Pat,

There certainly is a moderate Islam. I personally know and work with a number of Muslims who easily qualify as that. We've had enough in-depth conversations for me to feel comfortable that it is so. The problem with immoderate Islam is the financial push it receives from the Wahabi followers in Saudi Arabia. You might argue that the Shiite government in Iran is just as bad (and I would agree), but they are also not a good representative of how many (or even the average) Iranian feels.

On the evolutionary scale, you might say that Fundamentalist Christians treat women better than do many Fundamentalist Muslims, but aside from that point, I see very little difference. When blind adherence to religious philosophy trumps old-fashioned reason, either one is just as bad as the other.