Silence Isn't Helping

Great article in Investor's Business Daily.

Our Muslim community is not calling for her head, but neither is any major Muslim leader rushing to her defense. Such indifference only feeds negative stereotypes and suspicions.

Is it any wonder almost half of Americans believe Islam is more likely than other religions to encourage violence against nonbelievers?

Washington, in typical understatement concerning such Islamic outrages, called the bear jihad an "overreaction." But it seems Muslims always overreact to perceived slights, whether it's rioting over cartoons of Muhammed, beauty pageants or mishandled copies of the Quran.

Is violence integral to Islam? It's a valid question. When the pope raised it, Muslims proved him wrong by threatening to cut off his head. Message: Don't call us intolerant or we'll kill you.

If this sounds "Islamophobic," a favorite retort of the Muslim-rights group CAIR, straighten us out. We looked for a condemnation of the Sudanese troglodytes on its Web site and came up short.

We did, however, find "Action Alerts" calling on Muslims to boycott radio host Michael Savage for intolerance. Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliani and the Washington Times were also singled out for attack.

Meanwhile, CAIR is hosting a panel discussion at the National Press Club on "Islamophobia and the Political Cartoon." Apparently CAIR, like other Muslim groups, condones violent reactions to free speech.

CAIR encourages Muslims in America to improve the coverage of Islam in the media. It says they should break the stereotype of Muslims as terrorists, and that of Islam as "archaic, barbaric, irrational" and a "religion of violence."

Well, what are you waiting for? Condemn the Islamic court's punishment of an innocent teacher. Certainly CAIR doesn't agree that naming a toy animal after the Muslim prophet is a crime just because it could be considered by the most extremist hard-liner to be an insult. Or does it?

The vast majority of Americans would change their negative view of Islam if Muslims would strongly condemn such extremism. But for some reason, they won't do it.

Until they do, they can't complain about Islamophobia.