Gus, In the comment I am referring to those who overtly try to use Islam to justify terrorist acts. Deception and homicide are both well ingrained in human nature. I don’t single out Arabs individually - either for their identity or their religion in that regard.

However, I believe the most important value of a life-affirming civilization - the value that largely makes life worth living - is the renunciation of aggressive violence that’s not in self defense - through the rule of law and moral codes - as applied both to the government and the citizens of a society.

The Quran is full of violations of this principle and its replacement by the permission and encouragement of the use of violent aggression - not in defense against violence - but to maintain the honor of the nation or the person. This is not just a central theme in Islam but is central to Arab culture itself and predates Islam by centuries.

It is silly to imagine that some respected imam’s interpretation of a Quranic stricture against (some kinds) of deception (in some situations) would prevent a Muslim from using deception to attack and kill someone who has dishonored him. That’s the elephant in the room. Without acknowledging that, the talk about what taquiyah is - and is not - comes close to casting a veneer of respectability and serious moral concern over deadly immoral acts encouraged by Islamic doctrine in which deception is the primary means of success.