Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
I'm not arguing Carl, just stating the facts as I understand them.

J Singh mentions the enlightenment and reformation.

Better he backs it up a bit and considers the Renaissance in the 1300s-1600; Mr. Guttenburg's printing press in 1445, the Reformation in the 1500s; and then the Enlightenment in 1600s/1700s.

People of Western Europe long held under the ideological and political control of the Holy Roman Empire becoming informed and educated; the political hi-jacking of Martin Luther's religious counter to the Catholic Church by those who sought to overthrow the political control of the Roman Empire.

Those who wished to sustain the status quo remained Catholic; those who sought change became Protestants of that status quo.

Politics and power dressed up in the religious terms necessary to move people to violent and illegal action.

What we see in the Middle East is little different. The keepers of the status quo love to blame some other ideology or religion for the challenges they face. Far easier to swallow than the recognition that the governance they provide is so sorely out of touch.
Here in Berlin is a native born Egyptian (Sunni) with a German passport who has been here over 19 years as a political scientist ---he has written in German a book titled "The Islamic Fascism" where he intensely looked at the Salafist and Takfiri Sunni wings and came to the conclusion that there is no difference between say the European fascism of the 30s/40s and yes even into the present and the current Salafist and Takfiri wings of Sunnism.

Needless to say he is under constant death threats out of that community and is under police protection.

The threats have increased to such a level he is now leaving Germany.