Why Rico hates religion

From this New York Times on-line article: "With each of life’s disappointments and indignities, Mr. Sayyid has drawn religion closer... Here in Egypt and across the Middle East, many young people are being forced to put off marriage, the gateway to independence, sexual activity and societal respect. Stymied by the government’s failure to provide adequate schooling and thwarted by an economy without jobs to match their abilities or aspirations, they are stuck in limbo between youth and adulthood... In their frustration, the young are turning to religion for solace and purpose, pulling their parents and their governments along with them... More young people are observing stricter separation between boys and girls, sociologists say, fueling sexual frustrations. The focus on Islam is also further alienating young people from the West and aggravating political grievances already stoked by Western foreign policies. The religious fervor among the young is swelling support for Islam to play a greater role in political life. That in turn has increased political repression, because many governments in the region see Islamic political movements as a threat to their own rule... “Yes, I do think that Islam is the solution,” Mr. Sayyid said, quoting from the slogan of the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned but tolerated organization in Egypt that calls for imposing Shariah, or Islamic law, and wants a religious committee to oversee all matters of state. “These people, the Islamists, they would be better than the fake curtain, the illusion, in front of us now.” Across the Middle East, marriage is not only the key to adulthood but also a religious obligation, which only adds to the pressure — and the guilt... Mr. Sayyid lives with his mother, Sabah, who is 45, and who divorced shortly after he was born. He now spends most of his time behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf, listening to the Koran... “What do you think? Of course I am bored,” Mr. Sayyid said, trying not to let go of the forced smile he always wears when he talks about his stalled life. “When I get closer to God, I feel things are good in my life.”

Rico says so, the solution to Islamic fundamentalism is getting their young men laid... What else is new? But money, as ever, is barring them from getting married, and they can't get laid without getting married. The solution? A secret CIA program to provide free marriages for any young Arab or Persian man who wants to get married. Maybe streetcorner vans loaded with cash, like mobile marriage banks...
Unfortunately, there's a tremendously similar problem with Islamic fundamentalists and Christian fundamentalists; they both know they have the Truth, and that's a scary thing...