Think Islamic problems caused by a small minority of Muslims?
As sure as I know that there will be another terrorist attack on the United States I know the day is coming when Muslims, or for that matter Arabs in general, are going to be hated on sight. I remember after 9/11 some nutcase in California killed a turban-wearing Sikh from India, because he thought he was an Arab. There was an incident in Dallas immediately after Nine-Eleven. Another nutcase armed himself and drove around in his pickup on a killing spree. One victim was an Indian mini-grocer who'd lived there, legally and peacefully, for about 30 years. As I recall, this nut also killed a Pakistani shopkeeper, similarly situated and injured a Mexican. And as I recall, several such incidents occurred nationwide.
However, refusing to criticize, indeed vehemently condemn anything Islamic is pretty irrational, and will be costly if it doesn't change. If a billion Moslems suddenly rose up in outrage against Usama Bin Lladin, Zawahiri, Nasrallah, Ahab Inajam and the rest of those deranged maniacs, the liberal-socialists and the rest of the world would join them, and we'd have a chance at eliminating this scourge.
Like many members of many religions, there are Muslims who are not radical and who follow Islam only because it is part of their family tradition. I have a good friend who is a Lebanese Christian. She and her Italian husband are already beginning to notice hate stares and rude behavior. Most folks just assume that she is a Muslim Arab. The Lebanese people do not consider themselves Arabs. Nevertheless, she and her husband are likely to be targets of American revenge, should the time come when reason is conquered by an emotionally-driven response to terrorism.
Maybe I will need to create a modern "Schindler's list" for all my Mediterranean looking friends.
My comments cautioning over-reaction are intended to address attitudes & actions toward American citizens who are Muslim, or those who just look like they might be Muslim. We need to be careful not to victimize the innocent citizens of our own country.
My reasoning for saying that our best policy is to assume that most Muslims support terrorism, unless there is strong evidence--other than their own testimony--to the contrary, goes like this: Those who support evil behavior, or do not resist evil behavior, share responsibility for the evil acts of others. Bystanders who cheer and bystanders who do not intervene are also guilty of the crime. If you are not FOR us, you are against us. I am not a racist, but my conscience could not be clear unless I am actively resisting racism. "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Edmund Burke
Ergo, most Muslims support terrorism, unless they are actively resisting terrorism. I am quite aware that most Muslims do not commit acts of terror. But their religion requires them to kill non-Muslims, and their religion requires them to lie about their intentions. I would say that I might trust a Muslim wearing the uniform of our military services, but maybe they enlisted, looking for an opportunity to throw a grenade in their officers' tent. Our best bet is to put Muslims on probation, and assume their terrorist intentions, until we know for sure where they stand.
I have disagreed with many people who claim that the Islamic terror problem is caused by small minority of radicals. Their comments usually say something like "99% of Muslims are peaceful law abiding citizens". It is always uncomfortable to disagree with some one you like and admire, so I did a little research. Research on American Muslims is rare or biased so here are some facts from around the world.
Read a small sampling of research about those "mostly" peaceful Muslims:
Have you heard "Young, Unmarried Muslim Males Are the Most Likely to Become Terrorists"?
No. It is de rigueur (customary) to suggest that young, unmarried, Muslim males are the most likely population to become terrorists, or to support terrorism. But from the perspective of the global supply of terrorists, this claim is false. Consider the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka. They are the world's single largest group of suicide bombers. Their cadres are not Muslim, but Hindu by religion, and nearly 40 percent are female.
Even on the issue of support for terrorism, there is reason to be skeptical about the popular convention that young males are leading the pack. In a recent survey of 6,000 Muslims in 14 countries published in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, females were more likely to support terrorism than were males. What's more, married and unmarried persons are equally likely to support terrorism. Age matters less than one may think at first blush. In the same survey, some 47 percent of 62-year-olds surveyed were inclined to support terrorism. That percentage was only 10 points higher for 18-year-olds.
Young British Muslims believe, in surprising numbers (31 percent, according to the most recent poll,) that their country's foreign policy justifies terror attacks.
