Why Don't Muslims Condemn Terrorism?

Dear Auntie Pinko,

During the last few years we have witnessed a backlash against the Muslim community that is unfair, yet understandable. Every day we are subjected to atrocities that Muslim extremists perform against the rest of the world, including their own people. I know the vast majority of Muslims in this world are not radical extremists, nor do they even support or agree with violence or terrorism. But I can also see that in this very human world, a pattern of violence perpetrated by a small group of people will reflect poorly on the rest of the people that may be associated with this group.

I think it may help their image if the rest of the Muslim world would raise their voices in protest of all the violence. However, I have yet to see this outcry from the Muslim community. They seem ready to riot if the likeness of Mohammed is portrayed in a cartoon. But where are the protests when the monsters that have hijacked their own religion behead innocent civilians, or suicide-bomb nightclubs?

Am I wrong? Have the Muslim people raised their voices in protest that have gone unheard? If not, why not?

Sincerely yours,
Alfredo
Atlanta, GA


Dear Alfredo,

Do you know any Muslims? Have you asked them these questions? Perhaps the fact that so few Americans who are non-Muslims have friends in the Muslim community might explain the level of misconception and assumptions about Islam and its followers that is so prevalent in our public dialogue. It is helpful to remember that just as the Christianity of a Wisconsin Synod Lutheran differs from the Christianity of a Greek Orthodox believer, there are many interpretations and contrasting beliefs about Islam among its followers. A Sufi mystic will give you very different answers about what the Q’ran says than the answers you would receive from a Wahhabi teacher.

Indeed, the National Socialists of Germany created a “Christian” church which justified acts as heinous as any being committed by those who profess Islam as their justification for today’s atrocities. To judge “Christianity” by their actions would be as foolish and misguided as to judge “Islam” by the actions of those committing the vile deeds against fellow-Muslims in Iraq.

Nor are those professing Islam the only ones committing atrocities against other human beings on a daily basis. The atheist leader of North Korea is letting thousands starve and die in horrible conditions. An ostensibly Buddhist junta in Burma is committing daily atrocities against its own population. “Christian” narcotics traffickers just south of the US border have committed hundreds, perhaps thousands, of brutal and grisly atrocities in Mexican border states in the last few years, and the “Christian” Mexicans in the government, police, and military have done little to stop them— indeed, some collaborate with them or enable them. Each and every day, appalling atrocities are committed by human beings against other human beings for a wide array of reasons, and everything from religion to greed is used to “justify” them.

If you have yet to see “the Muslim community” raising their voices in condemnation against the use of Islam as a justification for appallingly un-Islamic acts of violence and terror, you have not been looking. Nearly 700,000 Muslims have signed a “Not in the Name of Islam” petition on the website of the Council on American-Islamic Relations that begins: “We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state clearly that those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of the faith they claim to represent.”

Shi’ite cleric, Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah, the spiritual leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement, was severe in his condemnation of Osama bin Laden and the September 11th attacks, accusing him of a perversion of Islam. As did dozens of other prominent and respected Muslims. Yusuf al-Qaradawi, once a preacher to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and now an al-Jazeera commentator, gave a fatwa proclaiming the duty of Muslims to fight alongside Americans in Afghanistan against al-Qaeda.

In July of 2005, a major conference of Muslim spiritual leaders published a powerful statement about religious tolerance and the condemnation of everything Osama bin Laden stands for. The document was signed by, among others, the Grand Ayatollah Sistani, Grand Imam of al-Azhar Seminary Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi. The document also points out that only approved Muslim juriconsultants have the authority to issue fatwas, and that proclamations labeled “fatwas” by any other sources have no force in Muslim spiritual or legal codes.

Parvez Ahmed, Chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, has spoken all over America on the issue of Muslim condemnations of terrorism. He’s issued statements and coordinated the statements of Muslim leadership from communities ranging from the most conservative to the most liberal. Repeatedly. Google “Muslims denounce terrorism” and receive page after page of references.

Perhaps the reason we have yet to see the Muslim community raising their voices against terrorism, suicide bombing, and other atrocities is that we haven’t looked. It’s more comfortable to simply equate “Muslim” with “committers and applauders of vile acts,” and pad that out with a few qualifiers about how we know that not all Muslims are like that. Most pre-Civil Rights-era Southerners would have asserted that “not all negros” were necessarily stupider or more inclined to crime than white people. And plenty of white settlers would willingly have conceded that there were many “good Indians,” too. Such face-saving assertions are always employed to excuse us from the effort of seeking out information to refute the assumptions of popular prejudice.

