Muslims in the MRT

On my way to work, I saw a large family of Muslims at the Cubao MRT station. They were garbed in their traditional attire. There were eight of them, the youngest was an infant being cradled by a female probably in her twenties. The two men were about my age, mid-twenties I think, and they stuck out like sorethumb in a crowd donned in office attire. I was eager to see if the security guards at the inspection booth would give them an extra special treatment, hoping to see if they had been contaminated with paranoia about mad Muslims, but I heard a train approaching so I rushed to the platform. Sad to say, I missed the train but I did get to see the Muslims on the escalator followed by curious glances by other passengers. I wonder if they were aware of that. I rode in the rear carriage while they took a front car. It made me think that it is really uncomfortable to be different, to stand out in a crowd not because of meritorious achievement but simply because you are different. Thank God that we live in a free country!
Don't get me wrong. I had friends from other religions, including Muslims, and we got along nicely. I cannot forget a conversation that I had with a batchmate in Medical school. Before I asked her pointblank about sensitive issues, I profusely apologized in advance. First, I asked her how she felt that they are tagged as terrorists and she answered that they have been oppressed by other religions, by colonial masters, that they are now seeking retribution. Well, the Palestinian issue is still burning like a forest fire but their are other nations who have been enslaved but its sons and daughters never went on a warpath like what Osama and his bloodthirsty minions have done. Closer to home, we have been treated like dirt by the Spanish, Yankees and Japs but we have never sent suicide bombers to Madrid, Washington and Tokyo.
But then again, it would take burning hatred for a man to strap explosives on his body and detonate it in buses, restaurants, and other vulnerable or "soft" targets frequented by civilians who are also suffering from wrong government policies like them. And then, I asked her if she condoned the acts of Osama and company, hoping to spot a moderate Muslim, but I could not remember her answer. But I told her that every religion has its share of extremists, men and women who are leery of other people from another creed and who want to impose their religious beliefs on other men. These are the people who have created oceans of blood from religious conflicts, e.g., the crusades and jihad, and not the ordinary people who are tolerant of another religions.