Who Should be Blamed for Muslim Terrorism?

[PeaceNikki]

7. Indeed. The ideology is part of the equation and denying it is dangerous.

Look at what Saudi Arabia is doing to a liberal blogger critical of Islam. http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/01/10/world/middleeast/saudis-begin-public-caning-of-blogger-first-50-of-1000-blows-are-administered.html?referrer=

It's the same ideology involved in the Paris attack. A religion is not just a set of texts but the living beliefs and practices of its adherents.

Rage and condemnation don’t do the job, nor is it helpful to alienate the millions of Muslims who dislike what’s being done in the name of their religion. Many of them immediately condemned the attack on Charlie Hebdo, in tones of anguish particular to those whose deepest beliefs have been tainted. The answer always has to be careful, thoughtful, and tailored to particular circumstances. In France, it will need to include a renewed debate about how the republic can prevent more of its young Muslim citizens from giving up their minds to a murderous ideology—how more of them might come to consider Mustapha Ourrad, a Charlie Hebdo copy editor of Algerian descent who was among the victims, a hero. In other places, the responses have to be different, with higher levels of counter-violence.

But the murders in Paris were so specific and so brazen as to make their meaning quite clear. The cartoonists died for an idea. The killers are soldiers in a war against freedom of thought and speech, against tolerance, pluralism, and the right to offend—against everything decent in a democratic society. So we must all try to be Charlie, not just today but every day.


Some text from: http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/blame-for-charlie-hebdo-murders