Why aren't Muslims speaking out? Options

[radhikaeatsraman]

I was having a discussion with my uncle and my father about the current situation with terrorism and the Middle East. During the discussion, I kept emphasizing that the majority of Muslims are good people and probably don't support terrorists and their actions. But then they said that they're all keeping quiet, and that by doing that, they're indirectly supporting it. By ignoring it, it's going to continue.

Then, they went on to say that in order for the terrorists to commit these acts, they need money for weapons and other equipment. Who provides it? Right after 9/11, millions of Muslims across the US were caught having connections to al-Qaeda, and many of them are in prison for it.

So why aren't "good Muslims" speaking out? Is it because of fear, or are they quietly supporting it?

[ComradeRed]

It's a collective action problem. The cost to you of doing something far exceeds the benefit to society of doing it (in fact, society might hate you for it... don't we think people like Michael Moore are annoying?)

Most people have political ideas--but they want to see them implemented in the sense that they want a Lexus--it would be nice, but not worth the cost of doing it.