At a UN conference on “Islamophobia,” Kofi Annan actually said something that wasn’t completely foolish: Annan Opens Islamophobia Summit.

Annan urged people to condemn terrorist and violent acts carried out in the name of Islam but which “no cause can justify.”

“Muslims themselves, especially, should speak out, as so many did following the September 11 attacks on the United States, and show a commitment to isolate those who preach or practice violence, and to make it clear that these are unacceptable distortions of Islam,” he said.

Of course, there’d be no need for Annan to call on Muslims to speak out and act against the violence if they already were doing so in significant numbers. And calling for Muslims to speak out is not the same thing as Muslims actually speaking out.

A professor from George Washington University proceeded to spout the usual victimhood line, with a twist:

Seyyed Hussein Nasr, professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, said Islamophobia was a question not only of fear but also of hatred — often by people who know little about the religion.

In the keynote address, Nasr spoke of the role of fanaticism in conflicts and said there would there would be no Islamophobia without “mistakes” made by Muslims.

“Mistakes?” Like that little mistake of driving airplanes into the World Trade Center?