Even as President Barack Obama made it clear that Americans want peaceful relationships with Muslims, Islamic extremists in Pakistan were, in effect, slapping away his offer of friendship.
Obama made his comments during his inauguration speech on Tuesday. No doubt by coincidence - but still ironically - officials of the Taliban organization were issuing a different sort of statement.
The Taliban, ousted from power in Afghanistan, continue to wield substantial power in some areas of that country and in northwest Pakistan.
This week, bus drivers in Pakistan began receiving letters from the Taliban, warning them to remove audio and video equipment from their vehicles. The Taliban see the equipment, used to entertain bus passengers, as "vulgar."
Bus drivers who continue providing music and movies for passengers will be targeted by suicide bombers, the Taliban message stated.
It was a timely reminder to Americans of the fact that we can never coexist peacefully with Islamic terrorists - who really do want to destroy our very way of life.
