Buddy’s right on target – it all boils down to e-n-e-r-g-y. That’s why focusing on the movement(s)’ religious trappings, while interesting, so misses the point.

Also, placing the emphasis on the fact that the “Islamist” movement has demonstrated it has real territorial, economic and political plans for its conquered territories that, coincidentally, mirror the centralized, controlled economic plans espoused by Left-wing organizations like the Congressional Black Caucus, and the AFLCIO, is more effective than the “they’re Muslims, ergo…” trap.

Basically, the religionist approach is too easily countered. The Left has already pre-engineered a quaint cover-narrative for terror’s religion-ist critiques: the rails are greased to equate non-violent American sects with Islam whenever terrorists’ shared religious affiliations come under scrutiny. All religions being equal to the Left, the Taliban, and other militant Islamic sects are already posed as stand-ins for America’s many religions (ex. American Methodists are just as bad as Taliban Muslims, because both are religious).

This evocation of religion by terror’s defenders is of course conscious. Having deliberately made “religion” the tar-baby of America’s pluralist politics, progressives hope we’ll take a good swing at it and get ourselves stuck.

Meanwhile the industrialized nations’ quiet, ne’er ending grab for prove-able energy will roll on, and we’ll be, well, stuck.