Muslims are no Different, or why Bill Maher’s blood libel is Bigotry

[RedCappedBandit]

106. All good points worth bringing in to the discussion!

Within this context it's much easier to see the issue of Islamic fundamentalism being related to geopolitical considerations as opposed to simply the religion itself, at least in regards to the distinction between Islamic fundamentalism and that of other religions in contemporary society.

The Amish are an interesting consideration, but they strictly adhere to some facets of their faith and not others. I wouldn't necessarily view them as fundamentalists in the same light as some others.
But yes, I am in agreement with you. The conditions people in the Middle East (and elsewhere) face, largely as a result of the west's imperialism, play a significant role in the development of the fundamentalism we abhor. In a nutshell it boils down to poverty and control.

Taking the religions themselves at face value, I think they're all (at least the Abrahamic religions) pretty sinister. So that does bring up the question of why one particular religion would suffer from fundamentalism at a greater rate. Which you've explained pretty well. Economic and cultural factors need to be overcome to allow the modernization of the religion as a whole, which I do still believe needs to occur. But the noteworthy distinction is that modernization can occur; there's nothing inherently unique to Islam that prevents it from being able to do so as other religions have.