Reply #42: Two reasons, [View All]

[tenshi816]

in my opinion:

- Non-extremists just want to get on with their lives and not be a focus of the media, and

- In Britain, at least, there are far more extremist sympathizers than people in America are aware. It doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to participate in a terrorist attack, but that their loyalties are always going to be with the ones who do. Of course they're going to make news: there are a lot of them and they're media savvy.

There has simply not been enough condemnation of violence coming from so-called moderate Muslims in Britain. For example, among the Muslims of my acquaintance, there's an attitude that they're Muslim first and British second, and while they themselves would never engage in acts of terrorism, they're unwilling to criticise those who do. Muslims display incredible solidarity.

There's another problem of not being able to see the forest for the trees in the Muslim community. Tasmin Aslam, a spokesperson for the Pakistani foreign ministry commenting on the Pope's speech, said (apparently without a hint of irony):

"Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence."

George Orwell would be proud.