"For many people in the West, Islam appears to contradict such democratic values as freedom, individualism, and personal choice, perceptions seemingly confirmed by outsiders as 'fundamentalist', 'radical' or 'militant'.

Such widespread opinions held by people living in Europe and America are frequently not informed by factual information, but result from overgeneralizations and characterisations of Islamic movements."

M.J. Gohari

I tend to agree with McGrath on this.

it's a difficult one, but making fun of yourself / your own is one thing. Making stereotypical generalisations about something that you don't understand is something else.

I'm not saying I agree with the Taliban in any way, but as an example, how many of the people who posted here actually know what 'taliban' means?

Do you know anything about the history of the movement?

Cheap shots are easy, understanding takes time and effort.

Peace to you all

Ed.