By now you’ve seen news reports that Spanish Muslims have …FINALLY… issued a “Fatwa” against Osama Bin Laden.
I can imagine that conversation. I’ll use SMC and AM for “Spanish Muslim Cleric” and “American Muslim…”
SMC: “I think we should issue a Fatwa against Osama.”
AM: “Gee, do you eFFing THINK SO?! The whole rest of the world thinks our whole religion feeds terrorism and our denials mean NOTHING because we can’t being ourselves to condemn that bastard or deny his followers safe harbor!!!”
SMC: “You seem very agitated, my friend.”
AM: “You’re damn right I’m agitated! I’m getting tired of getting frisked every time I go to the five ‘n dime!”
Why do lots of Muslims think Christianity is a violent, imperialist religion? It could be all the Crusade talk and the cruise missiles and bombs and stuff. And why do so many Christians think Islam is a terrorist religion? It could be because they haven’t tied up every last bomb-tossing terrorist and handed them over on a platter.
“Image problems” (otherwise known as stereotypes) sometimes have a basis in truth. If Muslim clerics around the world would follow the Spanish clerics’ example, it would do more to stop terrorism than anything GWB and company can do. Is there anyone who does not understand this?
BTW there are apparently some clerics in Iraq who seems to have gotten this message, and elsewhere there may be others. Let’s hope this example inspires them to do the same.