Oh Puhleeeze!

In one of my favorite junk-mags today I came across a story, sourced from Page Six, supporting my recent estimations that we're too frightened of the Middle East and Islam for our own good, and don't have a clue what 'jihad' even really means.
I agree, the rioting and murder over cartoons of the sacred and historically important Mohammed is frightening...it's just plain scary when a large number of people are so angry as to be incoherent and downright violent for any reason.
But that violence doesn't define Islam for the millions of other people joining the calls to Azaan in Namas each day, and neither does the word 'jihad.'
(Every time I type that word, I wonder if I'm being flagged onto a 'watch list' somewhere...)
I've not said anything about the cartoon-issue until now because honestly, I don't feel that I can fully understand it. I'm not yet invested (educated? integrated?) enough in Islam to simply lean across my, or anyone else's, freedom of speech and react with a knee jerk.
With that said: I find the violence reprehensible and the cartoons an interesting politcal statement/tool with deeper implications than their sheer face value, but that's another post.
There are jokes about Jesus on tee-shirts and coffee mugs (there's even a Jesus Deluxe Action Figure) and it certainly never offended me, nor seemed to spark violent protest. Maybe it's indicative of the complacency of America in general, or maybe it's just called the First Ammendment of the United States Constitution, for which I am eternally grateful and would defend with a keyboard or pen or mic just as I would Henry Rollins' freedom to read whatever he likes.

But if Mr. Rollins, formerly of my punk rock CD collection, reading a book about the growing movement in Islamic militarism on a flight to Brisbane is a reason for his window-seated neighbor to call Australian authorities to alert then I give up.
Since when is reading a book about current events something to be suspicious of?
At least Rollins is looking outside the western-media-box for information, for some understanding about whatever the hell is going on around here these days.

Next time we call in for delivery from our local bookstore, the title Rollins was reading is on the list. Does that make me scary, or open-minded?

Here I am, ranting in public again...
Go ahead, flag me.