while the jihadis are few, there is a larger cancer of islam, a cancer of extremism and intolerance. most that exercise free religion, islam is the majority. but are these things inherent in the religion? when experts tried to explain that in the 14th century, islamic civilization was the world's most advanced or that the koran was once read as a liberal and progressive document, they're not trying to deny the realities of backwardness today. what they're saying is it can change. islam, after all, has been around for 14 centuries. there have been periods of war but also of peace. it's the same religion then and now, so what is different? it's not theology, it's politics. radical islam is the product of the broken politics and stagnant