Peaceful Muslims and other figments of my imagination

Many Americans think being macho and beating their chest a lot is a substitute for using their brain. One thing some of these lunatics say ad nauseum is something to the effect: how come Muslims in the West NEVER criticize al-Qaeda and terrorism. Of course, that’s like expecting every Christian to answer personally whenever an abortion doctor is assassinated. But I digress.

I've noted how Muslims in the West DO criticize al-Qaeda and terrorism, just that it's usually not reported with the same hype as the latest bin Laden tape or celebrity trial. I see moderate Muslims quietly interviewed on television or radio all the time talking about how what al-Qaeda does is in direct violation of their interpretation of Islam. To say nothing of my Muslim friends in Africa, who wrote me of their horror, indignation and sadness upon learning of 9/11.

Then again, maybe they could be dismissed as 'cafeteria Muslims' by their more extreme co-religioners.

But the Crusaders insist that this is all a figment of my imagination. Or that they’re the exception that proves the rule about all Muslims being bloodthirsty savages.

Take Fox News [sic] Channel’s John Gibson. He pointed out that one of the risks of democracy in the Middle East is that the Ey-rabbs might elect someone even less friendly to the United States than the folks in power now.

And if that happens, he says, [a]t least we'd know; at least we'd know we tried. And if we have to bomb a democracy back to the Stone Age because it was sticking with its roots and sending terrorists to attack us, we could bomb it back to the Stone Age with a clean conscience.

Yet another great proponent of ‘liberty’ and ‘freedom.’

Given the drumbeat of anti-Muslim sentiment in some quarters and the incessant bashing of moderate Muslims for ‘never’ saying anything against terrorism, I was surprised to read that Spain’s Islamic commission issued a fatwa condemning Osama bin Laden and his followers.

I’m left to wonder: did this story merit a mention in the corporate media, particularly on ‘liberal’ network news? Given the focus on the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Madrid, wouldn’t this have been extremely relevant? Or maybe it was more important to give blanket coverage to Michael Jackson in his pajamas than to help dispel the uninformed prejudices of millions of Americans.

Or maybe it’s all just another figment of my imagination.