There should indeed be no demonization of Muslims in Scotland, and the actions of one individual should indeed not reflect upon an entire community. The statements by Salmond and Stewart, however, reflect the success of the years-long campaign by Muslim groups in the West to portray themselves as victims of counter-terror efforts. The demand that the actions of one individual not reflect upon the entire community is all too often used to deflect unwelcome questions about just how much of what this young man believes is indeed taught in the community, and about what the community is doing to combat this understanding of Islam that it ostensibly rejects. What’s more, honest inquiry into how Islamic jihadists use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify their actions and make recruits among peaceful Muslims is often excoriated as “demonization of Muslims.”
During World War II, Germans and Japanese in the U.S. were anxious to prove their loyalty, and formed divisions that fought in the military. In Muslim communities today, by contrast, we see indignation at efforts to find and prosecute jihadis, claims that Muslims are being unfairly victimized, and so on. And this has gone on for so long that now to mouth such statements as Salmond and Stewart make here is the default mode for Western politicians whenever their is a jihad attack or, as here, the discovery of a jihadist from a Western country.
“FM: Zero tolerance to demonisation of Scots Muslims,” by Scott McNab, The Scotsman, June 27, 2014 (thanks to Halal Pork Shop):
SCOTLAND’S authorities will take a “zero tolerance” approach to attempts to demonise Muslims after an Aberdeen man appeared in a terrorist recruitment video, Alex Salmond said today.
The First Minister told MSPs that police are “actively monitoring” the threat of radicalisation in Scotland after the video, There Is No Life Without Jihad, emerged on Friday. It was posted by accounts linked to Isis and featured Abdul Rakib Amin, 25, who was raised in the Granite City.
North East MSP Kevin Stewart said the video “shocked” the city’s Muslim community during First Minister Questions today and said the actions of one individual should “not reflect an entire community”
Mr Salmond said: “I wholeheartedly agree with that as I believe the whole chamber agrees with that.
“The purpose of extremism is to seek to divide communities. Radicalisation is something that we have been and continue to be vigilant about.
“The purpose of extremism is to seek to divide communities.” No. The purpose of “extremism,” when that word is used to refer to Islamic jihad, is to establish the Islamic state and impose Islamic law.
“Police Scotland have been very active in monitoring that, but also active of course in engaging with and building strong relationships with the Muslim community.
“However the actions of any individual should not and must not be seen as reflecting in any way mainstream opinion in any community of Scotland.
“We know from experience how well this country can react to such challenges, as the integrated community response to the Glasgow airport attack in 2007 showed Scotland at its very best.
“All fair-minded people in Aberdeen and across the country will support our zero tolerance approach to any attempt to demonise the Muslim community or indeed any other minority group.”