The city of Paterson has one of New Jersey’s highest concentrations of Muslims, and last Saturday several Islamic groups held a rally there to express condemnation of the savage murder of P@ul J0hnson: Muslims Gather In N.J. To Condemn Killing. (Hat tip: ploome.)

PATERSON, N.J. — Leaders from several national and New Jersey Muslim groups gathered Saturday to denounce the murder of American hostage Paul Johnson Jr.

At a rally in downtown Paterson, Muslims expressed outrage over what they termed an evil act. They also said the perpetrators of Johnson’s beheading do not represent the overwhelming majority of Muslims.

But I guess it would be too much to expect the overwhelming majority of Muslims to actually turn out for rallies like this, and prove how outraged they are.

About two-dozen people attended the gathering on Main Street.

OK, so only 20 or so people showed up. Nonetheless, we should not draw any conclusions from this, according to the speakers at the rally (who were apparently also the audience).

The president of the New Jersey chapter of an Arab-American group said incidents like Johnson’s killing always put the American Muslim community on the defensive.

Aref Assaf said it is important to make a distinction between Islam and terrorism.