Oldfart,

As I pointed out in my second and third posts, in the case at hand, the question of religion illuminates the diffferent perspectives between those which we in the Latin West and those of the Muslim world have. Islamic law does not distinguish between "matters of church" and "matters of state". I may think that such discrimination is appropriate, but as these Muslim societies are just as functional as ours, I must question a bit those who would compel them to be like us.

No. I must say that those who fixate on religion, or limit themselves to this as the source of extremism share Karl Marx's blinders, and are failing to see the forest for the trees. Indeed, sometimes it seems as if they can see only one tree.

No. The problem is that, in this instance, the judgements were determined through a highly rational process which started from a theory, and without the benefit of feedback from reality, concluded that the young lady in question should be punished severely and used as an example to dissuade others from engaging in such unacceptable behavior.

This function of the coercive power of the state was repeatedly demonstrated by Comunist nations when that social system was in vogue a few years ago. The theory took as a one of its postulates that private ownership of goods and services was bad, and collective or public ownership was good. The result in the USSR, the PRP and Democratic Kampuchea was by most standards, unsatisfactory.

The same loss of contact with reality, the same absence of factual feedback characterized the Third Reich. Many millions were murdered by the state acting out the racist fiats of the madman Hitler.

The common thread shared by these examples of extremism is not religion.

The thread most commonly shared by those who argue for extremism (of which I am aware) is that their arguments originate from a theory and are never tested against reality, or reviewed in the light of experiance, before being put into practice.

... and they often lead to rather nasty results.

__________________
Eudaimonia