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Jewish World Review Oct. 22, 2002 / 16 Mar-Cheshvan, 5763

Laura Ingraham

Laura Ingraham
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Where are the moderate Muslims?


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | For much of the last century, white Southerners were routinely (and rightly) taken to task for not speaking out against the violent actions of racists. For a time at least, the Klan seemed to be able to lynch and beat black men with impunity.


White Southern silence meant tacit approval to many. The South eventually left its racist past behind, but only when its politicians and community leaders spoke out aggressively against the hateful acts of white supremacists. Silence was no longer an option for the majority, for it became clear that the longer violence against blacks continued, the more likely it was that the rest of the country would think all white Southerners were KKK supporters.


Muslims worldwide face the same problem. In the last few weeks, Muslim terrorists killed nearly 200 in Bali, tried to kill more in Kuwait. But where were all the statements of condemnation from the Muslim "moderate" leadership? I heard not one. This, despite President Bush's oft-repeated reminder to the world that this is not a war against Islam and his visit to an Islamic Center just days after September 11th.



In the aftermath of the attacks on America, Muslims in the U.S. complained that they were being unfairly tarred by the acts of a few extremists. "Islam is a religion of peace," President Bush himself said the week after the attacks on America. Yet just as white Southerners couldn't shake their racist past so long as the Klan was still kicking, Muslims will find it difficult to shake its link to terrorism if al Qaeda continues to strike and Muslim leaders continue to say or do little.


More people are beginning to ask why the burden should be on America to prove to the world that we are a tolerant nation. The more appropriate formulation: after September 11th, the burden is on Muslims worldwide to demonstrate their intolerance for the terrorists.

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JWR contributor Laura Ingraham is the host of a radio show syndicated nationally by Westwood One Radio Network. Comment by clicking here.

10/15/02: California dreaming, cont'd
10/08/02: Slick Willie's running
10/01/02: Euro-worries about wall flower status
09/26/02: How lucky we are that the Straight Talk Express drove off the cliff!
09/18/02: What Jackson and Sharpton know about conservatives
09/12/02: The Today Show v. guns
08/27/02: Bush not attending the UN-sponsored "bash Amerika" conference!?
08/20/02: The NEA: Let the anti-American indoctrination begin!
08/13/02: Bubba's revenge
08/07/02: Bilingual bust continues its drag on our schools
07/30/02: Dems love for big lawyers=big opportunity
07/23/02: No time for vacation
07/16/02: Is Homeland Security all wet?
06/25/02: The firing season has arrived
06/18/02: Picking the next chief
06/11/02: Intelligence coup, with much more to do
06/07/02: The Bush administration's foul ball
05/30/02: Post-feminism in the aftermath of 9-11
05/23/02: The press gunning for Ashcroft
05/19/02: El Jefe basks in Carter's Light
05/15/02: Former presidents who don't understand the word "former"
05/07/02: Ozzy deified, many mortified, drugs glorified?
05/01/02: Bush: "California here I come ... sort of"
04/27/02: The good news about conservatives versus Bush
04/17/02: While the cat's away....
04/09/02: Preview of 2004: See how Dick runs!
01/29/02: A kinder, gentler human-rights violator?
11/27/01: Military tribunals provide streamlined justice
09/07/01: Scariest animal wears pants
08/17/01: Depressed after seeing uncut version of Apocalypse Now --- and for good reason
07/20/01: The other, maybe more important, news
06/22/01: Washington's pro-Bono worship is unnerving
06/01/01: Burying conservatism
05/17/01: Ashcroft's abuse of power

© 2002, Laura Ingraham