the vast majority of populations in heavily-Muslim inhabited countries IS peaceful. it's the very powerful, loud, minority that rules the roost unfortunately.
i know i've answered this numerous times, but i'll do it again.
Muslim-populated countries are much younger than most societies. many of them are recently out of European/British control and are finding their path. look, i'm not excusing radicals' behavior. i find it abhorrent. the very clerics that are supposed to be making these Islamic Republics tolerable to live in are failing. they are either too uneducated to run a society or are ousted by kings, dictators, etc.
ideally (and this is just MY take on things)...Islamic countries will not stand a chance to succeed until a revolution, and i mean a huge, civil war type revolution, takes place. outsiders need to STAY OUT and let them resolve this. after such revolution, a secularized system needs to be implemented UNTIL such time that Shariah law can be updated and understood...PROPERLY, and can then be implemented. this will have to occur in such a way that human rights, for both men and women, will be granted. no religious police (Shariah has no calling for this anyway), no Taliban-type implementation, no mullahs running roadside madrasas...
until Muslims stop worrying about how to clip their fingernails, how to cover each and every strand of hair, face, feet...until Muslims stop fighting amongst themselves over who prays properly, who fasts properly, who eats with what hand...all these Fiqh-y things that DIVIDE us...our societies will never stand a chance.
the biggest obstacle standing between Muslim countries current state and a successful one is unity amongst Muslims.
this is MUSLIMS' fault.
but, one has to be utterly BLIND to deny that a united Islamic society is the biggest fear of the non-Muslim world...and other societies will and presently do interfere (stirring up trouble amongst Muslims, invading countries on a false-pretense, etc.) to make sure it's damn near impossible for Muslims to unite. it's no mistake that the British divided Pakistan/India the way it did and left key areas for "them" to work out.
yes, it was their fault then, but now it's the Pakistanis' fault. pick yourself up and move on. but no, they'd rather be CORRUPT and sell themselves out. do keep in mind though...the US is very good at keeping its enemies as allies too.
i don't blame the fear either; taking a look around at actions of the radicals...i don't want that type of society either. for some reason, they think they can take completely illiterate, poor, desperate people and throw a WARPED version of Shariah on them and all will be well. even the illiterate, poor, desperate people know when their rights are violated, but unfortunately, they have no way to express it. THAT is why Muslim-inhabited countries are suffering. not ONE of them is actually practicing or implementing TRUE Shariah...and they won't until they are educated and empowered.
edit: sorry Badran, i was typing my novel when you replied.