As for moderate Muslims, those who pick and choose what to believe of the Koran, they're undoubtedly terrified of speaking out lest wild-eyed relatives and neighbors hack their heads off. So they cower and say nothing and after a while realize that evil pays. (There's an old saying about the triumph of evil when people of good will remain silent.)
If fundamentalist muslims can, by threat of violence, silence the press all over the world (with a few brave exceptions), they can certainly cower the poor moderates muslims in their crowd.
As you say, who better to know the seriousness of the violent threats than a moderate cousin or neighbor of a fanatic.