Friday, September 29, 2006

Who is the Moderate Muslim?

Muslim leaders in Bradford have responded to John Reid's call for the government to support moderate Muslims to root out extremism. Compare their responses in a local newspaper and see which one you think is moderate.

1) President of the Pakistan Society of West Yorkshire Rashid Awan: "The Government is committed to rooting out extremism by really identifying the problem"

2) Dr Bary Malik, chairman of Ahmadiya Muslim Association: told the paper that people could not keep blaming Muslims for world terrorism and extremism.

3) Ishtiaq Ahmed, spokesman for Bradford Council of Mosques: "Extremism is a problem that cuts across the country and Mr Reid cannot keep suggesting that it is a Muslim issue."

For those who are having trouble figuring it out allow me to give you a clue. Terrorism carried out in the name of Islam or Allah is done so because of an ideology spreading through the world. That ideology is based on the necessity to impose Islamic Law over all the inhabitants of the world through whatever means necessary. That ideology is not spreading through Christian communities, nor through Jewish ones, nor through Hindu, Buddhist or any other community save the Muslim community.

Any Muslim who refuses to recognise that it is the Muslim community that is best placed, and therefore most responsible, to confront that ideology is not a moderate.