"Gunner" wrote in message
...

It appears to me that nowhere Muslims live, is safe.

It would seem so if all you have to go on is media reports - and for most
people there isn't much else available. That's most unfortunate.

My experience is limited geographically, but for ten years I called eastern
Saudi Arabia home. I traveled a small amount in the middle east (Lebanon and
Egypt); and found that the people there were not unlike the Saudis I'd met.

They struck me as good people. They cared about the same thing most
Americans cared about and they demonstrated a warm hospitality, generosity
of spirit, willingness to be friends that left a lasting impression. The
best summary I can offer is a statement that I heard fairly often from them:
"All men are brothers under the skin."

I explored a couple of cities/towns (alone) as an inquisitive pre-teen and
teenager. I was invited into shops for coffee and tea by friendly people who
were curious about what an American kid was like and who were happy to hone
their English and didn't mind helping me learn Arabic. I did my best to be
mannerly and respectful - and was so treated by my hosts.

Not even once in the entire ten years did I ever feel threatened.

It wasn't until I returned to the States that I learned that cities can be
dangerous places and aren't good places to allow children to go exploring.

There are bad apples and broken personalities everywhere - and perhaps I was
just plain lucky that I haven't encountered any of those people - but I
think it's worth pointing out that the ordinary Muslim isn't any more
dangerous that the ordinary Christian (or Buddhist or Hindu or whatever.)

I'm a bit concerned that people in other parts of the world might have cause
to be saying: "It appears to me that nowhere Americans/Christians live, is
safe."

(My two cents worth)

--
Morris