The question of the hour throughout the world is this: how do you take over a culture? Muslims have already answered this question long before Europeans and Americans asked its corollary: How do you defend a culture? That is, if you believe you have one to defend.

 Radical Muslims have answered the takeover question with two strategies, the big stick and the little stick. (Apparently there are no carrots in Islamofacism, despite Osama bn Laden's offer of a "truce" in his latest Bunkerbuster Video production.) The big stick is direct attack. 9/11, 3/11, 7/7. But the little stick is just as important. Infiltrate your enemy's country, push for sharia law, (some European countries are thinking about giving it to them ... big mistake), have lots of children, and riot whenever you think it is advantageous.

 The latest cartoon flap is an example of the "little stick" strategy. It is about intimidation, not so much about religion. Kristlenacht in 1930's Germany was about intimidation first, followed by takeover. Mark Steyn has described the Muslims takeover of Europe as a "neutron bomb" strategy. Leave the buildings, take the culture. Muslims claim that Mohammed should not be depicted. But Islamic artists by the thousands have portrayed him for centuries in paintings and miniatures displayed throughout the world. They tell us that Mohammed should not be mocked and yet there is a famous account of Mohammed himself forgiving a Meccan poet who mocked him for a decade. Where is the justification for rioting and killing?

 The entire response to the cartoons was orchestrated by Islamists who paraded the cartoons around the Middle east for months and plotted the explosive response. Why are they doing this? It is simple. Radical Islam knows it cannot win a battle of armies, so they fight a battle of will and wits. The big stick of terrorist attacks and the little stick of propaganda will suit just fine. The famous boxer Mohammed Ali became the best heavyweight in the world by jabbing his opponents over 15 rounds, wearing them down for either a late-round knockout or victory by decision. The Islamists believe (because we and the former Soviet Union have taught them this over decades) that we possess neither the will or wit to win. George Bush and Tony Blair have just begun to convince them otherwise. It will take time and patience, two things the West is does not do particularly well.

 Islamists are also more than willing to manipulate the West's greatest weakness ... guilt. Liberal guilt. We are too ready in the West to believe we are wrong and have done wrong. Both our enemies and our liberal friends make up stories about Korans being flushed down toilets. With the help of liberal politicians in the US Senate, they turn aberrations like Abu Graib into the essence of American culture. They tell themselves that insensitive Americans, greedy oilmen and Israel supporters are the reason for their problems. Too many American leftists believe them.

 Radical Islamists have few doubts. It is we who are doubtful. And as long as we doubt our purpose and our culture, they will possess the upper hand. Right now, Europe has the most doubt and inconveniently the most Muslims. Mona Charen tells us that Muslim teens in Stockholm wear tee-shirts that say "2030-The We Take Over."

 One more thing. Be very wary of anyone who cannot laugh at religion, especially his own. Many years ago, I read a book by Elton Trueblood called "The Humor of Christ." It made me realize that the New Testament is a book of humor. Anyone who cannot appreciate the humor of a man with a beam in his eyes removing a speck in another man's eye, or Jesus inviting 5000 people for lunch with nothing but five loaves and two fish doesn't appreciate religious humor. We laugh at sex, politics and religious humor because they humanize us. No one thought the numerous religious jokes at the Coretts Scott King funeral to be sacreligious, because they weren't.

 But when did you last see a Muslim laugh at himself? Look at the pictures of the 9/11 hijackers with their hollow gazes. Criminals in today's newspaper rarely have smiles on their faces as they go about the grim duty of their sad acts. A religion that cannot laugh at itself has gone off the rails. Christianity, which itself is mocked constantly, has survived very nicely. As Spurgeon once said "the Bible is an anvil which has worn out many hammers."

 Make no mistake. The reaction in the Muslim world has one purpose only, to soften the West and open us further to cultural suicide. The best we can do is to reassert freedom of the press and continue to hit the terrorists before they hit us. The worst thing we could do is to coddle Muslims in a politically correct cocoon, immune from criticism. Then we would really be playing into their hands.

  John Pendleton