The Prophet Mohammed cartoon row, the British teacher teddy-bear debacle, death threats to Salman Rushdie & incarcerated Bulgarian Nurses; may signal a change in America.

Can tolerance ever be a bad thing? In a nation that has a long history of intolerance, isn’t a turn to a sympathetic stance more socially rewarding? Under normal circumstances most would argue that this is a positive position. However, in one situation broadmindedness is a negative. That's when openness allows those you are sympathetic toward, to dictate and direct a position that will destroy the very system that allows tolerance.

Tolerance

Acceptance of divergent cultures has been a large aspect of American society since its inception. In fact religious tolerance is a fundamental cornerstone of the American Constitution; protected by the First Amendment - Freedom of Religion. The amendment prohibits the government from passing laws that will establish an official religion and from interfering with a person’s practice of any religion.

Intolerance

Intolerance has been linked with racism. Most social agencies agree that this is a stain on every nation that has engaged in this form of bigotry. However, intolerance has different connotations in different societies and in this light some of America’s problems become visible.

The first amendment guarantees the freedom of and from religion in the USA. That means, it prevents the government from interfering with the practice of an individual’s religion and from forcing religion on any individual.

The reality is that the USA interferes every day. Muslims believe in the practice of Polygamy; however, mainstream American morays disagree with this concept. So, the government has instituted laws making it illegal.

We can argue about the morays and "rightness" of polygamy but the fact remains that the act is an integral part of a major world religion. The constitution of the USA does not allow Americans to CHOOSE the correctness of a religion. None the less the government still proclaims the act illegal.* Can we say; the USA government interferes in a Muslim’s religious practices? Are states that outlaw the practice “intolerant?”

Radicalism

In the USA, citizens fear linking radicalism with any religion. We separate Jewish radicals (Zionists); Christian radicals (Fundamentalists) and Islamic radicals (Islamists) from the religion. However, in order for the partition to be complete, leaders of those religions must make the distinction as well. Islamic leaders have fallen short in this area and in fact revert to Orwellian Doublespeak.

“Moderate” Islamic leaders in the USA like Imam Muzammil Siddiqi are such an example. The current director of the Islamic Society of Orange County (ISOC) and past president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is reported to have told the San Francisco Chronicle in June 2001 that he "…did not condone violence against gays…but supported laws in countries where homosexuality is punishable by death."

The Goal

The leap from moderate to Radical Islamist, in the USA and West is not difficult. In a Washington Times report by Audrey Hudson, purportedly moderate Muslim President Esam S. Omeish suddenly withdrew his appointment to the Immigration Commission after being caught referencing the "Israeli war machine" and the "Jihad way."

In an interview with anti-terrorist expert Steve Emerson, he says: “…there's another category of what I call cultural Jihadists….they're not the ones carrying out suicide bombings, they're the ones plotting suicide bombings. If we look back at the poll taken by Pew…I think it showed that a quarter of all young Muslims justified suicide bombings in the US….”

In the Police Department of New York City’s report: “Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat,” the authors say: “The jihadist ideology ….ultimately…envisions a world in which Islam is dominant and is the basis of government.”

The Paradigm

In an effort to prevent intolerance, American society seems to be allowing a change in its fundamental principles. Sensitivity to every aspect of minority religious life has become a central focus. Yet in this effort lies the power Islamist use to change that very system.

When Islamist demanded that American editors prohibit the publication of the Profit cartoons in newspapers and the Fourth Estate cow-towed, as journalists do in nations controlled by Islamic Sharia law; a change in American principles occurred.

* Observing this problem in the USA, India, decided to allow polygamy for their religious minority Muslims.