I was going to prepare a robust response to your points until I realized you have been a member since Jun 2010 and only have 70 posts.
With all due respect, you should probably step your game up before calling out members like Samseau and myself.
Samseau and I are just shooting the shit at this point. We've made our points. In all seriousness, he came down to the RVF meetup like I did, but he came all the way to DC from Boston, so I respect him as a member of the community.
As for me, you may find it relevant that I actually was paid to take part in a remarkable opportunity where I wrote articles and shot video footage of the Arab Spring in 2011. I received a nice grant that saw me travel to countries in North Africa and the Middle East - with some crucial game-related stopovers in various European cities (Rome, London, Madrid, Barcelona). I met with students, activists, journalists, businessmen, and government officials. I was able to get a firsthand glimpse of the lives of people in the following Muslim cities:
Fes, Tangier, Casablanca, Marrakesh (Morocco)
Tunis, Sidi Bou Said (Tunisia)
Cairo, Giza, Alexandria (Egypt)
Massawa (Eritrea)
Sana'a (Yemen)
Dubai (UAE)
Beirut (Lebanon)
Damascus (Syria)
Petra, Amman (Jordan)
Old City Jerusalem (Israel)
Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem (Palestine)
Istanbul (Turkey)
I've prayed with Muslims in mosques in at least the four following cities (San Francisco, Cairo, Casablanca, somewhere in Jordan on my way to Israel).
In addition to all of these person to person experiences, I have visited the following places that are significant in Islamic culture:
University of El Karaouine in Fes Morocco - home to the oldest university in continuous operation (since 859 AD).
Spent an entire day on the grounds, and inside, the
Hassan II mosque in Casablanca - the most awe-inspiring and beautiful architectural creation I've ever witnessed (even more than the fabulous churches in Europe). I damn near converted to Islam at the end of that day.
Spent a day having tea and conversing with Sunni theologians at the
Al-Azhar Mosque - the oldest mosque in Cairo - and its related university (one of the most important institutions in the entire Muslim world).
Visited the
Ummayad Mosque in Damascus, Syria - the fourth holiest site in Islam and the symbol of caliphate that ruled from Damascus and extended its rule all the way to Spain.
Visited the Egyptian Military Museum and the Egyptian National Museum and walked away with a deep understanding of Egyptian culture and history as well as its impact on the Arab world.
Visited Cairo's most recognizable mosque -
the Mosque of Muhammad Ali Pascha - named after the Albanian administrator of Egypt during Ottoman rule and was responsible for many military and economic reforms while also recognized as the country's greatest military leader.
Visited the
Dome of the Rock at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem - third holiest site in Islam after Mecca and Medina. Revered by Muslims as the spot where the Prophet Muhammad ascended into Heaven.
These are just some of the more notable places, but by no means everything.
There's also Istanbul which could take up a thread on its own. The word epic doesn't do that place justice.
I also grew up with many, many Muslim friends and can count a few as lifelong friends.
My family comes from a country that is an observer member of the Arab League (turned down the offer for full membership), has an ethnic Arab population along its coast, is home to a population that is 50% Muslim, and was once an ancient Christian kindgom where the Prophet Muhammad's family and his earliest followers made the first hijra (migration) in Islam in an effort to seek refuge from hostile clans opposed to his message. I went to the exact place they were said to make landfall.
On top of that, I come from a Semitic people that have a fair degree of Middle Eastern and North African influence - culturally and genetically, the latter of which is indicated below from my very own 23andme results.
I also keep in touch with many people all over the Muslim world via Skype and get daily articles from various independent and highly specific sources from the region.
Ultimately, I highly recommend anyone with a sense of adventure and an interest in this region to visit a Muslim country or two to gain a better understanding about the people and their way of life. There is no one size fits all version to this religion. I guarantee a visit will broaden your perspective and challenge many assumptions. Truth be told, our western media is complete garbage in portraying many parts of the world, let alone that one.