ISLAM AND THE UNITED STATES

Islam is the world’s third largest religion so it would be asinine for the U.S. to avoid dealing with Islamic issues. The question is, at what point do we peaceably coexist and at what point is confrontation necessary. Obviously, we have many countries in our "Friends" column which profess to be Islamic while we also have "Enemies" who adhere to the faith of Mohammed. Now, let’s be clear, most Muslims are not extreme and simply want to practice their faith in peace, however, if practicing that faith means they turn a blind eye to the evils of their extremist brethren, then they cannot be viewed as moderate nor even friendly to the U.S.. As a nation, we should continue to applaud the efforts of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab nations who are currently attempting to eradicate extremism, notwithstanding, they should be admonished when deals are made with any group professing to be Taliban or Al Qaida. As for American Muslims, they should be treated with the same respect as other religions. It would be great to see a million Muslim march on Washington protesting terrorism.