A persons faith is inextricably linked to their self-identity and attacking it produces a visceral reaction. Demonizing Islam only helps alienate ordinary Muslims, the very ones needed to combat the scourge of Islamist extremism.

Wittingly or not, the "Islam-is-evil" crowd is effectively ISIS's accomplice, whose stated objective is to erase the "grey zone" that separates ordinary Muslims from violent jihadis.

Depraved and dangerous, ISIS needs to be confronted. Not by agreeing with its message (that Islam is incompatible with democracy, that there's a war between Islam and the West, that ISIS is true to the Quran) but precisely the opposite.