About "Moderate" Islam

Someday I'll maybe write a big post on the issue. For the time being, I think that blogger ZionistYoungster has written an excellent piece. The central argument:

I am charged with disbelieving in the existence of good Muslims: of Muslims who lead their religious lives on the “live and let live” model to which all other
religions today adhere; who may think all human beings should keep shariah law, but leave the conversion of the non-Muslims to such observance to their deity rather than to humans; who are ashamed of their brethren of whom we hear about on the news every day, and think they are giving Islam a bad name; and who view clashes like those in Israel or Kashmir as nationalistic land disputes that can be solved through negotiations, and through concessions from both parties. Such Muslims do exist, and I have never hinted otherwise. However, I see four problems that nullify any Leftist argument that proposes the abandonment of the war, on the ideological front against Islam as well as on the physical front against the Muslims, on the grounds of the indisputable existence of such Muslims. These are the problems:

1. They are a minority.
2. They can turn to the extremist majority any moment.
3. Many professing moderates are extremists
engaging in dissimulation (taqiya).
4. Even true and stable moderate Muslims
are powerless to deal with their extremist brethren.

I think he's right, sadly. I think that it was our moral duty to try to show Muslims the road to Liberty, in Iraq and elsewhere. Well, the road has been shown clearly, but too few have undertaken the journey. Our approach will have to change towards a meaner, "Don't bloody mess with me, or else..." one.