Despite the Golden Age of Islam/Arabs in the 800's AD, where they among other distinctions invented the Arabic Numerals, named at least 40% of the stars visible to the naked eye, restored and protected copies of the great works of the ancient Greeks, etc, etc, the Arabs and Islam are generally currently in the Middle Ages, lost in history.

How do we in the educated West best help bring about a reformation of the Islam religion?

Wow! You really are full of yourself!!!

If it comes, it will come by itself.

Trying to force a reformation in Islam would do more damage than good. Just look what happened last time the West meddled in their affairs. And the time before that, and the time before that......

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"I am in favor of Free Trade"

--Karl Marx

Sorry. Let's assume I knew how to phrase things more diplomatically. How could we then help?

I understand your point. And I would be very comfortable leaving them to achieve this by themselves, if it wasn't for the current world situation.

But, in my view we simply don't have that luxury today.

Have you tried dropping bombs on them?

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"When I'm in command, every mission is a suicide mission!" -Capt. Zapp Branigan
The United Church of the Latter Day Tangential Tarts

I don't understand what you mean? In what sense is it possible to drop bombs on Islam?

the people that practice it.

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"When I'm in command, every mission is a suicide mission!" -Capt. Zapp Branigan
The United Church of the Latter Day Tangential Tarts

I still don't understand. Could you clarify what you mean?

Excellent question, Danish!

I believe the answer lies in education and I also think Islamic women are going to have to take the lead. It is up to them to get the facts and to convince their men that they are not all going to turn into Britney Spears overnight! It will be a long, slow process but ultimately worthwhile. The fences are high and will need to be dismantled brick by brick. I doubt I will see any walls collapsing in my lifetime.

Sunni and others will protest and say 'ain't no barriers and keep your big snooty western nose outta our affairs' but my response is: we have problems and they need to be sorted. The death and destruction is lunacy. There is no good reason for it to be happening so we need to employ reasoning to put a stop to it.

For my part, I support a couple of organisations which specifically involve women. We raise money to help Muslim women who have been harmed or are under threat and also educate western girls - not on all the nasty bits taken out of context from a holy book, but rather just highlighting how some women have it so tough. An educated western population is very important, also. Heheh, a read through some of the threads here makes that obvious.