Respect for Islam

Last week I heard more than one news report about Muslims upset at being labeled terrorists because of the bad behavior of a few radicals. Everyday Muslims, they said, do not condone terrorism, and dont appreciate their faith being associated with it. We shouldn't let a few crazies blemish an otherwise peaceful world religion.

So, what about when the craziness is the action of an entire nation? Are we allowed to think Islam is a cruel, violent religion then? Take a look at this article. This is not just a handful of crazy men.

"That's only the Wahhabist sect," they say, "that's not all of Islam." I say, OK fine, its a sect, but it is a large, influential sect that controls several middle eastern nations, perhaps even the majority of practicing Muslims.

This seems a conundrum for the post-moderns who want to have us tolerate everybody. I like tolerance, but I like humane behavior better. Sentencing a 70-year-old woman to 40 lashes for having two men in her house, her surrogate son and his friend, is insane.