As we have heard ad nauseam since 9/11, the terrorist attacks do not represent - all together now! - "authentic Islam." As the line goes, we must recognize that "moderate," "authentic" Islam is no threat to the West.

        Poppycock. A recent report by WorldNet Daily explodes that myth in a hurry. The article provides a quick survey of life for Christians in the "moderate" Islamic states. "Amid the current unrest in Saudi Arabia in the wake of America's war on Islamic terrorists, Middle East Newsline is reporting arrests and even torture of Christians in the 'moderate' Saudi kingdom," notes WorldNet.

       Ah yes, good old "moderate" Saudi Arabia - which "does not allow the worship of any other religion other than Islam. Jews are not allowed in the kingdom and Christians are warned that they risk arrest if they participate in private prayer gatherings."

       WorldNet reports that "according to the November issue of Whistleblower magazine, in an article titled 'JIHAD: The radical Islamic threat to America,' the current report from Saudi Arabia is part of a widespread pattern of persecution of Christians throughout the Islamic-controlled nations of the Middle East, northern Africa and elsewhere." The Whistleblower article notes that "The Saudi restriction on the expression of any religion besides Islam means, quite simply, that Christian worship is banned. It is illegal to wear a cross or to utter a Christian prayer. Christians cannot even worship privately in their own homes."

        Pretty darn "moderate," eh? And oh so very "authentic."

        And, of course, we all remember how the Saudi government "pressured the allies in Operation Desert Storm about religious observances. They demanded that Christian and Jewish soldiers not be allowed to wear any symbols of their faith when they were in service in Saudi Arabia. This was mandated, even though the troops were there to defend Saudis from invasion by Iraq." What is more, WorldNet (quoting the Whistleblower article) notes that "Religious repression in Saudi Arabia has only increased since the Gulf War."

       And just look at the wonderful judicial procedures available to Christians who are arrested for practicing their faith in the "authentic" and "moderate" Islamic state of Saudi Arabia: "The Saudi judicial system provides little chance of a reasonable defense against accusations, since defendants have no right to be represented by lawyers. Torture is widespread. Confessions obtained under torture can be accepted by courts as evidence - sometimes the sole evidence - for a conviction." (WorldNet’s Whistleblower article)

       And these are the "moderate" Muslims, folks!

       Now, let's be serious: Islam is "moderate" just the way Russia is "converted." That the meaning of words has been perverted is one of the many signs that our benighted world is heading for a richly deserved chastisement.