There are actually a lot of Muslims out there, and in the US, who desperately crave a “non-violent, modernist” form of Islam, that is distinct from the radical forms that predominate today.
And, quietly there is an effort to reform the teachings of the Koran, deemphasizing the primative, barbaric parts and emphasizing the more social and benevolent parts.
In all fairness, Christianity went through several aggressive and pacifistic changes as well. In the first couple of hundred years, it was quite pacifistic, not just doctrinally, but out of necessity. Aggression would have been self defeating.
After the Roman Emperor Constantine converted in A.D. 312 and began to conquer “in Christ’s name,” Christianity became entangled with the state, and warfare and violence were increasingly justified by influential Christians.
The violent Christian justifications continued for many years, both against Muslims and against each other, such as in the 100 Years’ War.
Finally in the early 19th Century, Christian pacifism reemerged, just when the Napoleonic wars were devastating Europe, and people began seriously questioning the use of Christianity to justify the slaughter of Christians and anyone else for that matter.
To a great extent today, pacifism has come to dominate much of Christianity, not just in its pure form, but in supporting the use of force to stop even greater violence. It was part and parcel to abolishing slavery in most of the world, reversing colonialist exploitation, and replacing the rule of kings and nobility with democracy and republicanism.
Yet this was 200 years of social evolution that Islam did not experience. And many of them are realizing that they must evolve, but do not have the 200 years of grace in which to do so.
Many Muslims are cowed by the most radical, violent and ruthless of their number, so it is very hard to make these changes when they are near these oppressors, and when their numbers are so small.
Some parts of the West offer them sanctuary, however, that they have run to, to escape the oppression their fear in their native lands. The *last* thing they want to do is aggravate their hosts. Which means that events like this put them on the horns of a dilemma.
Everywhere the more peaceable Muslims go, the more radical ones follow, which is why many of them are terrified of the prospect of being under Sharia law again.
Here is where you defeat your long winded apology for Islam. "...when their numbers [peaceful Muslims] are so small"
You are absolutely filled with posionous crap. There are no non-violent muslims. None. Never existed and never will. You have either swallowed, or, are promoting sharia by jihad. The Koran does NOT teach peace. PERIOD. The so-called “peaceful ones”, are the meek battering ram. Keep lying about it. I dare you.