Wouldn't it have been nice if the imperialists treated people in the Middle East like civilized men and not animals? I'm not apologizing for terrorists acts, just that, if you were in the same place as a westerner, can you say for sure you wouldn't do the same?
Can you clarify here what your talking about? Seems to be rather confused? Guessing your talking about former European rulers or current US economic influence by imperialists although it fits more for groups such as Al-Qaeda, who treat their victims with total contempt. If I presumed you meant that I guess you mean "if you were in the same place as an easterner"? Not sure I agree on that. The west has been far more tolerant of Islamic excesses than vice-versa, albeit I think partly reaction against the European colonial period, WWII and the dangers of the cold war. Basically western culture in large part has learnt to limit its actions and deliberate excesses. [Ignoring for the moment the danger we're causing environmentally by irresponsibility]. Not saying this will last, especially considering the continued aggression by extremists groups against the west. The main limitation on groups like Al Qaeda is their capacity to destroy, not their desire.
There's really no difference between "The West" and "Islam" like you're saying. The issue is much more complicated and not nearly so black-and-white.
I think a lot depends on what you define Islam. There are many decent Muslims as with Christians, Jews, British, Chinese, or any other political, religious, national or other groups. All however have their evil scumbags. The problem with the Islamic world is that a sizeable fraction of it, like many Christians in the middle ages, seem to give at least lip service to the idea that they are a people apart and anything they do to others is justified because of this. As such you get the idiotic situation that many Muslims seem to view Al Qaeda as 'liberators' for mass murdering Muslims and the western forces in Iraq and Afghanistan as evil for trying to protect those same Muslims. The best solution would be if the Islamic community got its house in order by clearing out its own degenerates but until that happens, as they are willing to attack us we have to defend ourselves against them.
Steve