On the growing threat posed by radical Islam.

Recent events have made starkly clear that radical Islam has become a serious threat to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. The killing of three Muslims in North Carolina — purportedly over a parking space dispute — is only the most obvious sign of the way increasing numbers of non-Muslims — egged on by some demagogic media figures — perceive all Muslims as a threat, and may experience social support in discriminating against them, or even engaging in anti-Muslims violence. This is occurring in a world context in which non-Muslins have seen the emergence of an apparently growing radical Islamism that is more than willing to kill unlimited numbers of innocent civilians in the pursuit of its fundamentalist religious agenda. That is an inescapable reality. This movement is real, morally indefensible, and truly frightening. No wonder many have called for intensive scrutiny of all Muslims, and some have even sought to justify completely unjustified attacks at Islamic institutions. This reality has created a very dangerous and potentially unnerving reality confronting innocent, law-abiding Muslims, of which there are many, possibly a large majority, who are placed in the extremely uncomfortable, and possibly even dangerous, situation of having to continually worry that they may be discriminated against, or even targeted for attack, by members of a frightened non-Muslim world.

Thus, this reality of systemic Islamic terrorists presents vital challenges that cannot be avoided, by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It must be addressed, and directly and without equivocation. Non-Muslims must honestly confront the factual reality of an international culture of Islam that has not yet experienced an “enlightenment,” has some difficulty in separating church and state, and all too often remains rooted for the most part in a pre-scientific mindset of “divinely-revealed” religious fundamentalism. It is not enough for well-meaning, and even humanist Westerners, for example, to defend the freedom of religious beliefs and hence the rights and liberties of all Muslims — however important and legitimate that is — and to criticize those who raise serious criticism of the religious beliefs and practices of an Islam that claims to be following the direct divine — and hence, non-questionable — directives of Allah.

Such Western humanists and defenders of religious toleration must take seriously the current historical reality of, and propose practical strategies to address the challenge posed by, the current status of the religion and practice of the religion of Islam across the world. We must take seriously an Islamic religious reality that has created, and far too often sustains, an international culture of Islam that can generate massive local protests against the very depiction of the prophet Mohammed that have taken place across the Islamic World, from Algeria to Indonesia, and practically all places in between. More dangerous than even the horrendous violent extremism of groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, is the support that such terrorism has received from Islamic masses. Such mass protests and overt expressions of support, even involving many middle class individuals and professionals, have been approved, encouraged, and celebrated by many Islamic religious leaders. Some have explicitly justified the murders at Charlie Hebdo and called for the beheading of any people who commit similar “crimes”. These attitudes are in fact the soil that nurtures radical “Islamism”, that fundamentalist perversion of Islamic values that justifies terrorism in the name of religious purity. It is not sufficient for individual Muslims to separate themselves from such views. It is essential for the organized Islamic community, with its religious officials in the forefront, to systematically, and regularly criticize such beliefs and practices — and even, to do so on religious grounds. And they must do that publicly, and on a regular basis to their congregations.

However, inevitable and necessary, for the non-Islamic world to energetically oppose such views, and in so doing, to carefully and effectively reaffirm their commitment in word and deed to freedom of thought, discussion, and association, freedom of the press, and respect for the dignity of all people, that will hardly convince Islamic true believers. Only sustained, public and effective action by the organized leadership of Islam, and that internationally, across the Islamic World, can begin to turn the tide. Until that is done, it is inevitable and understandable that all Muslims will be under some suspicion, and their personal freedom and respect will be on the defensive. And that threat to non-violent and law obedient Muslims, is also a very serious, and probably growing, threat to Western values of human rights and dignity for all people, and to the institutional protections which are vital to the continued existence of free, democratic self-governance.