Zero tolerance for violence by Muslims

Submitted by Prashant (United States), May 30, 2022 at 13:47

Dear Dr Pipes: Many correspondents on your site have been reporting on the small actions and words of violence by Muslims in Israel and elsewhere. I think these correspondents are acting noble. Our world must show zero tolerance for Islamic violent acts and *violent rhetoric*.

We cannot change Islam until we apply the same standards to Muslims and Islam that we apply to everyone else. So, our tolerance for little and big actions and statements of violence should be minimal. Muslims should not be allowed to make even the smallest violent statement without being opposed. Unfortunately, we have become so immune to Islamic violence that we hardly react to it when it occurs. A Hindu boyfriend of a Muslim woman shot dead in India, an IDF person killed somewhere in Israel, a Muslim woman killed for the family honor, a person shot in a cafe somewhere in the world, none of these incidences should be allowed to go unreported and undiscussed.

We all remember when certain Islamic leadership talked about pushing Israel into the ocean. We all recall when Saddam Hussain mentioned the 'mother of all battles'. We all listen and forget the threats by the Hamas leadership. Perhaps the course of history of our world had been different if we had vehemently opposed this rhetoric as soon as it was spoken.

There is a deep relation between Islam and violence. There is plenty of evidence of this relationship in the world's ancient and current history. This relationship is anchored by the violent doctrines of the Quran and perpetuated by the resultant culture of violence (where violence is used as the first available method to solve problems and not the last).

It is admirable when people highlight Islam's relationship with violence and challenge it.

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