..........ah but what kind of thinking? The quality of the thought is the question. Superficial, transitory, probing, critical, analylitical............???

and despite all that thinking, everything turns ... you know what.

I´m egyptian and i don´t think that Bin Laden represents Muslims nor Islam!!

As a matter of fact, no one can represent the Islam especially in today´s world. It is just a belief. If you say: "There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." You are a Muslim. You could be a disco kid, a prostitute, a sinner or God knows what, but you are still a Muslim.

Look at the lives of Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Osama Bin Laden. They are both Muslims. Neither of them represents Islam. They just stand for their own causes. In fact, despite the ethnic flavour, both Muhammad Ali and Jabbar are more American than anything else in their general outlooks.

Remember both Hitler and Mussolini were great Christians. There are many renowned terrorists and dictators among Christians. Ever heard anyone seriously questioning whether they represented Christianity.

That´s a good point, vineyards.  

Unfortunately, Osama bin Laden had proclaimed a "holy war" against the West and used Islam as a tool to terrorize people in the West who don´t know any better but to believe he is a true representative of the religion.  Very few of us here in the US know muslims and thanks to bin Laden, most of us are too afraid to get to know any muslims so it is very difficult to educate people after the fact.  

I am a Christian married to a Muslim and many people that I run into are very put off by that.  I am encouraged when curious people ask questions and don´t assume we are bad people or that I have been brain washed and that I hate my government and my people.  I am just as encouraged when we are in Turkey and nobody cares that I don´t cover my hair or that I sometimes eat pork.