Islam, a growing threat to the free world?

[Dotard]

This may not mean a damned thing but.....


I spent approx. three years working in Iraq. March 2004-Nov. 2006.
I had the opportunity to chat with many many many many everyday Iraqi citizens. The majority were Shia. Religion was not a taboo subject and many were happy to openly discuss their beliefs. Shia and Sunnis both. There were lots of commonality between the two with few differences not unlike the many denominations of christianity.

I never witnessed, nor did any of these Iraqis display or allude to, some 'long standing deep hatred'.
Yeah, some seemed 'hateful' towards the other, but IMO no different than you get those errant 'hateful' people towards different denominations or beliefs. (Minimalist anyone?)

I worked with these many many many Iraqis for extended periods of time in our shops and in the field. Some leave, quit, get fired, whatever and some would come take there place. So they were not just 'passing through' 5 minute conversations. These were extended discussions on many subjects over many days/weeks/months, and in the case of who I called Major Mohameed, the entire three year period. He was the most memorable of course. He was a Major in the Iraqi Army for over 21 years. He showed me the building and actual office he had. He was with me and my crew when we went to replace the air conditioning unit in that building and he saw his old office was now a bunk for a bunch of U.S. Grunts. We had an extended discussion about atheism and theism, the merits of each one and such. But I degress.........

Point is I believe I got to know many of these folks quite well and I didn't get any indication the country was at war with itself. All of them seemed to genuinely welcome their new U.S. Overlords.

Very few were Saddam supporters and would openly say Saddam was not all that bad. Very few, but they said it. That is one of the reasons they welcomed us, they could say it if they pleased. They had no freedom of speech before we 'invaded' (Or liberated. Depends on who you ask. I asked the Iraqis, most called it a liberation.) but it was an officially secular country so their secular laws is what kept the fanatics in check not unlike how our laws keep the "rabid dog caged and muzzled".