[Riddil]

Kitsune, all your examples are valid, but one glaring difference in all your examples is the fact that you're comparing mass demonstrations to the actions of a few individuals, or at best small groups. Even the IRA was little more than a band of insurgents. And they were fighting for what they felt was an occupation, and lack of representation. Not against a cartoon. Published in another country.

Religious zealots have absolutely done crazy things in both Islam and Christianity. But you can't call the the two equal. One has crazy people that go to the extreme of the religion. The other has built a power structure designed to keep people in the dark and whip the entire faith into a holy frenzy. The religion of Islam may be peaceful. But the organization is anything but.

Anyhow, the muslims will learn. They'll catch on to the absurdity of extremism... eventually. The problem that the western world is having is that we expect the Middle East to suddenly wake up and join the modern world. They *can't*. Culture doesn't just change overnight.

If anyone wants a comical view of what reads like a prophecy for modern day American efforts in the middle east, just go and read Mark Twain's book, "Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court." The parallel's are astounding.