Are Muslim Leaders Derelict?
Charles Johnson
Thu Nov 17, 2005 at 5:58 am PST • Views: 206
Here’s a rarity (unfortunately)—a mainstream media op-ed that doesn’t mince words about the agenda of Islamic advocacy groups: Are Muslim leaders derelict in not denouncing acts of terrorism? Yes. (Hat tip: Sarah D.)
When a suicide bomber from the Islamic Jihad killed five Israelis and wounded dozens more in the coastal town of Hadera earlier this fall, the silence from America’s Muslim leaders was deafening.
There was no statement of denunciation or even regret from the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the most influential Muslim-American organization; nor was there one from the American Muslim Council, the Muslim Public Affairs Council or the Islamic Society of North America.
Unfortunately, this silence was not surprising. When it comes to terrorism — that is, the indiscriminate murder of innocent men, women and children to advance a political agenda — time and again the most influential of America’s Muslim groups and leaders have been quiet.
The roots of the problem are twofold: First, some Muslim-American leaders simply do not oppose terrorism. They have proclaimed support for some of the world’s most lethal terrorist organizations and they have cavorted with prominent advocates of terrorism.Second, and worse, some of those leaders have been linked to, charged with, or convicted of illegal activities related to terrorism.
Frank says: