To my mind the word "moderate" is one which can never relate to...

To my mind the word "moderate" is one which can never relate to Islam.

Mohammed lived by the sword. Unbelievers were either given the choice of conversion, or else pay a heavy tax to live in a Muslim area, or failing that, to be put to the sword.
Unbelievers are infidels, unclean, and no Muslim can convert out of their faith without retribution. So assimilation and inter-marriage are not normally options.

The fact that the first call to prayer happens somewhere around 4am is, to put it mildly, a huge annoyance if you've just flown in after a long flight and fallen into bed, jet-lagged and exhausted, only to be rudely awakened an hour later just as you've finally nodded off. And the same thing for every day of your stay.

An aquaintance this happened to went out on the hotel room balcony and yelled out for these guys to desist. Hotel reception called to say "it's a recording - sorry sir, I'm Christian, so I do understand - we've complained but nothing we can do."

I can imagine if this happened every day to permanent non-Muslims living in mosque vicinities it'd be grounds for a nervous breakdown! Just as the ringing of church bells would be at the same ungodly hour. And what would be the chances of a Christian chuch being approved? Some of the few in Indonesia have been torched, and their congregations terrorised.

Give and take. But with Islam - it seems to be a one way street. You conform to OUR way of thinking, or else.
A generalisation of course. But there's an air of superiority, and not nice to be thought of in the unclean infidel category.

Some say they know "lots of lovely "moderate" Muslims." No doubt.

But where were THEIR marches of protest against Islamic Fundamentalist terrorism re. the slaughters of 9/11, London, Spain, etc.

And why do they seemingly tolerate the severe oppression of women, honor killings, hangings, beheadings, genital mutiliation, child brides, etc.

Catholic hierachry must now bow to public pressure and weed out and punish the bad elements in their church's priests if their beliefs are to survive. Why can't Islam do the same - and clean up its act?

My answer is that it's because the whole so-called "religion" relates back to a man who lived by violence, war, and the law of the sword. The base is not rock - it's quicksand.