Although most peace-loving people on both sides of the gulf are loathe to admit it, it’s sure beginning to feel like the current divisions between Western nations and Islamic nations are accumulating into a war of cultures. At least, it’s hard to avoid that conclusion when you read statements like this: “After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new global threat: Islamism.” That one’s signed by Salman Rushdie and a number of other literary notables.