Don’t Ignore the Quiet Majority of Muslims

[PsychoDad]

Salam Al-Marayati is executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (www.mpac.org ), a Washington, D.C.-based national public policy organization. He can be reached at [e-mail] .

Don’t Ignore the Quiet Majority of Muslims
http://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=15425

Don’t Ignore the Quiet Majority of Muslims
by Salam Al-Marayati

Most Muslims — and especially American Muslims — cannot fairly be accused of hypersensitivity when it comes to the Danish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad. That’s because most Muslims have not overreacted, despite the stereotypic images served up by the media. In fact, most Muslims have hardly reacted at all — even those who are profoundly offended by the images.

To put this in perspective, consider for a moment the frieze of Muhammad installed inside the picturesque building that houses the U.S. Supreme Court. Muhammad is pictured there to pay homage to his role as a significant lawmaker in world history. His statue stands next to that of Moses.
...

The Quran documents the verbal assaults against Muhammad, as well as those against Jesus and Moses, and embraces their decision to turn away from the insults, the same action that the vast majority of Muslims have done today. The Quran further demands that its adherents follow the free exercise of religion clause in Islam: “Let there be no compulsion in matters of faith” (2:256).

Free thinking is a cornerstone of Islamic law, and securing freedom of faith and expression are paramount goals in classical Islamic law. What some Muslims do, however, can and does contradict Islamic principles.
...

We, Muslim Americans in particular and Muslims of the West in general are in the midst of two struggles, one for the soul of Islam and one for the soul of the West.

For the soul of Islam, we battle Muslim extremists on our cultural front lines — the mosque and Muslim community gatherings, through books and other publications. For the soul of the West, we battle racism and bigotry, whether it’s blatant or disguised as freedom of expression or even democracy. We work for mutual acceptance and building mutual trust as a means of countering mutual fear and prejudice.

[Behind the Aegis]

1. Great article!

I think that this is in a Jewish Newspaper speaks even more loudly. People of faith are in a struggle, as the author says, with extremists. Our religion is mocked by those who claim to be its "best" adherents, but are, in fact, the worst ambassadors.

I also like that he speaks to the struggle that Muslims face in the West, especially in the States. This is a very interesting article.

[Swamp Rat]

2. kick and recommended

:)

[tocqueville]

3. what he doesn't say is that the vast majority of western Muslims

didn't react because they literally don't give a damn.

Most of European muslims, specially those of second an third generation have the same relation to religion than the vast majority of "Catholics" : it's a cultural rite, nothing more. You can add to that that secularism is widely spread amongst Turks, Algerians, Tunisians, Syrians, Iraquis and Iranians. Maybe not always expressed (except Algeria/Tunisia and Turkey) to avoid problems with some neighbours but not with the authorities...

Americans have a tendency to believe that other peoples are religious because they are, but in reality they are pretty alone to have 55% of a population that believes that the Bible is a factual book. American Muslims may be religious (I don't count the black muslims where it is mostly a posture) but they are far from being representative.

There are maybe 15 millions "Muslims" in Europe (defined having a cultural Muslim background). I guess that 95% of them have other problems than dealing with the picture of Mohammed. And the guys I talked to here saw it more as an expression of racism than a blasphem.

So the "quiet majority of the Muslims" should be changed to the "quiet majority of the religious Muslims" to be really fair...

[NoGOP]

4. Some people

that want to turn the Middle East into a glass factory or whatever seem to forget that a lot of the Iraq army and police force that are currently working side by side with our troops aren't Southern Baptists. Yet they prattle on and on that Muslims need to be destroyed to make the world safe. Idiots.

[PsychoDad]

6. Hello and Welcome!

:hi:

A warm welcome to DU, NoGOP.

Peace

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

5. Thank you for posting

The media focus on extremists reinforces the perception of Muslims as irrational and out of touch: "other worldly" people who cannot be reasoned with, on whom diplomacy is wasted. It reminds me strongly of anti-Japanese propaganda from WWII. This piece paints a better picture of the Muslims I know, the ones who live in my neighborhood and throughout my city, who want to raise their families and enjoy their lives like typical Americans: "you don't bother me, I don't bother you."

[IndyOp]

7. Thanks DP - I visited the DU Islam Forum from the link in your sig line...

I encourage you to post statements from any/all Imam's and representatives of your faith that express their beliefs about terrorist activities. I am always saddened and angered when I hear someone say that Moslem's have not spoken out against terrorism.

Salaam - :hi:

[Speck Tater]

8. The problem is no9t that we ignore the quiet majority...

The problem is that the queit majority ignores the way the radical few are damaging their good name. The quiet majority needs to stand up and be counted, and let it be known to the world that they don't appreciate being associated with terrorists. Because if they don't speak up then that leaves non-Muslims with the perception that the average Muslim doesn't have a probelm with being associated with terrorists. Is the average Muslim sympathatetic to terrorists? The honest answer is, I don't know! And why don't I know? Because the average Msulim is NOT speaking out against terrorism. Where is the outrage? Where do we hear them distancing themselves from the radicals? Because if we don't hear it from them we won't hear it from anyone.

[ldf]

9. that is exactly it

the "muslims" need to clean up their own religion. if anyone else says anything, it will be dismissed as racism.

the "christians" need to clean up their own religion. if anyone else says anything, it will be dismissed as religious persecution. (why one is racism and one is religious persecution says a lot...)

the "republicans" need to clean up their own party. if anyone else says anything, we are aiding and abetting the enemy AND participating in religious persecution.

i'm doing what i can to help clean up the democratic party.

we all have our work cut out for us.

let's hope that V for Vendetta wakes a few more people up. it could actually be the catalyst that is needed.