With both eyes open, a steady conscience, and a well-paid security squad to keep him safe from religious zealots.

But seriously, Saj, what do you expect? The problem with zealots is that they can’t forgive anyone else’s zealotry, strong beliefs, or ‘errant behavior.’

The more arguments I hear from Muslims about the evil and abuse of ‘freedom of speech’ regarding Islam, the more I stand against them. If you want to defend your religion, then you must actively defend every religion. I am willing to believe, as most Westerners are, that every religion is equal, politically if not socially or economically. Whether you’re a Christian Scientist, a Scientologist, a Mormon, a Protestant, a Hanafi Sunni or a Shi’a, I will defend your right to privately practice your religion, and your right to privately speak against other’s religions.

Christians aren’t burning crescent moons just because you refuse to recognize the divinity of Christ. They’d be more apt to listen if you chose to focus on the evils of the Crusades or the actions of the European powers in the unfair delineation of the Arab States following World World I. Getting all upset over a Dutchman’s opinions is just silly, because no matter what he believes, the Dutch people are firmly and historically for Absolute Freedom of Religion and Speech.

And may Allah bless them for that, I say.

My dad would say, “Everyone can go to Hell in their own way.”

My best friends are a mix of Muslims, Christians, and Jews, and that’s the way I want it. I respect their differences, and I’m glad for them, too.

Of course, protests (not organized by the government) are a manifestation of civil society.

Yet cross-burning was different than the March on Washington, yet they both come under a broad definition of civil society.

Anyway, like you I’m quite glad the Scarlett Letter crowd no longer runs the country or has any real say in its politics—certain TV personalities’ efforts notwithstanding. But it took us, what—two centuries of continuous debate, movement, and stable society to get here? I’ll cut Afghanistan, and the rest of the planet, some slack, thanks.

In defense of the West, though, I will say that Christians do not expect everyone in the world to live and die by their creed. Seeing someone making a model of the Christ out of shit and setting it on fire in no way affects my relationship with God. Muslims do expect everyone else to respect and honor their prophet, which strikes me as old-fashioned, immature, and unrealistic. But those aren’t hangable offenses – let them protest.

I think there is something specific here that I may be missing – there are Christians who behave the same way, that expect everyone in the world to act as they do. I think we’re just fortunate that their type hasn’t controlled the destiny of our culture for some time.