Editors: That photo on the homepage associated with this article is not of Mecca. It's a photo of the Badshahi Masjid (mosque) in Lahore, Pakistan. I know - I'm from there.

Just goes to show how little most Americans really know about the Islamic world and Muslims. How many of you hate-mongers here who would blithely incinerate millions of people and destroy a 1400 year old religious tradition actually know any Muslims on a personal level?

People like Tancredo and the fanatic Islamist fundamentalists/terrorists are just two sides of the same coin. They each would randomly attack innocents for perceived injustices. This is just revenge - not justice. Who was it that said an eye for an eye will just leave everyone blind? (Btw, all legitimate Muslim scholars agree that muclear weapons are inherently 'un-Islamic', as they target non-combatants, women, children, and destroy the environment -- all strictly forbidden in the rules of war)

The only solution to extremism in the Muslim world is education and economic development. And the U.S. needs to stop sucking at the oil teat by becoming energy independent. Bombs are not the path to peace. Peace IS the path.

If it makes you feel any better many Americans know little about their own country let alone anyone elses cultures, its not just the Muslims.

There are hate mongers and there are fearmongers who manipulate the hate mongers and the ignorant amoung us. That is not unique to America. Indeed, it is the fear mongers amoung the Muslims that manipulate the hatemongers and the ignorant into making suicide attacks on innocent civilians.

Tancredo has jumped the shark in America and he has no chance of becoming this nations leader. The scary part of the matter is that no one from his party is stepping up to voicefully shout down his insane rantings. And the scary part about the of the matter of the most outspoken terorists from the Muslim world is that there are no world leaders from the muslims stepping up to shout down their insane rantings. Its mild condemnation only from either side.

sfdenizen you are so right. i think some Americans see it as being "okay" to bomb islam, which is like the most stupidist thng anyone can do? How would they like it if islam bombed their religion and their wifes and their children? Islam would never do that because it goes against its religion and as you just mentioned the Muslim scholars disagree with it to. What confuses me is how exactly is bombing Mecca and Medina going to make anything right? i think this Tancredo is just asking for trouble. He seriously has lost his brains.

So, Jenny26, It appears that if we follow your way of thinking then its ok for muslims to bomb us because of our religious beliefs. Which is exactly what they are doing. Its all condoned by islamic mullas and fatwahs. We are after all "infidels and unbelievers in allah". Therefore they are justified in not bombing our religious places , instead they bomb our religious beliefs. Which in your opinion seems to be justified because we have offended their god by not being converts to the ONLY TRUE RELIGION.

Are you an muslim apologists?

Would you please write a letter to the muslim leaders of the world and tell them that we as american citizens are "offended" that they are killing thouslands of people every day world wide in the name of religion.

Please tell the voiceless, faceless, peace advocating, loving islamists that they should speak up and tell the terrorists that we are "offended" that the terrorists are murdering our friends, allies and all the innocent women and children that are dying in the name of islamic terrorists justice.

Or, does it offend you to admit the truth. The islamic maniacs of terror are wrong. They "offend" the sensibilities of civilized people who DO NOT practice terror tactics in the name of god.

fray200 i think u misinterpreated what i wrote. Its isnt okay for any religion to bomb another religion and islam says that just because an infidel isnt muslim, that doesnt give you the right to hurt them.

where u mentioned:

"We are after all "infidels and unbelievers in allah"."

EVERYONE is an infidel and unbeliver to another religion. you are one to islam just like i am one to christianity so dont start twisting world to make mulims look bad.

The truth is, every muslim that i know condemn what the terrorists are doing and the fact that Bush goes around killing thousands of women and children in Iraq makes the terrosist feel as if they have every right to kill Americas women and children.

Why doesnt Bush bomb Zimbabwe when their president is an idiot? why doesnt he do anything about Darfur? because none of these countries have oil in them thats why. He bombs a muslim country and then takes all the oil so clearly that will outrage muslims.

Basically what im saying is that by bombing mecca and medina it will just encourage the terrorists to blow up America and kill your women and children. It wont end anything, rather will start more agression towards the West however this time more muslims would be invovlved, more as in the 1 billion muslims out there.