I agree. But the middle east is more Arab culture than Islamic. Look at Chinese Muslims for a different view.
but i'd say more than any other faith, culture is tied in to Islam. starting with language, for example, since central to the faith is to be able to read the Koran in its original, native Arabic language. and the concept of a theocracy is a GOOD thing in Islam...it's not even a concept in Christianity, for example.
I once heard an islamic professor talking about this. In 2000 Bush won the Muslim vote heavily because he was a politician who said that Christ was his rolemodel. They were very comfortable with the idea of a politician who wasn't afraid to have faith in Jesus dictate at least a little bit his governing. That community was then shocked at his policies after claiming Christ as a role model, and while some still voted for him in 2004 he dropped significantly and down to a minority in that election. They just couldn't imagine anyone who claimed Christ as a role model would do the things that Bush did.
I would disagree with that. Bush overwhelmingly won the Muslim vote in 2000 due to some well placed sound bytes regarding creation of an independent Palestinian state as a priority. It only helped matters that Arabs in the U.S. have historically always voted Republican due largely in part to economic reasons, not at all moral or religious. Before the bottom fell out on this whole counterrorism/Iraq mess, the number one issue in the minds of American Muslims was Isreal/Palestine. Fast forward to 2004, and after some promises went unkept, and an illegal war unnecesarily started, you saw the obvious support for "anyonebutBush", unfortunately in this case, Kerry. As far as the religious side of things, before this administration, American Muslims as a whole generally sided with the Christian Right on most issues. Recent foreign policy has swayed them to support the left. But no, I don't think religious similarities played a part moreso than economic and political (Palestine) vaules.
I can only tell you what the Muslim professor of Islamic studies said. He said they were very happy to see someone who was religious trying to gain some control in politics. While many liberals were uncomfortable with talk about faith based projects the American Muslims weren't. I do agree that he wasn't saying religion was the only reason, just that largely muslims saw it as a good thing.