It is certainly true that at this moment in history, a surprisingly large number of people who profess Islam have used that faith as a justification for much violence and evil. However, at various times in history, every religious faith, every political ideology, and most philosophical creeds have been used to justify vile acts, sometimes in horrific numbers and scope. The faults lie not with the faiths, ideologies, and creeds per se, but with the dark side of human nature that seizes upon the most powerful justifications we can find to excuse ourselves when we commit evil.

We might also take note of whose interests are served when a connection is drawn between Islam and violence. Not all of those who benefit from such connections are Muslims, Alfredo. And many of them live right here in America. Thanks for asking Auntie Pinko!

Their definition simply does not match ours.

and then I can tell you whether or not our definitions match. Without that information, I cannot agree or disagree with you on this point.

to acheive political goals?

fatwa presented by hundreds of imams in this country ever advocated that. I think what you have done is confused the words of the majority of Muslims who want peace and who condemn terrorism, whose words are rarely presented in the MSM, with the minority of violent people who are using Islam to promote their very un-Islamic beliefs.

You may wish to look at the posts at the Muslim/Islam group here or go to sites like www.muslimwakeup.com to see what progressive Muslims are saying and doing.

I merely propose that as a generic definition of terrorism. I have never said that "the fatwa presented by hundreds of imams in this country ever advocated that". It is my belief that quite a few government and non-government organizations engage in and support terrorism on a regular basis. The real question is how should the people organize to protect themselves from all of these terrorist organizations?

terrorism.
It's not that they don't condemn it, it's that our media don't convey the message.

I feel you are right on the mark with this. As a Sufi initiate, I can tell you that I have heard nothing but condemnation of terrorism by all Sufi teachers and leaders. I also know that the MSM in this country doesn't publicize what goes on with moderate/progressive Muslims very much. I've known of ecumenical meetings set up by Sufis or attended by senior Sufi teachers that were not reported or underreported (after the fact and buried on page 36z of the Sunday paper)by the press.

The Muslims I know want peace. They want to live in tolerance with other people. They do not wish to foist their beliefs on anyone, and look upon Wahhabism as a grave threat to Islam. The terror they condemn is the same terror non-Muslims condemn--but, I think, with more vehemence because of the threat to the faith.

I have a friend who is Muslim and has literally traveled to hundreds of churches and synagogues in the Midwest region since 9/11 to spread the message that was done in Islam's name is NOT representative of her faith. That these were terrorists - much like Timothy McVeigh didn't represent Christianity in his act in Oklahoma. She also has spearheaded interfaith events to help bridge the gap of understanding between all faiths. All of this travel has been done at her own cost.

For her efforts, she has received death threats many times. But she continues on as she feels that this is something she do to bring peace to the turmoil.

Especially the comment "If you have yet to see “the Muslim community” raising their voices in condemnation against the use of Islam as a justification for appallingly un-Islamic acts of violence and terror, you have not been looking." Surely, by asking you the question, he was looking. Such information is not easy to come by. As you correctly state, there is virtual media silence concerning any protests by moderate Muslims against the violence.

"I think it may help their image if the rest of the Muslim world would raise their voices in protest of all the violence. However, I have yet to see this outcry from the Muslim community. They seem ready to riot if the likeness of Mohammed is portrayed in a cartoon. But where are the protests when the monsters that have hijacked their own religion behead innocent civilians, or suicide-bomb nightclubs?

Am I wrong? Have the Muslim people raised their voices in protest that have gone unheard? If not, why not?"


It sounded like a question that was a statement. He thinks Muslims are bad. He's fallen for the propaganda. He doesn't seem to know that most of the Corporate Media spews propaganda against Muslims. Hence his question/statement.

see it as their last resort in defending themselves against OUR terrorizing of them. iraq confirmed their beliefs.

paranoia or not, many many muslims/iraqis/arabs think that the USA is trying to eradicate them (when we merely covet their natural resources) through our corrupting, decadent culture or outright killing as in Palestine & Iraq.

just like we think they're going to come & bomb us in our homes & malls. they're not. OBL is acting out of fear & anger. they want us off their ass, to exercise their idea of freedom, however alien it seems to us.

what if we tried a strategy like Respect & Kindness? drop the LOVE BOMB.

I am the original sender of this question. And to answer Auntie Pinko, I DO have friends who are Muslims. And I HAVE asked them about this. And they happen to agree with me.

