I strongly disagree, and here's why:
I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
For decades, radicals have been exploiting the tensions between Islamic theology and the modern secular state - typically by starting debate with the question: "Are you British or Muslim?"
But the main reason why radicals have managed to increase their following is because most Muslim institutions in Britain just don't want to talk about theology.
They refuse to broach the difficult and often complex truth that Islam can be interpreted as condoning violence against the unbeliever - and instead repeat the mantra that Islam is peace and hope that all of this debate will go away.
This has left the territory open for radicals to claim as their own. I should know because, as a former extremist recruiter, I repeatedly came across those who had tried to raise these issues with mosque authorities only to be banned from their grounds.
Every time this happened it felt like a moral and religious victory for us because it served as a recruiting sergeant for extremism.
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When the likes of Bush and Chertoff start spouting their blather about Islam, it enables the unwillingness of "moderate" Muslims to confront the legacy of violence contained within the Koran. Islam as currently structured is incompatible with the values of this country. Muslims who wish to stay here must confront that legacy and work to first acknowledge it and then work to both change it and condemn those who wish to adhere to concepts of violence against nonbelievers.
You are very much correct G Larry
Good bad or indifferent.
“If there’s another terrorist attack, the vigilantism will be rampant.”
Count on it.
Remember back in 2001, when the U.S. destroyed a building occupied by over 3000 Muslims Remember those Americans, how they were dancing in the streets?
Wait; I got that one wrong! It was a building in the U.S. occupied by 3000 innocent people. Who was dancing in the street again? Oh! That's Right! Muslims; Men, Women, Children. Even some within the U.S.
Now; about vigilantism...
Bingo. Maddening, but true. And it doesn’t make it any more palatable when you know there are Jihadist mullahs ranting and raving in US mosques. They’re here for one reason only, and it’s not assimilation.