I've been to Pakistan several times and have seen much progress in Islamabad. But elsewhere in Pakistan are guns, ethnic factions,  religious fanatics, and anti-progress. Pakistan has existed a very long time. Just yesterday I was thinking about how their 1% have kept their power and wealth at the top of the pryamid with massive poor at the bottom. I thought about Nixon's version of the GOP using religion, guns, anti-science, and lies to keep the 1% rich and powerful. And there it was in the comments. Once again, the underworld GOP pac "TheLiesWorked" has already commented and supported my point!

"HHK"  It is not in Islamic doctrine to surpress women.  Historically it is a Persian influence upon the faith not practiced in many of the more westernized Islamic areas.  If it were in fact part of Islamic doctrine you wouldn't see the number of Muslim women being educated here in the US, many of them US citizens.

Ms. Stockman is absolutely correct her assessment of the elite professional deniers.  Pakistani pols like their American counterparts speak poiltically to a poorly educated, easily swayed public that is instigated by religious leaders of weak character.  While it may make for great stories the idea of "child brides" is not more true in the educated Islamic cultures than it is in India or within orthodox Jewry.  These are more cultural than religious.  You seem to be smart enough that a visit to a local Imam or studies in Islam might give you a better view of the conflicting tides currently rippling across the Islamic world.

Oddly unlike Christianity in Islam who sits closest to god?  In Islam its women.  To simply think Islam itself is the problem is to miss the problem that surpresses all progress in most countries.  Ignorance, lack of education and inability to see religion as a philosophical idea instead of a word of god statement mixed in with cultural mores is what leads to this mess in the ME.

If we expect the Pakistanis to win the war against extremism, we're going to be disappointed. Parakeets have bigger balls than the Pakistani elite.

"Kitch" We both dislike organized religion so that's a given.  Yet you seem to be opposed to find solutions to the problem.  Simply blaming them does not solve the problem.  You stated you were in line with Dawkins.  Being in line with Dawkins or Harris would then be taking a position that education was the solution, not blaming.

"Kitch"  I just don't see the free pass.  I do see a major split between the man on the street and his government, but not only in Muslim countries but in the west.  The problem in Muslim countries is that when the man on the street falls back on religion his religious leaders express their grievances by pointing at the west instead of pointing at their own failed systems.  This however is a long standing problem in the ME with its long standing historical grievances against the west and Christianty. I guess my disagreement with you is that the issues of jihadism and Islamism is far more complicated than just Islam. 

Seriously, Pakistan is rooting for Romney!  Nice endorsement there Rombo!