I am sure there have been many documents signed, and many websites created regarding the condemnation of Islamic-based terrorism by mainstream Muslims. I am not an anti-Semite. On the contrary, I am an agnostic, and I would simply like everyone to live in peace. The problem I think is that the MSM is too busy reporting on the reasons why Britney Spears and K-Fed broke up to actually report on a more important topic such as this. And even the more educated Americans get their news from the MSM. So while we get full reporting on the riots caused by the Pope's comments on Islam, we rarely see any coverage on the more subdued approach of the majority of Muslims that sign statements condemning such actions. And I have a feeling that, due to lack of time, interest or both, most people (including me) adopt a more passive approach when it comes to news gathering. If it's not on CNN, or the New York Times, or the Nightly News, we are not aware of it.

And I think that this lack of coverage creates a real image problem for the mainstream Muslims, and an unfair backlash for the millions of peace-loving Muslims that live in this country.

The religion is extremely decentralized, so no one leader speaks for all the billions of Muslims.

They have common core beliefs, but there are tremendous geographical and sectarian variations in the details of their beliefs and practices.

As much as I hate to stereotype and make life easier by just grouping everyone into neat little categories, I honestly feel like I can side with Alfredo on this one. Alfredo makes some very valid points. A cartoon of Allah brings out thousands to the streets, but butchering innocents in the name of Allah seems to have a very unnoticeable effect.

Signing your name on a website is hardly a voice. At least it's certainly a silent voice. I'm not trying to justify why they hate Americans in Iraq, and possibly in Afghanistan. I would do my best to rid our country of occupying forces, regardless of their personal motives. But when we see news people, contractors, even foolish travelers beheaded in the name of Allah; I'd sure like to see a more visible voice from the Muslim leaders that shows how these acts do not reflect their religious beliefs.

And as for wanting to see Christians shouting out their shame, it's not the Christians who are cutting the heads off of living humans in the name of Jesus. If it were, I'd be the first to demonstrate against such heinous crimes in the name of my beliefs.

that many Muslims are very afraid of speaking out due to the death threats and attempts on their lives. And when the brave ones speak up, there are reprisals at mosques and/or on Muslims. So, to be safe, to keep their families safe, the majority are laying low. Or that is what I have observed here in the Chicago area.

but americans (= christians) killed thousands in iraq and afghanistan. it's all about media coverage :
1- a muslim terrorist kills a westerner in iraq : it is widely covered in MSM and expresses the inherent violence of this culture.
2- bombings, shootings done by US, Israel or any other "civilized" country killing dozens of civilians is collateral damage without religious or political background.

btw, here is the unnoticed response to Bendict XVI gross theories about relations between Islam and violence :
http://www.islamicamagazine.com/online-analysis/open-letter-to-his-holiness-pope-benedict-xvi.html

Once again, the media has more than its share of the blame. The fact that we have to look for it says a lot about those who are in a position of making their voices heard. If we had Al-Jazeera in the US, we'd probably hear a lot more from the Muslim point of view. There are many people in the US frightened of Muslims because the loudest and brightest broadcasts are of violence, blame and more violence. Imagine if the emphasis were on the voices of peace. Headlines screaming the denouncement of terrorism, names and faces of bold leaders standing for justice on page after page, on the Sunday talk shows, and the evening news reports. More people would be emboldened to speak out against it if there was a certainty that many others share that belief. That's just human nature (and the reason DU is such a huge success). But the sad truth is, as a people we like and desire violence. That is, until it happens to us. So the media , because all it cares about is grabbing our attention, won't be changing its ways anytime soon.

For all those that are complaining about the MSM which they perceive as biased, I recommend that you bookmark http://english.aljazeera.net/ for daily reading. After a few weeks, tell me, first, how many news reports you see about public demonstrations in the Muslim world regarding muslims killing muslims in Iraq. Second, tell me how many reports you see of Americans killing muslims (probably a lot). Third, tell me how many reports you see of Americans working in hospitals, building schools, trying to restore water supplies, etc. (Probably not many.)

There are 57 muslim majority countries (from Algeria to Zanzibar, they're all different, many different races, languages, sects etc).

If we flip it round we'll see the complexity of it. For instance did christians all over the world have to apologise every time the IRA blew up civilians in Northern Ireland or Britain? Did christians everywhere apologise for the collusion of clergy in the Rwandan genocide? Are christians collectively responsible for the actions of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda? I don't hear any apologies for those atrocities.

An ordinary muslim in Indonesia (for instance) may not even be following what's going on in Iraq. Does the average American (or European) have a clue what's happening outside the ME, in sub-Saharan Africa, in the Far East, in South America etc etc ? There are wars, crimes, violence, terrorism, problems all over the world. What the Western MSM concentrates on is not necessarily what the rest of the world is paying attention to.