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?

[innovation]

Just a few points.

(a) "Islama" means submission; "salam" means peace. They come from the same root, but essentially, at the very core of Islam is complete submission to God's will. Peace, however, is emphasized throughout the Qur'an.

(b) Regarding the term "Islamic fundamentalism"- I've spoken to Muslims who object to the association between terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism. The purpose of Islam, they say, is to follow the beliefs set forth in the Qur'an. Essentially, every true Muslim is "fundamental"--as in, they don't pick and choose what beliefs and rituals they follow for their own convenience.

© A lot of Muslims aren't actively combating the terrorist movement simply because they're not activists. I would say that about 20% of the population makes a deliberate effort, other than voting, to influence political decisions. It's the same with the Muslim population-- some are activists; most are not. It's not that Muslims "keep to themselves" any more than the rest of the population.

(d) The activeness of the Muslim population also depends on your geographic location. For example, I live in the DC area, so there are a lot of interfaith councils (even within my own high school) in which Muslims speak out against terrorism and emphasize the importance of peace. Once again, there are more activists in this area, and thus, there are more Muslims who are active in combating terrorism.

(e) Fear could also be an issue.. There was a Middle Eastern woman from California who criticized Islamic policies in an interview. She has received multiple death threats from officials and clerics in Islamic nations.

Personally, I don't think that Muslims are any less active than the rest of the population. I'm not exactly an expert on Islam, and I can't read Arabic, so unfortunately, I can't obtain a true understanding of the Qur'an in context... I realize that some Qur'anic suras contain controversial material, but that's something I need to investigate further before making a definite conclusion about the true nature of Islam.