I agree with Al-Maeena to a degree, but I’ve also seen the power of the media flow the opposite direction, too. There are many internet sites that totally bash Islam, but the general media in the U.S. seems to be downplaying it lately. The UK is less discriminating on their coverage.

Using a psychological basis for crimes, I always want to know the background of the criminal. Not his religion, but his upbringing, and choice of lifestyles. We have some pretty insane serial killers who were raised in a “religion” who hardly practice it when preying on victims.

To use the “persecuted| (fill in the blanks)to avoid being punished is not acceptable in any country, any more than being harshly punished for your respective race, religion, or nationality.

Personal responsibility is a choice.

My general perspective is that like any other country, Saudis are nice people, on the whole. There are some unpleasant ones and some dangerous ones. Most people are more concerned with the issues of daily life than with global politics or great historical trends.

The country is very traditional. Some of the traditions are not wise, merciful, or very religious. Others are innocuous, yet others are very noble.

The country is far more religious than any other country I’ve lived in or visited (excepting, maybe, the Vatican). People do take their religion seriously. Some confuse religion with tradition and cultural values. Some confuse religion with how they’d like the world to work.

Saudi women are extremely powerful in many ways. While some are abused, many others are entirely happy with their lives. Mostly, Saudi women object to foreigners telling them what they should or should not be wanting in their lives.

I think the country is very, very complicated, with a mixture of ultra-modern and ultra-conservative/traditional values competing to be heard, to be accepted, to be ascendent.

When I was in Riyadh, I set up a USG program to bring teachers of Islam to visit parochial schools (i.e. schools with a religious affiliation–Catholic, Protestant, Quaker, Jewish, Mormon, Hindu, etc.) The visitors had no idea such things existed. They were impressed that the schools could teach their own religious values without demonizing other religions.

I’ll confess that I intentionally excluded the worst. My point was to show what was possible.

Indeed.

Kevin, that is very true. Even most of those who wear the label Christian do it mainly out of habit, not conviction. They are totally astonished to see themselves referred to as Crusaders by al-Qaeda. There is obviously a deep misunderstanding of the role of religion in Western society.

That goes for those who see any bad action my a Muslim as “proof” that Muslims are bad as well as those who see any bad act toward a Muslim as “proof” that the West is at war with Islam.

In general, it’s a bad combination of xenophobia, ignorance, and out-and-out stupidity.

I think she’s out to lunch. Individual cases it is. She’s on especially shaky ground with Marc Lepine, who was white and French.