of ancient empires, and re-instate what was once the 'Muslim Umma', or 'Nation of Islam'. Westerners who perceive Muslim nations as somehow being one entity are doing these people the greatest service.

Learn more about this author, Sawsan Elzayyat.
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