There is more to the issue of Muslims in the West.

The state of Israel is a curious hodgepodge of things. On the one hand, it is officially a secular state, but its historical associations, language, currency, and symbols are based on religious texts and history. The Star of David refers to King David, who was not only the leader of the Jewish people prior to his son’s building of the First Temple but also the acknowledged author of Psalms. While there definitely are Israelis whom one might describe as completely anti-religious, most local Jews still connect with Judaism at some level. Most fast on Yom Kippur, eat matzah at Passover, and observe some aspects of the Sabbath and holidays. A lab mate gave birth, and someone described her husband as hating Judaism. I went to the circumcision of their son, and said husband was fully dressed in religious attire as he gave his son a “bris.” If he had really hated religion, he would not have performed the ancient custom, or he would have opted for a hospital circumcision without any of the dozens of family and friends present.

When we talk about Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood version that is causing havoc here (Hamas) and in the West, we oftentimes forget that the goal of Muslim domination is not strictly a religious phenomenon. Let’s go back to the 1960s and 1970s when secular military parties ruled in Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. Their leaders were virulently antisemitic and made several attempts to get rid of the Jewish state. Sure, you could find a video of Daddy Assad visiting a mosque or Anwar Sadat meeting with an important Islamic official. But the leaders themselves were not religious Muslims. The same could be said of Yasser Arafat and most of the top people in the Palestinian Authority (PA). And this is an important point for consideration.

If we associate violent behavior with religious Islam as practiced in Iran, Turkey, Qatar, and Gaza, then we........

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