Where are the Voices?

Thomas Friedman, one of my favorite commentators on the Middle East, wrote a very perceptive article in yesterday's New York Times. It began this way: "It's hard to know what's more disturbing: the barbaric sectarian murders by Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq, or the deafening silence with which these mass murders are received in the Muslim world. How could it be that Danish cartoons of Muhammad led to mass violent protests, while unspeakable violence by Muslims against Muslims in Iraq every day evokes about as much reaction in the Arab-Muslim world as the weather report? ... Where is the "Million Muslim March" under the banner: 'No Shiites, No Sunnis: we are all children of the Prophet Muhammad.'"

How, indeed? Where, indeed?

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is very vocal and very active in protesting any perceived bias against Muslims in this country. But a thorough read of its website (www.cair-net.org) reveals exhaustive reporting on alleged offenses against Muslims in America, yet not a single condemnation of Muslim on Muslim violence. There is a section of the website titled "National and Worldwide Muslim Condemnation of Terrorism" which provides nice words to convince Americans of the loyalty and essential peacefulness of Muslims, yet reveals no concerted effort to counter the worst excesses of the Muslim world in the Muslim world.

Mr Friedman goes on to ask, "If Arab Muslims can summon the will to protest only against the insults of 'the foreigner' but never the injuries inflicted on their own by their own, how can they ever generate a modern society or democracy - which is all about respecting and protecting minority voices and unorthodox views?"

I will begin to take Muslim complaints about insults to their religion seriously when the Muslims themselves show that they are ready to accept legitimate criticism, and to get their own house in order.

Until that time, every yawning repetition of the words "in the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate" which begin Muslim prayers is nothing more than an exercise in rank hypocrisy.

But you won't learn that from CAIR, and that's too bad.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo