re: #377 Killgore Trout

I’m still very critical of the Islamic community’s role in fostering terrorism. Glorification of Palestinian terrorism is a big problem. This guy was probably not a fundamentalist observant Muslim and was probably not motivated by his local Imam. If I had to guess he was more of a “Four Lions” type who saw the Mujahadeen as an antidote to his own feelings of inadequacy.

It’s a much clearer line if you refer to the Catholic community’s role in fostering child abuse than to refer to the Islamic community’s role in fostering terrorism, because there is a very (very) clear Catholic hierarchy, whereas the “Islamic community” is more fractured, and I think it is safe to say, very fractured. There are different sects, and as far as I know, no clear hierarchy in any of them.

That said, I wouldn’t say the Catholic community is responsible for fostering child abuse, I would say the clergy and the hierarchy are. I wouldn’t say the Islamic community is responsible for fostering terrorism, but certain imams and mosques are. Because it’s not one organization, it’s more difficult to draw lines of responsibility to stop it.

If you look at fundamentalist Christian violence, I think it’s similar to fundamentalist Islamic violence in that certain preachers and churches are culpable, but not the “Christian community”.

I think all of us have a little responsibility to push back against fundamentalism and violence of all stripes. It’s not always clear where and how to push, though.