All week, Polimom’s blog has been host to people googling in, searching for variations on “pig races” and “katy mosque” (they land here). There’s also been some traffic from Ruth Nasrullah’s blog, “The Straight Path“, where she also posted about the locally embarrasing confrontation on Baker Rd.
Unlike me, though, Ruth has been on the receiving end of a fair amount of hostility, some of which stems from questions about Islam, and why Muslims aren’t speaking out against terrorism. She’s answered them with tact and patience, but the questions persist, which has led her to ask this:
What can we Muslims do to assure you on a consistent basis that we condemn terror and do not support it and that we don’t see Islam as intolerant and inherently violent?
What can we do to demonstrate that we Muslims in the US – our lives, our beliefs – have basically nothing to do with the governments of places like Syria or Iran? And that we can do virtually nothing to stop violence against innocents in those countries or the tyranny of leaders in those regions? And that those governments and leaders aren’t representative of who we are?
I feel like I’m doing the best I can with this blog, and with other activities I’m involved with, and I’ve invited my fellow Muslims to comment here as well. I mentioned to you the many Islamic organizations that condemn terrorism, and that do so on a consistent basis. What more can I do? What can the Muslims of Houston do to make you feel more comfortable about us, our beliefs and our intentions?
I ask that you both – and others who are concerned with this same issue, the perception of moderate Muslims as silent on terror – to let me know specifically what I and my Muslims friends can do to make you feel more comfortable. I’m very serious about this because it’s an important issue, and I see it all over the internet, and I’d like to do my part to show the truth.
Her comment, buried though it is at the end of a long, winding thread about those idiotic pig races, is an important one. Unfortunately, I don’t know that there’s anything she (and other moderate Muslims) can do or say, and that’s a disturbing thought.
Generally, ignorance can be overcome through information and dialogue, but is that enough in this current hostile climate?
* * * * *
Update: Ruth Nasrullah has a new post up, specifically asking her fellow Muslims to publicly condemn terrorism / terrorists. You’ll find it here.
There’s also a new post at The Moderate Voice related to the latest from Ruth, that will no doubt generate further dialogue.
Update 2: (from Fox news, link)
Though he now concedes the Muslims are probably not after his land, Baker said he is obligated to go through with the pig races, probably within the next few weeks, because “I would be like a total idiot if I didn’t. I’d be the laughingstock now because I’ve gone too far.”
Would be?