If there’s one phrase guaranteed to raise my blood pressure it’s the one about “building bridges” between the Christian and Islamic faith. Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m all for tolerance — the ability to recognize and respect views different from one’s own.

Bridges aren’t tolerant. Bridges are structures that span two points, allowing travel back and forth between the two. By definition, bridges unite, and unity means the state of being one. Tolerance (also known in newspeak as diversity) is the antithesis of unity. Tolerance means that each side knows the other exists and acknowledges the right of the other side to continue doing so. Unity, on the other hand, by definition means one or both sides must be altered, assimilated, watered down or, even, destroyed.

So despite an otherwise nice start to the day, my head nearly exploded when I ran across this article about a study conducted by national task force (headed by an unidentified agency) which claims to offer “ways to build bridges” between Muslim Americans and the rest of the country’s population.

Among the non-binding recommendations, the task forces urged public and private partnerships to:

* “Expand and recognize Muslim American contributions to national security.”

* “Improve media coverage and public understanding of Muslim Americans.”

* “Increase civic engagement among Muslim Americans.”

* “Build stronger Muslim American institutions.”

* “Cultivate the next generation of Muslim American leaders.”

In other words, the study ultimately seeks the protections of affirmative action based on a person’s religious choice. That is not promoting tolerance — it’s promoting specialized treatment (which, in the case of those public partnerships, translates into taxpayer money) for Muslim Americans… as if the non-Muslim population has somehow done them wrong.

No, I don’t think Muslim Americans are to blame for 9/11 but, dammit, those of us aren’t Muslim shouldn’t be made to feel guilty for being angry about it!