Although the topic of taqiyya, like many religious concepts, is certainly more complex than can be explained in a blog post, I think it's important to understand because it underscores how differently Muslims and Christians tend to view lying. Most broadly, Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri wrote:
Speaking is a means to achieve objectives. If a praiseworthy aim is attainable through both telling the truth and lying, it is unlawful to accomplish it through lying because there is no need for it. When it is possible to achieve such an aim by lying but not by telling the truth, it is permissible to lie if attaining the goal is permissible..., and obligatory to lie if the goal is obligatory. ...One should compare the bad consequences entailed by lying to those entailed by telling the truth, and if the consequences of telling the truth are more damaging, one is entitled to lie...
So it shouldn't be a suprise that Muslim nations don't tend to negotiate in good faith as Westerners understand it. As the Left constantly admonishes, it's important to get to know other cultures! (So we can defeat them.)
Mohammed's Diplomacy with Infidels 101:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Hudaybiyyah
Make a 10-year "ceasefire" deal with infidels while your army is less than 2,000 men. Break it after 2 years when it grows to 10,000.
I see that the Islamic historical revisionists have been trying to water down this entry some more to make themselves look good.
"...it underscores how differently Muslims and Christians tend to view lying."
Maybe you should explain how Christians view lying. Are you contending that there are no circumstances under which a Christian should lie?
I guess the classic example would be a Christian hiding a Jew under the Nazis. If asked a Christian would be obligated to lie.
You could take this and generalize a "rule" that if the consequences of telling the truth are more evil than lying, you should lie. And that would be just what this Muslim writer says.
Ron: Here's a post I wrote about Christians and lying. The general conclusion I arrived at is that it's wrong to lie in situations where the other person is expecting and deserving the truth. I'm not 100% confident in that position, but it seems reasonable to me given what I know and believe. Perhaps Islam is similar then, with the exception that no infidel deserves to be treated honestly.
I read your post and pretty much agree with it. Truthfully I have no idea what Islam says about telling the truth, it just seemed from the quote you gave their position wasn't much different from the Christian one.