re: #18 Randall Gross

How about American Muslims, or most European Muslims Desmond? Why are they conveniently left out of your poll? What about the divide between Urban and educated Muslims and rural uneducated Muslims, or is that not a consideration? Does PEW have the same poll for xtians in Sub saharan Africa? Why not?

Of course there is a divide between people with more or less education, or more or less urbanized, there always is. In fact, I think education is the key. Education, specifically of young girls, is the single most important factor in changing strongly patriarchal societies. If women are educated they aren’t nearly as likely to defer to men, and accept a second class status in society. It happened in the West and it can certainly happen in the Middle East as well.

Islam is going through a slow motion centuries long reformation, and there are reactionary forces against that change - just as there were reactionary forces against Xtian reformation.

Yes, very true. But does that mean we have to ignore and excuse blatantly illiberal views? Dismiss any criticism of such as “propaganda”?