Fred, //Irrational beliefs, particularly ones which cause someone to murder, might just be seen as evidence of mental illness. mightn't they, naomi?//
Irrational beliefs that cause someone to murder would certainly, under normal circumstances, be seen by us as evidence of mental illness – but these are not normal circumstances. This is religion – and we are all expected to respect religion - so who is going to tell them – and the God(?) knows how many more Muslims - that the Koran and the hadith are wrong? Justification for what they do is there in black and white.
//few would be minded to murder a doctor who conducts abortions, however much the doctrine [Catholicism] is against abortion.//
You’re making the same mistake that all apologists make. You are overlooking the fact that the bible is open to interpretation by its various adherents - without penalty. Islamic literature is not - and therefore bears no comparison to the bible. The Koran is the word of God, and the hadith, the pronouncements of the prophet Mohammed is, like him personally, and the Koran, infallible. Islam cannot be compared to any other religion because it is not simply a religion – it is a complete way of life – with rules dealing with every aspect of life – even to using the lavatory. Here we are dealing with a completely different mindset – and that’s what people fail consistently to recognise. It is a great mistake to assume that Islamists are possessed of the rational intellect and the freedom of thought and deed enjoyed by a western society. They are not. For them, the word of the Koran, and of Mohammed, are unalterable - and beyond criticism under any circumstances.