That is what Islam has become today. I know people who call themselves Muslim, many of whom are lovely people and many of whom are just as frustrated at a lot of the stuff I'm going to be talking about as I am, often moreso. This is not directed at them.
This is however directed at every person who calls him or her self a Muslim and does not speak out against Isis, Al Qaeda, and all their ilk.
I am an active member of a proselyting faith. I think things would be better for people and the world as a whole if those people were to join. As such, I work towards educating people about my faith, and giving people the opportunity to decide if they care for it. The difference is simple. I don't chop anyone's head off if they decide that I'm full of baloney.
Similarly, I'm not suggesting bombing Islamic civilian centers. I'm not interested in invading and getting them all to renounce Islam. The only situation in which I am interested in using coercive force as regards them is to protect America and our friends, particularly Israel in this specific instance.*
We just passed the 13 year mark on the September 11 attacks. It, and many other smaller incidents ever since, marked Islamist attempts to control us. They cannot control us all by force, so they choose to allow us to control ourselves with fear. They seek to make themselves the bogeymen behind every door and at every border.
In that sense, for many people they won. Benghazi was blamed not on problems of Islamist aggression, but on a youtube video no one saw. Even if the organized militia shelling rockets and rifle fire on the embassy was in fact a pure response to this video, we did terribly wrong in ever blaming the author of the video.
This simply places the burden on us to not offend them, rather than on them not to commit acts of war. Is that not precisely what they want? It is a tacit acknowledgment that we are evil and deserve what they would do to us. I don't know about you, but I find that a highly offensive notion.
This is a concept that is very popular today. Every heinous act is explained away as "he was abused as a child" or "she had a hard time making friends" or other bad experiences in the past. While these can certainly help explain the motivations, in no sense does it excuse the acts.
I want to make one last comment before closing for the time being. Note I have not called these people at any time 'extremists'. This is, quite simply, because the world's muslim population seems by and large to accept it, even if not actively condone. For those who would say Islam is a peaceful religion, prove it. Speak out against this. Make the case that this is not the true face of Islam. For those who say nothing, know that you tacitly agree to allow Isis and their ilk to be the face of Islam.
These people only have what power you give them.
*Not because Israel is different than any of our other allies, but rather because I don't think South Korea for instance is at quite so much risk from Islamist states.
Very well said, as usual. And yes, any Muslim that isn't loudly denouncing these actions is condoning them by their silence. I would not stand for my faith to be desecrated in such a way.
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