You are right -- and I think most of us would agree -- that Islam is being abused by certain people to push a particular agenda. You are also right that not all cultural customs of 7th century Arabia are applicable in the modern world. We also agree with @
muse and others that curbing religious extremism has to be done.
The only difference between our positions -- other than the details of how to curb this extremism -- is that we believe curbing religious extremism will only be a stopgap solution if we don't go and cut the head of the snake (political supporters) also. We are also concerned that,
if not done correctly and perceived as an attack on Islam, the campaign could backfire and help the extremists.
Really I am amazed, Here we are asserting that "We" consider what the religious extremist and their armed organs are doing is an attack on Islam - even friends who are Hindu and Jewish and Christian, are saying this is an attack on Islam and yet we have to be worried about whether or not the extremist will think we are attacking Islam??
Remember they do not have the support in society that we do, it is they, who use violence and terror to impose their view on us, it is they, who seek to destroy Pakistan and Islam itself by defiling it, by associating it with terrorizing persons, by creating in the hearts of Muslims fear and revulsion -- and we have to be worried about whether they will think we are attacking Islam???
Friends, they know that they are in error, look at their methods, converting Masajid into armories, creating Madadress in to factories where young men and women are robbed of innocence and indoctrinated in hate filled ideas , it is they who organize in cells, it is they who rise in armed insurrection in a society that is open to their political action and which protects them -- It is they who declare us kafir, it is they that pronounce takfir upon us.
It is they who have left us no option but to oppose them, and by doing so, end them and liberate Muslims to exercise their conscience without fear from these extremists and their armed organs - be clear, unless we do them justice, they will destroy us, not just the state, not just the nation, but they will destroy Islam itself.