Regarding "A World in Flames"...

You know what pisses me off about the coverage of these tragic events?

For all the media hype and the thousands upon thousands of articles and clips available for viewing online... there is almost NOTHING substantive that can be found about WHO did this, WHY they did it, and WHAT is being done about it.

The Indians seem to have done a more than adequate job responding initially to the crisis, but the more Pakistan is found to be involved, the less likely the Indian Army is going to be objective... or even functional... in the role of "problem solver".

My only hope is that the US Feds release a partial NIE report for us to review very soon, because waiting for the wire services or the major news companies to cough up a REAL insight into the crisis is frigging killing me!

And in reference to your definition of "mujahid" as one who participates in "jihad" is applicable, I wanted to make one small point... not to counter Ryan, but to clarify his point:

Islam is called the "Religion of Peace" because ALL forms of military combat are forbidden by the Qu'aran... except the "struggle of Allah" (JIHAD) against the infidels. To fight a "war" in an Islamic state is as close to a sin as you are going to find in the Muslim world... literally. Allah would then be expected to abandon the blessings of that nation, according to Muhammad.

Why is this detail important or relevant?

Because of the above being true, ALL armed struggles where an Islamic nation participates in open combat with another nation MUST be declared a "holy war" so as not to contradict the Law of Allah. ANY Muslim that dies in the effort of "holy war" is assured his place in Paradise by the same words of the Prophet Muhammad.

This is the quagmire that is Islamic extremism... the "Catch 22" of modern international terrorism. ANY imam (or secular leader, for that matter) can declare a "holy war"... and then the combatants have the added bonus of "the 7th heaven" waiting for them at the end of the day. What in the West do we have to counter that kind of incentive? When the majority of western governments and media decry ANY religious aspect of national politics, how do we refute or respond to the heart-felt belief that dying for the Islamic cause will win the "mujahid" instant and never-ending bliss in the presence of Allah himself?

Tough days ahead for Obama...