If Moderate Muslims Exist They Need to Speak Up

Once again Muslims are being portrayed as idiotic, unthinking animals - and it's those of their own ranks who are doing it.

Imagine, an independent and democratic country, the UK decides it will give Salman Rushdie a knighthood and a bunch of Muslims decide this should not be done because they believe this man has insulted their religion. Therefore EVERYONE else in the world has to agree with them or be considered an enemy.

For goodness sake!

One jackass even said that it would be right for a suicide bomber to blow up Rushdie.

I am yet to hear any moderate Muslims speaking out against this idiocy.

This is why Muslims and Islam have such a terrible reputation because it seems as though the religion and the proponents of it are intolerant, stupid and backward.

The other major religion, Christianity has some backward attitudes attached to it (in terms of the role of women) but any Christian can tell you that the perception has come about because of people perverting the tenets of Christianity - and you can point to millions of Christians living their lives and not adhering to these or other distortions of their faith. Maybe there are millions of Muslims who do likewise and if this is so they need to step out and show themselves - prominently.

When the story comes to bump - some Muslim moderate will be dragged into the public arena to say that Islam is a faith of peace - that it believes in the equality of women etc. etc./ But if this is so why can't we see it?

If these fanatics are really on the fringe - why are they so prominent? The David Koreshs and the Jack Jones (who it was clear to see weren't true Christians but nutters) haven't spawned thousands of other Christians trying to kill themselves and others in the process. I know this did happen in Ireland for many years but it was only in Ireland - that country has its own unique painful history.

But why are Muslims behaving like ignorant barbarians in so many parts of the world - without a clear picture for the rest of us to see what it means to be a true Muslim? It's time to question whether or not this religion actually is one of peace or if the fanatics represent the true face of Islam - and if so steps need to be taken to secure free countries from the terribly negative effects.

The wussy British government hasn't made any stern comment on the Pakistani Religious minister's comments about the suicide bomber - because (according to channel 4 news) they want to keep Pakistan sweet in the fight against terror. This is wrong. You can't have people advocating killing someone because of their beliefs and stay quiet.

I congratulate Sir Rushdie and hope he stays alive.