Submitted by Peter Stevens (United States), Oct 15, 2006 at 20:39
... I'm an American, tax-paying, and I don't earn my dime wearing out stereotypes on the lecture circuit, or paying homage to various lobby groups who pay life wage, in more ways than one.
I think Muslims are some of the most industrious, honest, generous people on this planet.
People who are frightened of Muslim faith, their way of life, the different ways they structure their lives, are simply living in a rather obvious, and I would say, passe, state of insecurity. They are insecure that, judging by the various players in the political game in the Middle East and around the world, the Muslims, it seems to even the most biased outsider, are fighting for their faith, while the others have no faith beyond economic considerations - faith in the dollar, or the ever-popular euro.
We should try to find some definitions for words like modern, civilization, and democracy (not to mention terror). With working definitions applicable to all world players, not selectively applied, we might begin to see where people actually stand,...
Sincerely,
Peter Stevens
PHD - Int'l Comparative Education -Teacher's College, Columbia
Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened for relevance, substance, and tone, and in some cases edited, before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome, but comments are rejected if scurrilous, off-topic, vulgar, ad hominem, or otherwise viewed as inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the Guidelines for Comments.