"My admiration is just for their determination, steadfast view, the willingness to oppose the staus quo, the courage to accept their end fate would probably be nasty if they failed or even if they succeeded."
Volt you are no doubt trying to be a contrarian and explore ideas as you do, no harm in that, its to be encouraged. However you're wrong in this instance. People who are prepared to kill and/or die to oppose the society they are part of are simply egotistical sociopaths. They believe in the superiority of their own ideas to the extent it gives them license to murder. If ideas are superior then they tend to find their way into society gradually, perhaps over generations, and its quite possible the originators of these ideas are never given credit for them in their lifetimes. If they are truly superior they will be spread and accepted via the pen, there is no need for the sword. The likes of your namesake have had a far more profound impact on civilization than countless generals and tinpot dictators.
The question has to be asked, why is there so much violence around the frontiers of Islam? In whichever direction you look - Chechnya, China, India, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Aceh, Pakistan, Spain, the UK, Bali, Bangladesh, Thailand, there are violent and intolerant people justifying their murderous actions with the words of a 7th Century "prophet". To understand it you need to read his words for yourself, then it all starts to become clear.
