Moderate Muslims’ – state of denial

Moderates do not engage in Jihad but they also do not convincingly repudiate those that do.

I came across this cartoon and felt that this captured the essence of the conversation so far.

To avoid ambiguity, let me clarify that “Moderate Muslim” refers to people of Islamic faith who do not relate to the Jihadi sentiment and yet do precious little to denounce, deride and otherwise de-legitimize it.

In fact groups that purport to speak in the name of “enlightened and moderate Islam” often engage in verbal acrobatics to dress up Islam and attempt to stifle any examination of the Jihadi impulse. Nitwit Nastik had posted this excellent YouTube video in the comments section earlier. I’m re-posting it here. If you did not get a chance to check it out earlier, take a look at it now.

Does robust critique alienate moderate muslims ?

But it's OK to bash jews, christians, hindus and other infidels

One of the pearls of received wisdom is that Muslim moderates should not be alienated in the process of confronting Islamic belligerence. I received a comment on an earlier article from Garreth where he has expressed this sentiment. I am including a quick excerpt below and you can see his full comments here and here .

“Will this (robust criticism of Islam) alienate the moderates and push more of them towards fundamentalism in the long run? Secondly, what exactly does forceful anti-jihadi discourse achieve?”

Garreth is certainly not an apologist for Islam but he questions whether it would be wiser to have a gentler approach toward moderates while continuing relentless attack on extremists. Firstly, I’d like to thank Garreth for this thought-provoking comment and then explore his question in this post.

Muslim moderates are culpable (if not complicit)

Do you recall that fateful day on Sep 11 2001 when 19 men proclaimed the greatness of Allah and acted on the dictates of their faith?  Do you recall the loud denouncements from Islamic institutions that soundly rebuked these hotheads? Do you remember how mosques from Quetta to Cairo repudiated Osama Bin  Laden and issued fatwas against  Mullah Omar?  Do you marvel at the fact that 99% of all muslims – who are call themselves “moderates” – swiftly showed their  solidarity and made the remaining 1% (“extremists”) outcastes and pariahs?

Me neither!