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However I still see a negative aspect of such an association. As things stand today religion is tightly coupled to the state and religious justifications are trotted out for issues which others would, as you rightly point out, use "national interests" to justify. When religion permeates or atleast appears to permeate so much of your govt. and decision making do you see why people attribute actions/policies interchangeably to govt./Islam.
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I can understand why people make the linkage, since often, progressive policy or intolerant policy, the justification given is that it is "Islamic" (though it may not be Islamic depending upon how you interpret the religion). However my argument is over the original assertion Adux made - of widespread intolerance and dislike for interfaith dialog among Muslims.
My disagreement with US policy and actions does not automatically make me think that the US public in general willingly support policies that harm other nations - and that is in perhaps the greatest democracy in the world, where one could argue the voice of the American people is what drives Government actions (though many would probably agree that it isn't quite so simple).
Why then, as Adux argues, apply an argument and attach the beliefs of Muslims to the actions of their governments, especially when the majority of those governments have not been representative governments and are not representative governments?
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Second, why is there so much recourse to Islam in public discourse? Or is that a misperception of mine?
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In what sense?