Moderate Muslims

A friend of mine, who was killed in The World Trade Center on 9/11, wrote an amazingly ironic passage in a letter from 1987 while traveling in Indonesia.   His travel companion was an Israeli/New Zealander named David who was using his New Zealand passport because Indonesia didn't allow Israeli citizens into the country.  Carl wrote, "On arriving, I noted that they [the Indonesians] seemed to be laid back Muslims, which David implied was impossible."

I'd never seen that letter until this year.   It took my breath away. 

I bring this up in the context of the most recent terror attacks and the political debate about what to do with Muslim immigration and refugees.

Perhaps it all boils down to whether one has a Carl view, or a David view, of Islam?