The elephant in the room?

Submitted by Ewin Barnett (United States), May 3, 2004 at 10:36

Has the West become so intent on celebrating diversity, embracing inclusiveness and tolerance, being non-judgemental, wanting to show respect, and on being secular that it cannot ask the simple question, what are the actions of mainstream Muslim culture telling us when very few Muslims who say they are "moderate" are willing to show up to protest Islamist terrorism and many of those who do are only willing to say they are for "peace"?

If not, then why the inability to sufficiently denounce Islamists who keep calling western soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan "crusaders"?

This is a life and death question of western culture. When only a few Muslims will object in public to actions by Islamists, are they telling us either that they face sanctions from their own fellow believers for doing so, or are we to conclude that those who didn't protest don't object to the goals of the terrorists?

This is also an important question for those Muslims who think of theselves as "moderates". Is their own religion really a "religion of peace"? Judging by how frequently we read of fatwas that require Americans, or even authors of unflattering novels, to be killed, you will have to excuse my skepticism. Do Moderate Muslims place their own lives in jeopardy for their views, just as author Salmon Rushdie did?

Compare this to what happens when a supporter of the fringe Christian belief of white racial supremacy acts on his beliefs in a visible manner. The public outrage is quick and overwhelming.

Would that Moderate Muslims react similarly when Islamists act on their beliefs.

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