“The time is fast approaching – or here already – when we must conclude it is futile to keep urging Muslim leaders to make a stand against jihadism.” For years now, it has been the same story: Muslim commit jihad terror attacks, and Muslim leaders in the West issue vague, pro-forma condemnations, without lifting a finger to implement a single plan of action designed to stop jihad terror attacks from happening, or even to teach against this understanding of Islam that they ostensibly reject. And periodically, a non-Muslim leader or spokesman says, “It’s time for moderate Muslims to step up and stop this hijacking of their faith” — and then it’s way past time, and way past way past time, and still there is no Muslim movement against jihad terror, and still no one thinks anything is amiss.
“Muslim leaders once again see beheading, attack Abbott,” by Andrew Bolt, Herald Sun, September 3, 2014 (thanks to Peter):
August 20 – We learn of the beheading by jihadists of US journalist James Foley:
ISIS has tried to send a warning to the U.S. in about the most horrifying manner imaginable: by broadcasting the execution of an American citizen captured in Syria over 600 days ago.
August 20 – More than 60 of Australia’s Muslim leaders and groups rush out a statement condemning … Tony Abbott:
This statement articulates our position with respect to the counter-terrorism proposals announced by the Abbott Government earlier this month… We – the undersigned imams, activists, leaders, community organisations and student bodies of the Muslim community – denounce these proposals and the broader ‘war on terror’ regime within which they fit…These laws clearly target Muslims and they do so unjustly… The primary basis of these laws is a trumped up ‘threat’ from ‘radicalised’ Muslims returning from Iraq or Syria…
We also reject government attempts to divide the Muslim community into ‘radicals’ and ‘moderates’ and to use the community for its agenda… We are not fooled by those who speak against violence and terrorism but are its proponents at an institutional level through military and foreign policies. We are not fooled by those who speak of peace but maintain cordial ties with dictatorial regimes abroad and who support and justify the most heinous of violence inflicted on innocent people as seen recently in Gaza.
September 3 – We learn of the beheading by jihadists of US journalist Steven Sotloff:THE British executioner who killed US photographer James Foley is believed to have beheaded US journalist Steven Sotloff in a new video released by the Islamic State.
September 3 – The Australian National Imams Council rushes out a statement condemning … Tony Abbott:
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC), as stated previously, believes that one of the main causative factor for local radicalisation in the west has been the western governments’ military involvement in the Middle East. The support of unjust, dictatorial regimes as well as unilateral military aggression based on duplicitous foreign policy positions has only aggravated the state of global fear and violence.
If the Australian government is serious about reducing the terror threat locally, then it must review its foreign policy decisions with regard to this region. It is on this basis that His Eminence, Professor Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, Grand Mufti of Australia and ANIC, opposes the government’s current decision to transport and provide weapons to the Kurdish forces in Iraq.
The decision by the government, given the complexities present in Iraq, is confounded by the … likelihood of mission creep given the government has already foreshadowed the possibility of deploying SAS soldiers and fighter jets…
The Government will be imputed for further radicalization locally if it continues military intervention in the middle East.
The timing, once again, is shameful. The attacks on Abbott are ludicrous. Blaming the West for jihadist terrorism is deceitful. Criticising the West more than the terrorists is alarming. And the repeated warnings that we must change our policies in the Middle East or face more terrorism at home are deeply sinister.
The time is fast approaching – or here already – when we must conclude it is futile to keep urging Muslim leaders to make a stand against jihadism. The truth may well be that that Islam – or these leaders’ constituents – give them no freedom to condemn what threatens the rest of us.