There is no doubt that the vast majority of Muslims do not wage active jihad and Salman Rushdie certainly understands this fact. But, is he capable of convincing this majority to address Islamic texts that support violent jihad? It is not likely and the continued passive stance held by Muslims concerning jihad terror will continue to remain a silent defense for the jihadists. From the Gulf Daily News:
LONDON: Novelist Salman Rushdie has urged the “silent majority” of Muslims to speak up to prevent their culture being hijacked by extremists.
“If it goes on being silent, then its culture and religion will be hijacked by the extremists and it will be very difficult to go on saying ‘that’s not us.’ … You’ve got to speak up,”‘ Rushdie said in an interview with the BBC World Service.
Rushdie said he believed the majority would speak out.
“Maybe it takes something as horrifying as the bombings in London to make people break ranks,” Rushdie said, referring to the July 7 attacks in which four suicide bombers killed 52 subway and bus passengers in London.
“But I think there’s a lot of evidence that there’s a great deal of soul-searching and rethinking going on,” he said.
“There’s something seductive – especially for young men – to get involved in a world where you can just be angry for a living and your anger is its own justification.”