Thomas L. Friedman: It's time for Muslims to say 'Stop!'

NY Times, via Tallashassee Democrat ^ | Sat, Jul. 09, 2005 | Thomas Friedman

[John Filson]

Thursday's bombings in downtown London are profoundly disturbing. In part, that is because a bombing in our mother country and closest ally, England, is almost like a bombing in our own country. In part, it's because one assault may have involved a suicide bomber, bringing this terrible jihadist weapon into the heart of a major Western capital.

[John Filson]

A little late for this, I'd say. Maybe this message should have been delivered by such a "credible" advisor just after the Cole bombings or the Khobar Towers bombing. Certainly after 9/11 it would have been prudent advice. It's time to stop urging them to do what we're reluctant to do -- and get down to the ugly business Friedman hints is (and should have been) coming.

[John Filson]

Headline missing a 'T' for Thomas.

[aynrandfreak]

Isn't Friedman still busy with Crown Prince Abdullah working on how to slice Israel up?

[null and void]

He's assuming the extremists aren't the mainstream.

[Drew68]

bump

[John Filson]

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/benshapiro/printbs20030514.shtml

[TADSLOS]

The double-decker buses of London and the subways of Paris, as well as the covered markets of Riyadh, Bali and Cairo, will never be secure as long as the Muslim village and elders do not take on, delegitimize, condemn and isolate the extremists in their midst.

Isolating extremist muslims from the muslim masses would be akin to seperating vanilla from the extract.

[cripplecreek]

They need to do more than talk.

[John Filson]

In a recent book, Flat Earth, Friedman realizes that the Internet has accelerated globalism. He often seems to be late to the party.

[rang1995]

more blather from the resident Arabist(i know he is jewish,self hating i guess)but anti american

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[bjc]

The sad thing is that Friedman could not have jointly authored this article with leading Islamic Journalists. The silence from the Islamic Leaders is deafening. The equivalent of "excommunication" should be visited on all those who advocate terrorism, support suicide bombers in words or actions, fail to point out known terrorist in their midst. Islamic leadership (and the leadership of any religious or secular community) must concretely denounce these purveyors of violence. To do nothing is to be a party to the violence.

[jern]

good read

[COBOL2Java]

...either the Muslim world begins to really restrain, inhibit and denounce its own extremists...

I'll take "Snowball's chances in Hell" for $500, Alex.

[John Filson]

My point is that we've waited long enough. It's time for us to do what they won't do: deport those who live here, and destroy their ability to hurt us from afar by tearing their civilization out by the roots.

[pollyannaish]

It's about time. But, I think day late, dollar short.

It's going to take more of these kinds of things happening before some people really understand what we are facing. That is a tragedy. It is only by the grace of God we haven't faced this type of attack in the US yet.

[Modok]

Silence is consent.

[John Filson]

If we wait, the deaths of our children will be our responsibility. When one discovers a nest of snakes living near one's home, who's to blame if he doesn't clean it out before taking care of any other business? We know the snakes are living here. It's time to root them out.

[ncountylee]

To this day - to this day - no major Muslim cleric or religious body has ever issued a fatwa condemning Osama bin Laden.

Islam is a terrorist organization!

[livius]

To this day - to this day - no major Muslim cleric or religious body has ever issued a fatwa condemning Osama bin Laden.

Hmmm, I wonder why...

It's a good article, and I agree that it would be very nice if the supposedly peaceful part of the Muslim world would be forceful in denouncing these things and putting a stop to this crazed behavior. But realistically speaking, we have to admit that violence is part of the true nature of Islam and always has been, and that it is "moderate" Islam that is actually heretical.

It would be nice if we could spread that "heresy," which is essentially what we are attempting to do in Iraq by trying to build a secular state that still has Islamic bells and whistles to keep everybody happy. I think it's a good try and I hope it works, but there is something in Islam that seems to prevent this approach from taking root. Even states that are officially Islamic but are not theocracies or in any way run by clerics, such as Egypt and Turkey, have to operate as police states to keep the more radical element (which is, we must remember, actually the orthodox element) at bay.

It's an insane death cult and I think is well beyond the reach of sweet reason.