Your post is both accurate and informative. But, the thing to keep in mind the teachings referenced are some 1200 years old. The world has turned many times since the pronouncements in the Koran had any great validity. The problem exists that 21st century people are buying into 9th century concepts and intergrating them to their lives.

It would seem we have a "Cool Hand Luke" situation of a failure to communicate here. Education and extended exposure to the West could have been a winner. Iran was becoming a very Westerized culture amongst the young. Unfortuneately they have been polarized back to putting up with the theocracy by the bombing and invasion of Iraq. The current administration has caused this polarization not only throughout the Arab world, but amongst Muslims worldwide. For example, India is facing a Muslim extremist problem with its minority Muslim population. What Americans lose sight of is that the Muslim minority in India is 100 million people. All Muslims are not Arabs. In fact, Iranians are Persians.

Spreading Western culture, economics, philosophy, and secularism would have a greater efficacy than trying to force a system of submission into a new submission by bombing them.

Publius