George,

Clearly.the record of Christians and Jews and their dealings with the followers of the Islamic faith prove, absolutely, to "militant fundamentalists" as well as the moderate followers of that belief that "reason and basic fairness" have rarely been the diplomatic nor philosophical basis for addressing the differences existing between the Islamic faith and Christianity and Judaism.

Mr Weinschenk surely must understand the peoples of the Islamic world see exploitation, indifference and outright hostility, both toward their religion and their culture.

The Palestinians see Israel as the "great usurpers," claiming an area of the world on a "right" based on their religion--the Israelis with equal fervor react with a force where the innocent are just as subject to the swiftness of retribution as those Palestinians the Israeli government see as the terrorists. A good example is the attack on militant supporters of Hamas in Lebanon following the capture of an Israeli soldier--many innocent men, women and children died in the indiscriminate Israeli bombing and the use of cluster bombs, weapons primarily used against civilian populations.

It isn't difficult to understand the sense of being wronged by a country you have been taught to understand exists only on historically disputed religious faith.

The "Christian Devils" are seen as exploitation, primarily for oil wealth, in areas of kings.princes and potentates where the mass of the population live in utter poverty. Saudia Arabia, a nation that takes its name from the Saud family where hundreds of billions in oil income go to a tiny fraction of the privileged, many corrupted by greed, existing only because the Saudi monarchy keeps a tight rein over the people and any attempt by the people for any sense of fairness by their rulers is met with swift punishment, often operating under the guise of religion.

The "militant Islamic fundamentalists" see this boot on their necks aided and abetted by the Western, primarily Christian, nations--chiefly the USA--not unlike the American revolutionaries who saw the British repressive boot on their necks. The British labeled them the equivalent of "militant terrorists" (the British officer Tarleton was ordered to Monticello to shoot the revolutionary Jefferson on sight).

Yes, I agree it is difficult to expect reasonableness from any group, be they Islamic "fundamentalists" or the American Indians at the hands of George Armstrong Custer.

Somewhere, there must be alternatives to the modern crusades that focus on wars, destruction and a perpetuation of mistrust, deceit and indifference--still seen as the guiding principles of much of the non-Islamic world.

May human decency and reasonableness prevail,by all sides, eventually.

Happy New Year.

Harry Tenney (Electronic mail, January 3, 2010)