It is a treat to be around more-or-less like-minded people. It often allows one to develop ideas and thoughts without negative and critical opposition, which usually cut off such thoughts and ideas at their bud.
One of the conversations I got into during my brief stay in New York was when I was describing the purpose of Our Changing Landscape. The blog started out, as I have previously written, as the surprised recordings of the changes I was seeing around me. As I was explaining the evolution of this blog, another revelation of the Muslims' strategy came to mind.
Muslims are changing things very organically. I don't think there is a centralized bureau planning a change here and a change there. The whole transformation of the societies Muslims are taking over is done with pushes forward and pulling back when gone too far, and a tentative reach there followed by a more decisive move. Stealth (jihad, sharia) is a popular word these days describing Muslims' activities. Stealth implies a certain strategy, a certain planning of events. I think Muslims are much less strategic than we think, and are simply pushing themselves into hostile environments, slowly encroaching into those territories for final takeover. This could take a few years or a few decades. That is why I think "organic" better describes their movement.
Muslims continuously test our resistance. When it is too strong, they wait for another opportune moment to introduce their change, often with much better success. Sometimes, they will just get overly aggressive, to see how far they can get away with things. They bargain for a higher stake, but are really going after a lower one, until another opportunity arises and the stake can only go higher.
This is the organic growth that "peaceful" Muslims are nurturing, with the full confidence that the end goal will be accomplished. But there are those moments which unfurl the Toronto 18 and the London Subway Bombers, condoned by all Muslims. Such violent acts (in conjunction with these organic infiltrations) are demanded by the Koran and have to be obeyed. It is all part of the growth.
Muslims have perfected the unobtrusive, organic growth. Suddenly, like ivy on a building, or algae in a pond, they are everywhere.