wobbly thinker,
I'm sorry; was this post called Understanding Islam or Deliberately Misunderstanding Islam?
<Except for an extremist minority (which we also have)...>
I love this relativist canard.
Are you talking about the Christian fundamentalists who behead Muslims on the internet, etc, etc, ad nauseum?
<...the differences between most religions comes down to marketing>
And I thought that the main difference was that Jesus Christ called on his followers to love their enemies and Mohammed called on his followers to kill the unbelievers.

StG,
Save yourself lots of time by first reading
"The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran"
by Robert Spencer

CJ Morgan,
ditto the above and maybe you will develop a healthy fear, dispel some ignorance and will not have an excuse for deliberately misinforming.

Well why should anyone tolerate religion? You should tolerate people that have different beliefs but where is the rule you have to personally tolerate religion itself? That is idiotic.

Political persecution, religious persecution – same thing
Political free speech, religious free speech – same thing.

If you are censored in how any belief system impacts your life by being called xenophobic, racist or any other lazy idiotic term then you will embrace extremism views. Same in politics, if you have no say and emanded to accept or tolerate political movements then you are being persecuted. If some extremist political movement comes out to play you see them as the only viable option you will support it.

The failure was right from the start when tolerance of the ideology was confused with the real human right of tolerating people with different views, not having to adopt the symbols or associated cultures themselves. There is no law anywhere you need to tolerate anything, only people rights to have an opposing or different belief system. The people being forced to tolerate is actually political persecution. This has allowed extremism to gain support.

There is nothing wrong with objecting to these minarets. They are a cultural thing that will add or subtract to the vista of residents. In itself it is not religious persecution. The methods used to garner support perhaps are, but then the failure to allow free and open dialogue on the religious impact on society is political persecution. The fact the unfortunate way it has been arrived at is proof positive that other political parties have failed to uphold the right to an opinion and a say in how a cultural evolves or is protected, and that is a basic human right for all.

Sorry wrong thread though makes me wonder why start a thread telling people you are going to read a book? If everyone did that would be a bit extreme lol

There's Islam and there's Islam. It's a matter of which one you believe.
I recon they all want throwing out.
There has never been any good come out of any religion.

TheMissus,

Sorry, what would you like me to say?

I replied to one person and I get shot down for it?. I'll come back and reply to others that are on topic when I get more time. Trolling bait isn't worth the time...'cept for yours, unfortunately.

That okay with you?. Is there anything else I can explain to you?

STG I think we think alike, may be wrong but your first post fits me too.
Now in my opinion western governments seem to want us to mix, seem to think we will merge, become alike.
Or even one, it will never work.
Sorry here I take a different path than you, I agree with Switzerland's recent vote.
In fact in time this will grow, the idea we must change our culture to be more excepting of theirs.
Have you seen the wooden Santa Claus in cheap shops?, sure no true measure of Christmas, nothing Holly , but sold as wooden figure?
Why?
Why fear offending those who have totally different celebrations than us?
War may be the only answer but just saying no to culture killing ideas we always must change is a must.