To be honest, where I live, it's very much equally split between Christians (mostly Roman and Greek Orthodox Catholics, with a handful of Protestants) and Jews (mostly liberal, but we have quite a few communities ranging from more moderate Jews who keep kosher, and extreme Orthodox Jews), but we don't have any communities of Muslims that I know.

So the first time I've really met a great number of Muslims was coming to England. As a result, I've been really interested in Muslim culture and religion. I don't know a huge amount, but I've done some research and it's interesting.

Extremists of anything scare me, honestly; the second most terrible place in the world I could imagine myself living in is Saudi Arabia (the first being North Korea - at least in Saudi Arabia, my sons and male relatives could have a decent enough life if they toe the line. In North Korea, everyone except for gov't officials are screwed). But the more liberal places in the middle east sound pretty cool to live in. You've made me definitely want to visit the middle east some time, Rodarian; your city sounds lovely to visit.

It is a shame to on how many countries in the Muslim middle east have been pushed into extremism because of western interference or recent events; Afghanistan, after all, was a very liberal place decades ago - women were starting to wear skirts to the knee, and were professors and professionals. It was a place that hippies visited! Hopefully they can rise above it within another few decades?