Yeah, there's definitely an element of converting to Islam in America just to try to fuck with other Americans' heads. I heard a story on NPR where some prison inmates, in your town LA, converted to Islam and set up a terrorist cell without any contact at all with Al Qaeda or any other jihadist group. Just what they read in the papers. When some of them got out a year or so later, they started collecting guns and recruiting. The FBI nabbed them after they robbed a few convenience and liquor stores, but before they really did anything else. I was all excited when I saw the headline, but listening to the story realized all the FBI caught was a bunch of morons robbing liquor stores with delusions of grandeur.

But, the War on Terror (which I agree is a bad name, just not as bad as the War on Drugs name, considering most drugs are perfectly legally, blah, blah). The War on Terror is a war between ideologies. Bush is trying to define our ideology as democracy, and their as attacks against non-military civilians. The second you start making The War on Terror look like a war on Islam, you've lost. What, like a third of the planet is Islamic?

This is why I don't think you can do internment camps for Muslims like you could with the Japanese during WWII. You think we have an insurgency in Iraq now? Wait until they find out we put Muslims in prison just because of their chosen religion.

And, I don't think all Muslims are terrorist. I was listening to some guy from the Arab League of Nations on Charlie Rose's show on Thursday, who I was very happy was saying all the same things about democrcy and Zarqawi that the leaders in the west say. Although you never know how much someone's bullshitting.

I realize you're talking only about recent converts. But, I don't think the rest of the Islamic world is going to care about that distinction.

As for a valid reason to convert to Islam, how about the same reason people convert to Christianity? Because they believe whatever it is that's in the Quaran?

Don't know what you're talking about withholding your opinion, it looks to me your pretty clear about where you're going. But, I guess I'll see...