Brilliant piece buddy..Thanks a lot

Matt,
the best response to the likes of Behr and Cohen is to write your own review..Publish it here on CF.

I am not surprised when Chomsky gets criticised on issues like Iraq War or globalisatin. That just means his books have worked. The kind of stuff he writes about, and the opinions that he has, he is surely not trying to win a popularity contest. It is meant to upset and ruffle a few feathers and that is exactly what it has done. Similar to how Arundhati Roy's works are reviewed in India.

Please get your facts right.
Afghanistan
Taliban's response to US demands after 9/11 was uncharacteristically reasonable, "Hand over the evidence, we will hand over Laden."
George Bush's response was it is non negotiable.
Iraq
According to the official statements at least, Iraq invasion was not about finding terrorists but WMD which were never found.

As for your second comment,
are you seriously suggesting that the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan are nothing more than Christianity vs Islam?

Ayesha,
thanks for your thoughts. See it is quite possible and healthy for two individuals to have different takes on a given issue. Hence it is very important for people to hear each other. We already live in a highly polarised world, listening to each other is the way forward, not silencing each other with ridicule and threats. There is a right and constructive way of responding when one feels he/she is being insulted.

James W,
Thanks so much for your comments. I was not sure how to post the link to the article I was quoting, hence I used the word plagiarising :)

As for art, you are absolutely right, throughout history, Muslim artists have time and again produced great works of art in defiance of the theocratic states.
As for Quran which is the holy book for Muslims, believe it or not, there is not a single verse prohibiting art. What has happened is that a clergy has developed that tells Muslims that you know what, you are too stupid to understand your own holy book, so we will interpret it for you. All these prohibitions about art and what not are from the clergy, not the Quran.

Thanks Matt and Leah :)

Ansar Shezad, thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Maria thanks for your honest comments. Here are a few links for you
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ali-eteraz/the-myth-of-muslim-condem_b_67904.html
http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php

what a beautiful piece Matt. Howard Zinn was my hero, and his death is a great loss.

good interview as always

Please read it again when you have more time, so you don't miss important parts.

For John, http://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/publish/article_1213.shtml