Kewl move guy, making sweeping generalisations.
Shit rant. Not even factual.
I'd argue that strict adherence to any religious doctrine is extreme.
The nature of Islam is that it is very much an extreme view. It makes huge claims for itself and suppresses criticism, albeit kills its own people for apostasy if Islamic law is in place.
Islam is plain and simple- it’s the final revelation from god. The rest are wrong. If you are a Muslim, you accept the claims of the Qu'ran and the Hadiths in their entirety, you live in an absolute world governed by universal rules and believe a paradise (or hell for a bad Muslim) awaits. To say anything less is non-Islamic. Most of you "Australian born/bred" Muslims are not TRUE Muslims if you say that you "give and take" with your practices yet still engage in much secular activity/don't take it all that serious. I apply the same criticism to "liberal Christians" who sometimes don't even accept that JC is the son of god, yet just claim to be Christian because they are "inspired by the moral philosophy of love your neighbour"- that's simply humanism though.
We have to at least have some set standard by which we can say someone belongs to a "religious label":
Being a good Muslim is about obedience and discipline, following the life of that the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be upon Him) revealed as god’s path. “Islam” itself means spiritual surrender to god- this is meant to be “the ultimate peace”.
This is not a discriminatory opinion but rather a factual observation. True Islam is being practiced in the Middle East, under Sharia law. To compare Islam to anything less should be heresy for you. I think deep down most "Lebanese-born" Aussies who are Muslims know that in its true form, it’s an extreme religion to practice at the micro-level (which is what it should be done at, if you truly believe it!)
Look at the way of life in all those countries- religion dictates it. Islam is not a "Sunday morning philosophy"- it's a fundamental way of life for millions. Many "terrorists" sadly are probably 'good' people, yet they are indoctrinated into extremely hardline strict interpretations and simply following the calling of their holy book. In reviews I have read from scholars, most see not much difference between everyday practice of Islam in say Iran/Saudi and the "extremist" (terrorist practices) - they are separated little more by physical action. Read Ayaan Hirsi Hussan “Infidel” for a good insight (and honest) in growing up as a muslim in NE Africa- most children are raised to superstitiously “hate” the west, the sentiment among many communities was NOT condemnation of 9/11 (i.e. “lets blame the Jews” at the least not ourselves and in some cases "they deserved it").
This does obviously not just apply for Islam- as the true nature of any religion is extreme if properly practiced. Ask yourself, why shouldn’t it be? If you truly believe it to be the word of the almighty, other earthlings who dissent have little value.
The reason I call out Islam as being more extreme then any other religion in today’s context is it has much less “liberal” movements. Islam (despite the obvious divide) is still in a fairly “pure” form compared to Christianity. There is little doubt over how to live a “good” Muslim life and many governments are full on theocracies, the very definition of extremism.
Orthodox Jew sects in some communities also live extreme lives as well, as do many hardline American Christians, yet most of the governments in these nations are secular.