peace,
your last point is crucial. very few are Shii'a by choice, or Hanafi by choice, or Shaafi'i by choice. or even Iranian or Iraqi by choice. EVERYWHERE, Muslims have allowed variation into their religion. i once had a Somalian tell me it was very important for me to learn Somali in order for me to understand Islam! he meant no harm, that was his belief. i have had more than a few Somalis ask to teach me Islam; after a few minutes discussion, they apologized and ask me to teach them. you see, i have an advantage, i am learning Islam ONLY. that is much easier than learning all the cultural baggage that now weighs down many Muslims. i had a Sudanese friend caution me when he saw me on my constant reading of translations and Tafsir. he said "be careful, you know more than most of them". i had a Somali wife; i would explain a few mistakes she was making based on certain scholars. she would say, "please brother, i'm born Muslim, i know more than you." later, she would see the particular lecture and collapse in disbelief. she would then apologize. i would tell her, "Sister, when i am giving you my opinion, i say that. when i am telling you a scholar says, i am telling you what he said"
you cannot see Muslims in the light of Islam. you must view in a cultural way AND, most importantly, as a REACTIONARY way. Muslims are dying for their faith. they are making dawah to those that are killing them. Iran is turning into a nuclear waste land. the CIA in Afghanistan isn't there to promote democracy, it is there to secure the poppy fields. imagine all of those things plus drones killing hundreds right here in the US. would you be angry? would you be offended? would you even still be alive? what about your family? how would you feel if they are raped and murdered simply because they are American? would you react? would you take up arms? if you took up arms, you would not be called a Patriot, you would be called a terrorist!
think about that...
peace
