Shit is happening

[Lemonray]

am I missing something here? I feel like I'm missing something here

soon

Since they recognize the God of Abraham, [YHWH] (like Muslims do!) and practice faiths based on a set of divine rules...they're usually given a pass in places which practice Sharia law (like places who practiced early Islam)

I wouldn't call it a "pass". Under islamic law, the "people of the book" deal pretty much works this way: Followers of the abrahamic god are required to pay protection money to the state in return for not being exiled or killed or what have you. As the quran says, they must be made to feel subdued, and must pay the extortion. In return, they can live within the caliphate and privately practice their faith. Trading with muslims is also allowed.

Muslim people in theory are OK with them.

In practice, perhaps. In theory? No. The quran teaches that all non-believers (including jews and christians) are bad and immoral people, and, in Muhammed's words, they are animals. Muslims are even directly forbidden from having non-muslim friends- Muslims who do this, in Allah's eyes, are counted as being among them and are hellbound. Basically, non-believers are untermenschen.

Now, most muslims in the world actually deviate from this, and will stop short of calling people literal subhuman animals. However the underlying supremacy is still very present. Just as supremacy was very present in Hitler's Germany, a relatively recent 80~ years ago.

But, speaking of deviation...

and then we have countries like Turkey and Indonesia that are predominantly Muslim, but have a separation of church and state (as most modern goverments do)

but they're not harshly following Islamic law (it was abolished in Turkey in 1924, and is regionally exercised in Indonesia) to the extent of which Middle Eastern radical fundamentalist groups do.

This is primarily the result of western influence, and also atheistic soviet influence to a lesser extent. Secularism, to an islamised mind, is a deviation. Very haram. But an improvement, to be sure.

Which is what I've been getting at. The good characteristics present in muslim people do not exist because of the doctrine, or because of Muhammed or whatever. They exist because good muslim people are good, empathy-capable people, who are also muslims. Are you feeling it now?

o-oh. I didn't realize al-Qaeda had that kind of reach o.o

Well, they have a lot of cells in a lot of countries. Add to that the affiliate groups and individual loyalists they control, and yes, they still have power.