Carl writes: "It appears this is a topic upon which, to the extent there is disagreement, we will have to agree to disagree." - I'd agree to disagree if I thought there was any disagreement! - You: My desire is to avoid tarring all Muslims with the same brush that is used to paint the Iranian leaders and Osama Bin Laden. Me: You are right that we mustn't condemn Islam because of its extremists. - No disagreement there. - You: The enemy is not the Koran, but the primitive ignorance of some of the backward cultures which makes them interpret it literally. Me: Dependence on ancient texts, possibly on inaccurate translations and subjective interpretations, can create havoc." - No disagreement there. - The mini-wrangle over Rushdie was only because you dismissed the case as one of "rhetorical excess" as you obviously didn't know the facts. But although George and I provided you with the relevant information, at no time did we use it to suggest that all Muslims were evil! So shall we shake hands and move on?